Since 2019, Cleveland and Alden-Conger have dueled for the conference championship.
While in 2022, the visiting Clippers fell hard in the first game, they came back to decisively win the next three. This year it was the opposite as the Clippers won the first game by a wide margin but lost the remainder, and the Knights took home the Valley title.
“They did to us what we did to them last year,” said head coach Dave Nixon.
Sophie Perkins’ hit near the left-side line was the first winner for the Clippers and put the up 2-1. From there, Delaney Thompson sent over an ace serve, Ava Hahn swatted a pair of kills, and the Clippers led 7-1.
A Laci Hollerich kill and push over the net were the book ends to a 6-point run that put the Clippers in front 13-2. Later, after a couple of Jocelyn Bartell ace blocks and pair of Ava Han kills, the Clippers were comfortably in front 19-6.
But the Knights hit three-straight kills and sent over an ace serve in a 6-point spurt that foreshadowed the rest of the match.
“They’re going to compete,” Nixon said. Everything was going our way. We had a big lead, but they fought back and made it closer than it was, and they just built on that momentum.”
Perkins put up an ace block to end the run and the Clippers led 20-12. Hahn and Hollerich each hit for a pair of winners down the stretch, and the game ended 25-14 after the Knights sent a return into the webbing.
It was the Knights’ first game loss in the conference, but it would be their last.
Hollerich’s hit down the left side line was the first point of game two. But with an ace block, a pair of ace serves and a kill for four-straight points, the Knights showed they weren’t going to roll over and took a 5-2 lead.
With a Hollerich at tip and kill and a Hahn kill, the Clippers knotted the game 5-5, but it was back and forth from there. Maya Lassiter’s ace block put the Clippers in front 11-10, but a kill was the start of a 5-point run for the Knights that put them in front 16-12, and they never lost the lead from there. Launching a guided missile, they put an exclamation mark on the 25-20 victory.
“When they were rolling, they took care of the ball and we were not taking care of the ball as well as we normally do,” Nixon said.
Continuing to pound the ball, the Knights took over game three early. Melia Sathoff swung for a kill and put up an ace block, but the Knights responded with five-straight kills for a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The game ended 25-16 when the Clippers sent a hit into the net.
After going in front 4-3, the Knights never trailed in game four. Bartell’s kill pulled the Clippers within one, 17-26, but in a 7-point run from there, the Knights spiked four winners, and the Clippers watched a serve fall to the floor. The game ended 25-17 when a Clipper block ricocheted out of bounds.
“Alden-Conger played like they needed to win a conference championship,” Nixon said. “You have to respect that. I thought we played hard, but they just outplayed us.”
Ava Hahn totaled 19 kills. Hollerich had nine kills. Sathoff had five kills. Perkins had four kills. Bartell and Greta Hahn each had three kills. Greta Hahn had 34 set assists.
Savannah Meyer scooped 26 digs. Ava Hahn had 25 digs. Thompson had 15 digs. Greta Hahn had 13 digs. Perkins and Chloe Anderson each had seven digs.
Bartell had four ace blocks. Ava Hahn, Perkins and Hollerich each had two ace blocks. Sathoff had one ace block.
Meyer was 14 for 14 from the service line with two aces. Thompson was 17 of 18 with one of them an ace. Ava Hahn was 11 for 12 with one ace. Greta Hahn was 10 for 10. Sathoff was seven for seven.
Two years ago, in the same situation, the Clippers lost 3-1 at home. In the quarantine season, the Clippers, in their only loss of the season, fell to the Knights 3-1, beat them in the last match of the season 3-2 but somehow, even though they had the best record in the Valley, ended up third place. In 2019, in their first win over the Knights since 2013, the Clippers won 3-0 and swept the Valley.
The Clippers host Wabasso tonight (Tuesday).
Above: Greta Hahn bumps a pass.
Jocelyn Bartell watches her hit clear the net. She had an excellent game, said her coaches.
Ava Hahn sends over a hit.
Maya Lassiter follows through a hit.
Laci Hollerich hit.
Savannah Meyer dig.
Bib boys. Alex Johnson, Jorden Rossow, Nathan Strobel and Bode Bartell in the pep band.