Bouncing back after falling in set two, the C-squad girls downed visiting Mayer Lutheran 2-1 on Tuesday. Among the three teams, varsity, B and C, the C squad was the only team that managed to beat the Knights.
Sending over a mishmash of serves, three of them winners, Amelia Baker (above) got the Clippers off to a 7-2 start in the race to 15. The freshman, who covers both the front and back row, also sent a diagonal hit for Clipper point 14, and, after the Clippers sent a hit out of bounds, released a kill for a 15-10 triumph.
The Clippers were trailing 9-5 in game one when they staged a comeback. It started with a trio of Mayer Lutheran errors. The Clippers served the next point out of bounds, but Joanna Jordan tipped over a winner, and, after the Knights won the next point, the Clippers went on another three-point spurt that capped off with a Jessilyn Milnes ace serve to deadlock the game at 11.
The Clippers took the lead after a Knight hit out of bounds and never looked back. Baker rattled off a couple of ace serves, Hadley Thompson popped over an ace tip and swung for a kill, and the Clippers won 25-12 on a Knight hit out of bounds.
Thompson airmailed a pair of service aces, and Emma Kortuem swatted a winner to put the Clippers in front 4-0 in game two, but after Kenzie Kortuem laid down a kill, the Knights came up with a kill and an ace serve to knot the game 7-7.
Starting with a kill and followed by three Clipper mishits, the Knights went in front 11-9, but after Kortuem smacked a kill, she sent over an ace serve. From there, the Knights errored twice, and the Clippers led 13-11.
After two Clipper miscues and one error by the Knights, the Clippers were in front 14-13 when they sent a hit over the boundary line. The Knights never trailed from there. With an ace serve and a kill, they led 18-15.
Kills by Kenzie Kortuem and Emma Kortuem helped pull the Clippers within a point, 20-19, and later, Kenzie Kortuem dispatched an ace serve for a 22-22 stalemate, but the Clippers’ ensuing serve was out of bounds. After the Clippers got tagged for a double-hit, the Knights tipped over a winner for a 25-22 victory that tied the match 1-1.
The C-Squad girls return to action on Tuesday when they road trip west on Highway 99 to Nicollet.
Maliah Elias scoops a Mayer serve.
Setter Hadley Thompson awaits a pass.
Kenzie Kortuem watches her hit clear the webbing.
Jessilyn Milnes bumps the ball toward the net.
Emma Kortuem sets up for a bump.