NMCA battles back, but falls short to Atlanta in MHSAA D4 regionals

ROGERS CITY — It's been a historic season for Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian Academy volleyball .

In addition to a 20-plus win fall, the Eagles captured the program's first-ever district crown last week .

But unfortunately for the Eagles, they simply ran into one of Northern Michigan's best Division 4 programs over the last few years. And while NMCA gave that opponent a battle, the Atlanta Huskies were simply too much.

The Eagles saw their season end in a 3-1 loss to the Huskies (28-30, 13-25, 25-18, 18-25) in an MHSAA Division 4 regional semifinal at Rogers City on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Here's some takeaways from Tuesday's regional clash.

Lengthy first-set win gives advantage to Atlanta

The opening set felt like a marathon, but even though the Eagles (24-7-2) trailed for much of it — including a 19-15 deficit after a 4-0 Atlanta run — they scrapped their way back and took the lead with a kill from freshman Lauren Ferraiuolo, which gave NMCA a 21-20 lead.

After that, it was back and forth the rest of the way, as the Eagles gave themselves multiple chances to win the set but couldn't manufacture the winning point, while the Huskies (36-1-1) hung around long enough to earn a hard-fought 30th point and take a one-set lead. Momentum was seized by Atlanta, which came out firing and built a commanding lead in the second with ferocious attacking and quality defense.

As a result, the Huskies led by two sets and looked poised to secure the sweep.

But just as it looked like it was going to be a short night for NMCA, the Eagles rallied back behind their two outside hitters, sisters Shanna and Lauren Ferraiuolo, whose attacking helped NMCA build a 20-15 lead.

As strong as those two attackers were, the superb defense by Isabel Hoffmeyer and Harper Nelund, as well as the setting of Hazel Bowman, kept the Eagles alive with a third-set victory.

Despite falling into a 6-2 hole early in the fourth, the Atlanta attackers found their groove, and it resulted in a 10-3 run that gave the Huskies a 12-9 lead. From there, Atlanta's attack overwhelmed the Eagles late.

The Huskies eventually ended the match in four sets and sent themselves to a third consecutive regional final, which will be played at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, in Pellston.

It was a disappointing way to go out, but the Eagles have plenty to be proud of as they delivered their greatest season in program history behind a cohesive group that won a lot and held its own against quality opponents all season.

NMCA's lone senior who played her final match was Bowman, who joined the program this summer. At the setter spot, Bowman's play was pivotal in the Eagles earning a district title.

While the Eagles won't have Bowman next season, they should be very strong again as they return Shanna and Lauren Ferraiuolo as well as Hoffmeyer and Nelund, players who were highly impactful in 2026.

NMCA stats will be provided as soon as they become available.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com . Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT