Starting their 2025 season off with a win, the B Squad volleyball girls downed visiting New Ulm Cathedral 2-0 on Thursday.
After a Clipper hit out of bounds handed Cathedral the first point of game one, Sierra Lotspeich uncoiled a kill. Errors plagued both teams after that until Neenah Lassiter’s kill put the Clippers in front 7-6. Following up, Paisley Janssen tipped over a winner, and with a Greyhound hit into the net, the Clippers were in front 9-6.
Cathedral took advantage of Clipper errors to post the next four points. A libero Valentina Rohlfing direct return deadlocked the score 10-10.
From there, Lotspeich tipped over a point, but the Clippers hit the next possession into the net. Ava Hahn stretched for an ace block on the ensuing possession to put the Clippers up 12-11, and they never looked back from there.
Lotspeich dished up a hat trick of ace serves for an 18-12 Clipper advantage, and the Clippers only lost one point from there. Kaelyn Blaschko hit back-to-back winners, Rohlfing served an ace, and Blaschko swung for another winner before Mattea Grandaw uncoiled back-to-back kills for a 25-14 victory.
The Clippers were never behind in game two. Cheyenne Lotspeich sent over a pair of ace serves for the first two points. With kills by Kluntz and Blaschko, the Clippers led 7-2.
Cheyenne Lotspeich pushed the ball into an open slot for a point, and Clara Hilfer scored on a kill for a 10-4 lead, before the Greyhounds capitalized on Clipper errors to pull within two, 12-10.
The Clippers only gave up four points from there though. Sierra Lotspeich extended for an ace block while her sister followed with an ace serve and a kill. A Kluntz kill put the Clippers ahead 21-13. After a Kluntz ace serve, the game ended 25-14 when the Greyhounds couldn’t handle a Hilfer tip.
Blaschko and Sierra Lotspeich each totaled four kills. Kluntz had three kills. Lassiter and Hilfer each had two kills. Grandaw had one kill. Kluntz and Lassiter each blocked for two aces. Sierra Lotspeich had one ace block.
Cheyenne Lotspeich served five aces while Sierra Lotspeich had four ace serves. Rohlfing, Janssen and Kluntz each had one ace serve.
Coached by April Thompson, the B Clippers return to action today (Tuesday), when they travel to Janesville to take on the Bulldogs.
Above: Sierra Lotspeich and Ava Kluntz stretch for a block.
