With a 2-1 win over host Nicollet and a 2-0 win over Madelia, it was a productive week for April Thompson’s B-Squad girls.
Sierra Lotspeich dropped a couple hits to the Nicollet floor to put the Clippers up 2-1, but the Raiders won the next three points. With a Neenah Lassiter ace block and a Valentina Rohlfing ace serve, the Clippers had a brief lead, 5-4.
Mattea Grandaw uncoiled a kill to deadlock the game at six, but the Raiders still loitered around. Finally, Cleveland took a lead they would never relinquish when Lotspeich served for back-to-back aces and Natalie Flowers and Ava Kluntz each sent over a kill for a 16-13 Clipper advantage.
Nicollet poste the next points, but the Clippers spurted for six more points with a Rohlfing ace serve and a Flowers kill winners in the run for a 22-14 lead.
Anna Lamont served an ace to set up match point, but the Raiders, refusing to roll over, scored the next four points before a Flowers kill ended the game 25-20.
Lotspeich also got the first Clipper point in game two, and with a Cheyenne Lotspeich ace serve followed by Nicollet errors, the Clippers led 5-1.
Big swings followed with the Raiders, on the attack, scoring eight of 10 points to lead 13-10. With a Paisley Janssen ace serve and a Sierra Lotspeich kill, the Clippers rallied from there for five-straight points to regain the lead. After Sierra Lotspeich swatted another kill, the Raiders stalemated the game 17-17, but Sierra Lotspeich lasered a kill for a one-point Clipper lead.
But the Raiders posted the next five points and never looked back. After Grandaw and Clara Hilfer each scored on kills, the game ended 25-22 when the Clippers hit the ball into the fence.
The Clippers started the short game with a pair of Cheynne Lotspeich ace serves and a Nicollet hit into the net to lead 3-0. Later, they surged for five-straight points, including a couple of Rohlfing service aces and a Flowers kill, for a 9-2 lead.
Nicollet only scored twice more from there, both on kills while Hilfer and Flowers hit winners before the game ended 15-5 on a Lotspeich kill.
Sierra Lotspeich totaled eight kills, three digs and four ace serves. Cheynne Lotspeich set up 10 points, served five aces and scooped five digs. Flowers had eight kills, three digs, one ace block and one ace serve. Rohlfing scraped five digs, passed for two assists and sent over five ace serves. Lamont had five set assists, three digs and two ace serves. Jannsen had one ace serve. Hilfer had two kills and one dig. Kluntz had three kills and served for one ace. Grandaw had three kills.
The B Clippers didn’t have much trouble with visiting Madelia two days later and topped the Blackhawks 25-15, 25-16 before falling in the practice set 15-13.
Sierra Lotspeich had 10 kills, two digs and five ace serves. Flowers had two kills, four digs and three ace serves. Hilfer had three kills. Kluntz had two kills and one ace block. Grandaw had two kills. Lassiter had three kills. Cheynne Lotspeich set up 11 winners and served seven aces. Lamont totaled eight set assists and three digs. Janssen had one set assist and two service aces. Rohlfing, playing with a hurt ankle, had five digs and one set assist. Taylor Wolf had two digs. Lassiter had one ace block.
The C girls will look for another victory Thursday when they bus to Trimont to take on Martin County West.
Above: Natalie Flowers watches her hit dive over the fence.
Clara Hilfer watches her hit split two Nicollet defenders.
Sierra Lotspeich follows through a hit.
Mattea Grandaw challenges a Nicollet blocker.
Taylor Wolf stoops for a dig.
Valentina Rohlfing goes low to hoist a Nicollet serve.