A match against New Ulm Cathedral has been the season opener for the Clippers since 2008 with the venue alternating between schools.
It’s always competitive. Last year, the Clippers beat the Greyhounds in their own gym 3-1 to lead the series 9-8.
This year, back on Clipper turf, the outcome was the same. The Clippers lost game one but regrouped and won the next three games and the match.
“We just got off to a slow start,” said head coach Dave Nixon. “Sometimes there’s the jitters that set in the first time playing in front of a large crowd. But you know (NUC) is going to compete, and they came out hard.”
It’s a rebuilding year for the Clippers, especially out front. While they retained junior hitters Melia Sathoff and Taylor McCabe, gone to graduation are strong-side hitter Ava Hahn, middle hitters Maya Lassiter and Jocelyn Bartell, middle and right-side hitters Addi Holden and Evelyn Keltgen as well as libero Savannah Meyer, all-around player Lacey McCabe and setter Sophie Perkins. Sophomore hitter Anika Sathoff transferred schools.
Trailing 7-5 in game one, the Clippers spurted for five points, including a pair of McCabe kills and a Sathoff ace serve. The game see-sawed there, but ahead 16-14, the Greyhounds took advantage of an ace serve, and ace tip and a kill to go in front 21-14.
Later, McCabe swung for three-straight kills, and the Clippers deadlocked the game 23-23 after the Greyhounds let a Keira Schipper serve hit the floor, but the next Clipper serve went out of bonds, and the game ended 25-23 when the Clippers sent a hit past the boundary line.
“We just weren’t clicking, and they were the aggressor,” Nixon said. “It felt like they were doing whatever they wanted. When they are in system, they are very good. They were serving aggressively, being aggressive while we were playing defensively and not generating much offense, and we were just making a lot of errors.”
Schipper knocked down a Greyhound hit for the first point of game two. Cathedral hung around for a while, and, with a kill, pulled within a point, 10-9. But their ensuing serve got caught in the net as did a hit on the next play. Sophomore setter Jocelyn Kortuem sent over an ace tip, Schipper blocked for another ace, and the Clippers were in front 14-9.
“As the match went on, we got them out of system,” Nixon said.
Maile Meisneer’s kill put the Clippers in front 19-14. The Greyhounds posted two more points before hitting out of bounds for a 25-16 Clipper win.
Game three was similar. Taylor McCabe smashed three-straight kills for points 23, 24 and 25 for the 25-16 Clipper win. With the Clippers in front 19-15 in game four, Sathoff fired five kills, Luci Blaschko served and ace, and the Clippers won 25-17.
“We needed Melia to finish off that game, and she got a lot of kills at the end,” Nixon said. “And she got kills early in the rally to stop the rally.”
With 28 kills, McCabe led the attackers.
“Tayor was on all night,” Nixon said. “She had some errors, but you have that many kills, you can have those errors.”
Sathoff had 13 kills. Meissner had four kills, Schipper had three kills, and Jocelyn Kortuem had two kills.
“Maile did great,” Nixon said. “She brought some offense as one of the middles.”
Kortuem set up 38 points.
“I told her to trust your experience and let your experience take over,” Nixon said.
McCabe scraped 27 digs. Libero Delaney Thompson, who was injured all last season, had 18 digs. Sathoff had 16 digs. Luci Blaschko had nine digs. Kortuem had eight digs. Meissner had four digs. Schipper had three digs. Aubrey Blaschko and Cheyenne Lotspeich each had two digs. Amelia Chmiel had one dig.
“We dug enough balls and got them out of system, and when they’re out of system, that helps a lot,” Nixon said. “We made some adjustments to slow their big hitter down. Early on she was hammering the ball.”
Sathoff, Korteum and Schipper each put up a solo block. Kortuem had three block assists. Schipper and Meissner each had one block assist.
Sathoff was 21 for 21 at the service line with two aces. Korteum served three aces. Lotspeich had two aces. Chmiel, Schipper and Luci Blaschko each had one ace serve. The Clippers missed 11 serves, five of them were in game four.
The varsity Clippers return to action today (Tuesday), when they travel to Janesville to take on the Class AA Bulldogs. They are coming off a 3-2 loss to Fairmont.
Above: Taylor McCabe swung for 28 winners.
