After losing the first two games against the Clipper varsity girls on Tuesday, host Nicollet led most of game three, but Melia Sathoff, with her usual M.O., got more and more productive as the match went along, and the Clippers went on to sweep the Raiders with a 27-25 win.
Two days later, with 21 kills, Sathoff was strong all the way through as the Clipper easily rolled over visiting Madelia 3-0.
“I start to figure out the blocks and go around them,” said the 5-11 junior outside hitter.
Luci Blaschko’s ace serve was the first point of game one at Nicollet. With a Sathoff return for a winner, a couple of Taylor McCabe kills and an ace tip and a Liviana Lee ace roll, the Clippers were ahead 10-5.
Later, Lee spiked a winner to start a five-point Clipper run, which also included a Sathoff kill and another Blaschko ace serve for a 17-10 advantage. The Clippers went on to score nine of the next 10 points and, after the Raiders sent a hit out of bounds, triumphed 25-14.
Sathoff tipped over an ace for the first point of game two. After a Sathoff ace serve, a Raider hit out of bounds and a Jocelyn Kortuem ace serve, the Clippers led 4-1.
The lead swung back and forth from there. Raiders capitalized on Clipper mishits and a kill to deadlock the game 7-7, but Keira Schipper hit a diagonal shot across the Nicollet court for a kill, McCabe dropped down a short serve for a 9-7 Clipper lead.
With an ace serve and three Clipper errors, Nicollet led 12-10, but with a Kortuem ace serve and a Sathoff ace block and kill, the Clippers were ahead 13-12. Nicollet sent over a kill and a service ace in a four-point run, but the Clippers won four of the next five points to stalemate the game at 17 before a kill put the Raiders up by a point.
But Sathoff swung for a kill for an 18-18 tie and then sent over back-to-back ace serves, and the Clippers never were behind again. After a couple of McCabe kills as well as a kill from Amelia Chmiel, the game ended 25-21 on a Schipper kill.
With a McCabe kill and a pair of Kortuem ace serves, the Clippers led game three 4-2, but the Raiders capitalized on Clipper errors and a service ace to win six of the next seven points.
On a Sathoff kill, the Clippers finally caught up at point 19, but the Raiders, refusing to roll over, capitalized on a kill, a service ace and a pair of Clipper errors to win four of the next five points for a 23-19 advantage.
Over on the weak side, Sathoff spiked a winner and served back-to-back aces in a four-point Cleveland spurt that put the Clippers in front 24-23 before the game tied on a hit out of bounds.
McCabe’s kill set up a Cleveland match point, but the Raiders responded with a kill. Their next over got caught in a divider net in the ceiling for point Cleveland, and the game ended on a Kortuem fake set.
With a dozen kills and six ace serves, Sathoff paced the offense. McCabe totaled16 kills and one ace serve, Schipper had four kills. Kortuem and Lee each had two kills while Chmiel had one kill. Kortuem served three aces. Blaschko had one ace serve.
Kortuem set up 35 points. Delaney Thompson assisted three points, and McCabe had one set assist.
Sathoff scooped 16 digs and one ace block. Thompson had 13 digs. McCabe had 10 digs. Kortuem had four digs, one solo ace block and one ace block assist. Luci Blaschko had 10 digs. Schipper had three digs and one solo ace block. Aubrey Blaschko had two digs. Kaitlyn Flowers had four digs. Chmiel had two digs. Anna Lamont and Cheyenne Lotspeich each had one dig. Maile Meissner had one ace block.
Game one against Madelia opened with a Blackhawk hit into the net and three Sathoff kills and ended 25-14 on a hit out of bounds.
Sathoff kills were the bookends to game two with the Clippers dominating 25-10.
Game three started with a pair of Madelia kills. Kortuem followed with an ace tip. Later, Madelia hit three kills in a four-point run for an 11-8 lead.
Sathoff’s kill deadlocked the game at 13 before Thompson served an ace that put the Clippers up by a point. They never were behind again. The game ended 25-19 when a McCabe serve ricocheted off the hands of a Madelia defender.
McCabe had seven kills, 16 digs, one solo ace block, one ace block assist and two set assists. Kortuem had three kills, one ace block assist, five digs and 31 set assists. Schipper had one kill and one solo ace block. Aubrey Blaschko had one kill and one ace block assist. Lee had five kills and one dig. Chmiel had one kill and two digs. Thompson set up four points and scooped 23 digs. Sathoff had one set assist and 16 digs. Luci Blaschko had two digs. Flowers had four digs. Ava Kluntz had one ace block assist.
The Clippers safely landed all of their serves. Sathoff was 14 for 14. Thomson was 13 for 13 with two aces. McCabe, Kortuem, Luci Blaschko, Flowers and Chmiel each served one ace.
In a tournament at the Midwest Volleyball Warehouse in Burnsville over the weekend, the Clippers fell 2-0 to both MACCRAY and Filmore Central on Friday. On Saturday, they lost 2-0 to Westbrook-Walnut Grove, beat Kittson County Central 3-0 but lost to Wabasso 2-0.
The 11-6 Clippers return to action this Thursday with a trip to Trimont to take on Martin County West. In Valley Conference play, the Mavericks lost 3-0 to Alden-Conger and beat Mankato Loyola and Martin Luther/GHEC/Truman 3-0. In the Valley, Alden-Conger also has wins over Nicollet and Madelia.
Above: Melia Sathoff pokes a hit between two Nicollet blockers.
Taylor McCabe pokes a hit over a Nicollet defender while Keira Schipper prepares to counter a block.
Libero Delaney Thompson hoists a Nicollet serve.
Luci Blaschko reaches out for a save.
Keira Schipper challenges a pair of Nicollet defenders.
Maile Meissner (right) and Jocelyn Kortuem extend to block a Raider hit.
Kaitlin Flowers raises the ball up during the match at Nicollet.
Liviana Lee swings for a hit against Madelia.
Thursday was tie-dye night. The varsity Clippers here include, from L-R, front row: Kaitlyn Flowers, Maile Meissner, Taylor McCabe, Delaney Thompson, Amelia Chmiel, and Luci Blaschko. Back row: Keria Schipper, Melia Sathoff, Liviana Lee, Jocelyn Kortuem and Aubrey Blaschko.
Aiden Domras was sporting a hat from Ron Jon Surf Shop, a typical stop during a band trip.
The pep band entertained before the Madelia game.
The student section had a tropical flavor when the Clippers hosted Madelia on Thursday.