The heir apparent to replace Ava Hahn as the varsity girls’ most prolific hitter, junior Taylor McCabe racked up 21 kills as the Clippers beat host Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 3-1 on Tuesday.
McCabe said someone had to take over for Hahn, who in her career totaled 1299 kills and went on this fall to play at Gustavus Adolphus College. She said confidence and teamwork are keys.
“My team’s really supportive, so that helps a lot, but you just have to believe in yourself.”
The Clippers beat the Bulldogs in the first two sets, lost the third but came back to decisively win the fourth for a 3-1 match victory.
Melia Sathoff’s ace tip was the first Clipper point of game one. After a pair of Bulldogs out-of-bounds hits and a McCabe kill, the Clippers led 4-1.
Later, the Bulldogs served back-to-back aces and added another point when a Clipper hit went out of bounds to lead 12-11 before Sathoff’s kill deadlocked the game at a dozen apiece.
From there, the Clippers didn’t assemble a return, but Luci Blaschko directly returned a serve for a winner, and the Bulldogs shanked a Sathoff serve to put the Clippers in front 14-13.
Taking advantage of a serve out and a carry infraction, the Bulldogs again took the lead, but McCabe laid down two-straight spikes, and, although JWP loitered around, the Clippers never lost the lead. Down the stretch, JWP swatted two-straight kills to pull within one, 22-21, but Keira Schipper shoved over an ace, the Bulldogs watched a Sathoff serve land safely, and the game ended 25-21 on a Schipper ace block.
Starting with a Sathoff ace serve, the Clippers had their way with the Bulldogs for most of game two, eventually leading 20-9. Strong down the stretch, JWP pulled within four, 22-18, but after a McCabe kill, the Bulldogs didn’t put together a return and then hit the ball out of bounds for a 25-18 Clipper triumph.
Jocelyn Kortuem’s two-handed over was the first Clipper winner of game three and tied the contest 5-5. Later, with a Sathoff kill and a Schipper ace block, the Clippers went in front 8-7, but that was the last lead they would have as the Bulldogs went on a warpath and, after a kill, won the game 25-22 on a Clipper hit out of bounds.
Picking up where they left off, the Bulldogs posted the first four points of game four, two on kills before the Clippers went on a five-point spurt, which included a trio of McCabe kills and Kortuem ace tip.
The Bulldogs knotted the game 5-5, but Maile Meissner stretched for an ace block, McCabe swatted down a kill, and Kortuem served up an ace for an 8-5 orange & black advantage. The Clippers never trailed from there and won decisively, 25-13.
Sathoff had 19 kills. Schipper had six kills. Kortuem and Aubrey Blaschko each had three kills. Luci Blaschko had two kills. With one kill were Meissner and Liviana Lee.
Kortuem set up 45 points. Delaney Thompson had five set assists. With one set assist were McCabe, Luci Blaschko and Kaitlyn Flowers.
Thompson scraped 27 digs. Sathoff hoisted 19 digs. Kortuem scooped 14 digs. McCabe lifted 13 digs. Luci Blaschko heaved a dozen digs. Flowers shoveled five digs. Amelia Chmiel had two digs. With one dig were Schipper, Meissner and Cheyenne Lotspeich.
McCabe had one solo block and two assists. Kortuem had four block assists. Schipper had one solo block and three assists. Meissner had four assists. Aubrey Blaschko had one assist.
The Clippers missed 13 serves. Sathoff dished up six service aces. Thompson was 15 for 15 with one ace. Kortuem served one ace. Luci Blaschko had one ace serve.
The Clippers will return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Lake Crystal. The Knights lost to Alden-Conger 3-2 in their opener and are coming off a 3-0 win over St. James Area.
Above: Melia Sathoff steers a JWP serve back toward the net.
Kaitlyn Flowers bumps a pass.
Jocelyn Kortuem and Keira Schipper stretch for a block.
Delaney Thompson guides the ball to a setter.
Luci Blaschko two-hands the ball to the front.
Keira Schipper watches her block descend to the floor.
It was country night in the student section.