After winning game three to go in front 2-1 and then taking game five into extra innings, it seemed like the Clipper girls had nine lives in the subsection semifinals in Arlington against BOLD on Thursday.
But with the Clippers down 16-15, the Warriors, strong on hits and blocks, swung back-to-back kills to beat the Clippers 18-15 and advance to the subsection final.
“BOLD is a dang good team,” said head coach Dave Nixon. “But we battled and were right there until the end. So many times, we were down and battled back. Our girls played so hard. I’m so proud of this team and how we finished. Sometimes it just isn’t enough.”
With an Ava Hahn kill, the Clippers pulled within a point in game five, 5-4. Later, Sophie Perkins found an open slot to tie the game at 7, and after a Melia Sathoff kill and ace block, the Clippers were in front 11-9.
With a pair of both kills and ace blocks, the Warriors, who last year lost 3-1 to Mayer Lutheran in the subsection final, posted the next four winners but got tagged for a couple of two-hits—an infraction the up ref was calling frequently— and with a Hahn ace tip, the Clippers were within a point of a match win, 14-13.
BOLD hung on though and took a 15-14 lead on an ace tip followed by an ace block. Hahn nailed another kill, but the Warriors put up another ace block to go in front 16-15. With a Warrior net serve, the Clippers were back within one before the final two BOLD kills ended the match.
“BOLD made two more plays than we did, Nixon said. “It’s a shame this is the match in the second round instead of another round later.”
Laci Hollerich put up a stifling block for the first point of game one. Greta Hahn found a seam on a push over, but the Warriors took advantage of three kills and Clipper errors for a 9-4 advantage and held the lead until, trailing 21-18, the Clippers scored the final eight points, four of them on Sathoff kills, for the 25-21 win.
BOLD scored the first three points of game two. Ava Hahn slid a kill down the right-side line for the first Clipper point and served up an ace.
Sophie Perkins smacked a winner, to pull the Clippers back within one, 5-4, but that was as close as they could get as the Warriors never lost the lead. Ava Hahn scored to again put the Clippers within a point, 15-14, but the Warriors won the next three points before landing three-straight kills to win the game 25-18.
“BOLD came to play; we came to play,” Nixon said.
Hollerich had a pair of kills for the first Clipper points in game three, but the Warriors went on a five-point spurt to lead 9-2 before they were whistled for a pair of two-hit infractions.
After an Ava Hahn kill from the back row and a Sathoff kill and ace tip, the Clippers deadlocked the game at 11 when the Warriors had back-to-back hitting errors.
From there, the lead swung back and forth. On a Hollerich kill, the Clippers grabbed an 18-15 advantage, but the Warriors scored the next three points. With a backrow kill and an ace block from Ava Hahn, the Clippers were in front 21-18, but the Warriors buried a couple of hits, and the Clippers watched an over fall to the floor that set them back 23-22.
Down the stretch, Hollerich hit the ball deep for a winner and then tipped over an ace to put her team up front 26-25. The Warriors won the next two points before they couldn’t assemble a return. Ava Hahn followed up with a kill, but the Warriors responded in kind for a 28-28 stalemate.
But the Clippers won 30-28 when BOLD hit into the net and Sathoff denied a Warrior hit for an ace to end the game and put the Clippers in front 2-1.
But it was Warriors the rest of the way.
BOLD took over game four after the six mark with a four-point run and never trailed after. The Clippers never rolled over though. Ava Hahn sent over a winner from the back row and then had some help from the net for a serve that died off, and the Clippers narrowed their deficit to a point, 20-19.
But the Warriors scored six of the next seven points for a 25-20 win that tied the match 2-2.
The Clippers had never played a fifth set all year and only in one match a fourth set (Alden-Conger), but Nixon said that didn’t matter.
“We were playing great. You move on and win or lose you play on to the next point, and the girls did that really well tonight.”
Ava Hahn put away 19 kills. Sathoff had 15 kills. In her last game as a Clipper, Hollerich, in her final game in a Clipper jersey, nailed 13 kills. Greta Hahn, also in her last game as a Clipper, set up 44 assists.
Savannah Meyer rescued 25 BOLD hits. Ava Hahn scooped 20 digs. Delaney Thompson pulled up 13 digs. Greta Hahn hoisted five 10 digs. Sathoff scraped five digs. Chloe Anderson, in her last game for Cleveland, raised six digs. Hollerich had four digs. Perkins had four digs.
Sathoff put up five solo ace blocks and a trio of block assists. Ava Hahn had two block assists.
Thompson kept in play all 27 of her serves with one of them a winner. Greta Hahn was 17 for 17 from the service stripe. Meyer was 14 for 14. Ava Hahn dished up three aces. Sathoff and Hollerich each served one ace.
Other outgoing seniors were Lilly Lamont, Mariah McCabe and Olivia Shouler.
BOLD’s senior outside hitter Ady Knake, an MNSU,M recruit, had 35 kills.
In the earlier game, Mayer Lutheran topped BLHS 3-0 and then went on to beat BOLD 3-0 in the subsection championship. On the other side of the section, the two Sleepy Eyes squared off in the subsection championship with ST. Mary’s beating public 3-1.
Mayer Lutheran swept St. Mary’s 3-0 to once again win the section.
The Clippers finish their season with a 24-7 record.
Above: Greta Hahn hits at the net in game five.
Sophie Perkins on the tip
Greta Hahn slings over a fake set.
Savanna Meyer receives a serve.
Melia Sathoff and Ava Hahn extend for a block.
Ava Hahn slaps a hit from far outside.
Laci Hollerich nails a hit.
Chloe Anderson props up a dig.
Greta Hahn on the pass
The Clipper bench cheers a point.
Laci Hollerich smash
Melia Sathoff stretches for a block.
Jocelyn Bartell at the net
Ava Hahn fires a hit while sister Greta watches it clear the webbing.
Melia Sathoff watches her hit drop to an opening.
The Clipper student section was hunting for a win.