Usually a step or two ahead, visiting Mayer Lutheran downed the B-squad girls 2-0 on Tuesday.
In game one, after a couple of Crusader misses and a line infraction, Clara Hilfer’s kill put the Clippers in front 4-1.
Sierra Lotspeich lasered a kill from the back row for a 6-2 Clipper lead, but they sent a pair of hits out of bounds and succumbed to a serve after. Neenah Lassiter swung for a winner, but the Crusaders followed two kills of their own to deadlock the game 8-8.
Lotspeich stretched for an ace block, and when the Crusaders stepped on the line and landed a hit out of bounds, the Clippers led 11-9, but from there, they got called for a carry and errored twice for a 14-11 Mayer advantage.
The lead continued to pendulum. Natalie Flowers tipped over a winner, and Lotspeich dished a pair of ace serves to put the Clippers up 16-13, but the Crusaders hit back-to-back kills for a 17-17 stalemate.
Down 21-20, Cleveland scored on back-to-back kills, but the Crusaders responded with two-straight kills followed by an ace serve that the net helped pull to the floor before the game ended 25-22 when the Clippers socked the ball into the mesh.
With a couple of ace serves and a kill in the mix, Mayer jumped out to a 4-0 start in game two. Cheyenne Lotspeich and Flowers served winners to help pull the Clippers in front 6-5, but with a pair of kills and a service ace, the Crusaders slid ahead 9-7.
The Clippers managed to pull back ahead a couple of times, but after Sierra Lotpseich’s kill put them up 16-15, their next serve went out of bounds. The Crusaders served an ace on the ensuing passion and then scored again when the Clippers didn’t manufacture a return for an 18-16 lead.
The Clippers tangled up the game 18-18 when Mattea Grandaw found some open floor, and the Crusaders sailed a hit out of bounds. Later, they deadlocked the score 20-20 when a Crusader serve flew out of bounds and Sierra Lotspeich served an ace, but the Clippers committed too many errors from there, and the Crusaders swung for a kill before their ace serve won the game 25-20.
With four kills, Sierra Lotspeich led the offensive effort. Flowers had three kills. Grandaw and Lassiter each had two kills, and Hilfer had one kill and one ace block. Cheyenne Lotspeich set up six points. Anna Lamont put up three set assists. Flowers, Sierra Lotspeich and Valentina Rohlfing each had one set assist. Ava Kluntz had one ace block.
Rohlfing scraped seven digs. Kluntz lifted five digs. Sierra Lotspeich pulled up four digs. Cheyenne Lotspeich scooped two digs. Lamont, Taylor Wolf and Paisley Janssen each had three digs. Flowers and Hilfer recorded one dig.
Sierra Lotspeich dispatched four ace serves while her sister Cheyenne delivered a pair of ace serves. Flowers had one ace serve.
The B-Squad will look to get back on the winning track on Tuesday when they travel to rival Nicollet.
Above: Sierra Lotspeich unleashes a kill.
Ava Kluntz and Mattea Grandaw stretch for a block.
Clara Hilfer clashes at the net.
Valentina Rohlfing passes the ball to the setter.