Still trying to find their sea legs, the eighth-grade volleyball girls, a mix of half seventh graders and half eighth graders, have struggled this year, but on Tuesday’s road trip to St. Clair, they put it all together and beat the Cyclones 2-1.
Considering the Cyclones mostly kept the Clippers in single figures when they met three weeks ago and were the champions of the conference tournament in Alden on Saturday, where the Clippers didn’t come home with a win, it was quality triumph, said head coach Cassidy Block.
“We have not seen a nice team comeback, hard-fought battle for a win all season.”
With an Aubrey Blaschko ace serve, the Clippers got a good start in the short set, but the Cyclones slammed down a hit to deadlock the game 8-8.
But St. Clair served the ball into the net and then hit it out of bounds, and with a Clara Hilfer kill, the Clipper were in front 11-8.
Down the stretch, Mattea Grandaw dispatched a couple of ace serves, and the game ended 15-9 when the Cyclones sent a serve beyond the boundary line "Tonight, all the girls did a really nice job playing their role on the court,” Block said. With a Sierra Lotspeich ace tip and a Blaschko ace serve in the mix, the Clippers jumped out to an 8-0 start in game one.
“Everyone showed up ready to play,” Block said.
Later, Kaelyn Blaschko, Aubrey’s seventh-grader sister, served up an ace while her classmate Hilfer swung a kill to put the Clippers in front 15-9. The game ended 25-15 on another Lotspeich ace tip, her third of the game.
“Sierra has done an incredible job playing at the net as a setter,” Block said. “She has some moves that you just can’t teach.”
Kiya Sohn’s ace tip was the first Clipper winner in game two, but the Cyclones, already up 8-5, posted 10 of the next 11 points to take a commanding 18 to 6 lead.
The Clippers didn’t wave the white flag though and scored the next eight points with winners coming on kill and an ace serve from Hilfer and an ace tip off the hands of Kaelyn Blaschko.
“Kaelyn had a fabulous night in the back row, playing her part, covering where she needed to be,” Block said.
Later, Aubrey Blaschko extended for an ace block, and the Clippers took advantage of a St. Clair error to pull within three, but the Cyclones scored the final five points—with the last four on ace serves—for a 25-17 victory.
The junior high eighth-grade girls will close out their regular season next Monday when they travel to Madelia.
Above: Eighth grader Cassidy Otto hoists a Cyclone hit. In back are classmates Ava Kluntz and Aubrey Blaschko.
Seventh grader Sierra Lotspeich sets up for a dig.
Seventh grader Clara Hilfer sends the ball over from near the net.
Seventh-grade libero Mattea Grandaw tracks an incoming hit.
Eighth grader Kiya Sohn leans forward for a dig.