They didn’t win the conference title…unlike last year and in 2019.
They didn’t take home the subsection trophy either, different than the prior two seasons.
But the 2023 edition of the Clipper volleyball girls left their mark in a couple of other ways. For one, they knocked off a pair of double-A schools, both that were in the state top 10, to win the Waterville tournament for the first time in the program’s history. For another, their 24 match triumphs were the most for a Cleveland varsity volleyball team.
The Clippers looked back on their year during an awards banquet held in the school commons on Thursday.
“It was a really good season,” said head coach Dave Nixon, who presided over the ceremony. “We had our ups and downs; we had our moments where we had to go through some struggles, which every team must go through. We played good competition, and we just missed out on the conference championship, but hopefully we can bounce back next year. A lot of people told me the BOLD match (where the Clippers' season ended in the subsection semifinal) was the best they’ve seen in a while. We were just one kill or one ace serve from pulling that match out.”
Ava Hahn, Greta Hahn and Savannah Meyer were voted by Valley Conference coaches to be among the nine members of the All-Conference First Team.
An all-around player, Ava Hahn swung for 373 kills and scooped 330 digs. The junior outside hitter also put up 18.5 ace blocks and set up 24 points. She scored 45 points from behind the service stripe, the most for the Clippers this season. For her offensive effort, her teammates chose her to take home the Offensive MVP award.
“She could hit out of the front row, hit out of the back row. She was always a threat,” Nixon said.
With 849 career kills, next year she will be knocking at the door of the 1000 milestone and a school record career ace serves, which, currently 157, was set by McKenna Robb in 2019.
Greta Hahn, a senior setter, totaled 765 set assists for a career 1555, the second most for the Clippers and an impressive number considering she set the mark in just two years. She also had 188 digs, 59 kills, four ace blocks and 33 service aces. Her teammates voted her Miss Hustle.
“She wasn’t afraid to hit the floor for anything,” Nixon said.
She was also one of KNUJ’s (New Ulm radio station’s) players of the week.
Junior libero Savannah Meyer hoisted 439 digs. She also dished up 22 ace serves and set up 44 points. Her teammates voted her as the Defensive MVP, and she also earned the Clipper Spirit Award.
“Always smiling, always working hard, always all over the place,” Nixon said. “She did a lot with ball control on serve receive.”
With 854 career digs, Meyer is poised to close in on Emma Sweere’s career record 1363, set last season.
Conference coaches elected senior right-side hitter Laci Hollerich to the All-Conference Second Team. Hollerich led the Clippers in ace blocks with 23. She also had 163 kills, 88 digs, 10 set assists and 11 ace serves.
Melia Sathoff, playing in her second year on varsity, was an All-Conference Honorable Mention. The freshman outside hitter scored 220 points on hits and had 14 ace blocks. She scraped 220 digs and put up eight set assists. She was just behind Ava Hahn in service aces with 43.
The team chose junior middle hitter Jocelyn Bartell as the Most Improved Player. Upping her net game as the season wound down, she completed her second year on varsity with 41 kills and 21 blocks. She also pulled up 22 digs and set six assists.
“She improved a ton throughout the year and earned a starting position,” Nixon said. “I saw huge confidence in her at the end of the year, and she was a huge threat in the middle.”
Landing in bounds 158 of 161 serves, junior middle hitter Sophie Perkins’ made-serve percentage, 98.1, was the Clippers’ highest. Nine of her serves were winners. Big in the middle, she also had 64 kills, 15 blocks and 17 set assists.
“That’s one time when you are in complete control, so when you get 98.1 percent, that’s pretty awesome,” Nixon said.
The Rookie of the Year award went to Delaney Thompson. The freshman served 21 aces and elevated 157 digs. She also set up 13 points. Her serving percentage was just 0.2 percent behind that of Perkins.
“She really contributed to a lot of our success,” Nixon said. “A lot of times when she went back there to serve, we went on a run.”
In other stats to note, senior Chloe Anderson had 164 digs, eight set assists and three ace serves. Senior setter Lilly Lamont had nine digs, two kills, six set assists and three service aces. Senor middle hitter Ellie Dylla had two ace serves. Senor defender Mariah McCabe had 29 digs and three set assists. Senior defender Oliva Shouler had one dig.
Eighth-grade hitter Anika Sathoff had 41 kills, 25 digs, a dozen blocks, two set assists and three ace serves. Junior middle hitter Maya Lassiter had 16 kills, 10 blocks, 10 digs, one set assist and one ace serve.
Junior Lacey McCabe had 19 digs and a pair each of kills and service aces. Junior hitter Addi Holden had four kills, two digs and one block.
All were letter winners.
“We put in a lot of time in the off season, a lot of time in the summer, and it showed on the volleyball court,” said Nixon.
With a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the season, earning Academic All-Conference awards were Meyer, Holden, Lamont, Dylla, Perkins, Lassiter, Thompson, Bartell, Hollerich, Shouler, Lacey McCabe and Ava Hahn.
With the average of the top 10 GPAs of the playoff roster 3.77, the Clippers earned a team Academic All-State gold award (for a GPA of 3.7 or higher). As a senior with a GPA of 3.8 or higher, Shouler earned an individual Academic All-State award.
Nixon was named by his colleagues as the Section Coach of the Year.
“It was because of you guys,” Nixon said. “You don’t win that alone. You win that when your team is impressing coaches in the section.”
Nixon thanked assistant coaches Bree Meyer and Ellie Johnson,
“They were there for the right reasons. I think the girls all had a great relationship with them.”
He also thanked his wife Jodi and their sons, the players and their parents and this author.
“When everyone is on board, it’s a lot of fun.”
Above: Award winners Savannah Meyer (All-Conference first team, Clipper Spirit, Defensive MVP), Greta Hahn (All-Conference First Team, Miss Hustle, 1000 career set milestone), Ava Hahn (All-Conference first team, Offensive MVP, Most Ace Serves), Laci Hollerich (All-Conference Second Team), Sophie Perkins (Highest Serving Percentage), Delaney Thompson (Rookie of the Year), Melia Sathoff (All-Conference Honorable Mention) and Jocelyn Bartell (Most Improved Player)
Conference award winners Savannah Meyer, Greta Hahn, Ava Hahn, Laci Hollerich and Melia Sathoff.
Greta Hahn racked up 1555 assists in her two years setting for the Clippers.
Olivia Shouler earned an Academic All-State award.
Head coach Dave Nixon was the Section 2A Coach of the Year.
Earning Academic All-Conference awards were Olivia Shouler, Jocelyn Bartell, Lacey McCabe, Addi Holden, Savannah Meyer, Laci Hollerich, Ava Hahn, Maya Lassiter, Sophie Perkins, Lilly Lamont, Delaney Thompson and Ellie Dylla.
Seniors Olivia Shouler, Lilly Lamont, Ellie Dylla, Laci Hollerich, Mariah McCabe, Chloe Anderson and Greta Hahn.
The 2023 Clippers: from L-R, front row: Lacey McCabe, Savannah Meyer, Mariah McCabe, Greta Hahn, Chloe Anderson, Ava Hahn, Delaney Thompson, Taylor McCabe, Ellie Dylla and Lilly Lamont. Back row: Head coach Dave Nixon, Olivia Shouler, Maya Lassiter, Sophie Perkins, Laci Hollerich, Addi Holden, Jocelyn Bartell, Melia Sathoff, Anika Sathoff, assistant coach Bree Meyer and assistant coach Ellie Johnson.