While the B girls easily won game one against host Martin County West in Trimont on Thursday, 25-17, the Mavericks came back to dominate game two 25-13.
It looked like the Clipper spark had fizzled, but they managed to come back from an early deficit in the short game for a 15-12 triumph and a match victory.
After the Mavericks sent a hit over the boundary line in the first point of game one, Cheyenne Lotspeich lofted a pair of ace serves, and the Clippers never tailed from there.
Up 5-3, the Clippers went on a six-point run, which featured a Natalie Flowers kill and four-straight ace serves off the palm of Valentina Rohlfing.
Later, Sierra Lotspeich went to work with an ace block, a kill and a pair of ace serves to put the Clippers in front 21-15. Rohlfing set up a Flowers kill for the next point, and after a Flowers ace tip, the game ended on a MCW hit out of bounds.
Hitting for a couple of winners, the Mavericks went up 4-1 in game two and were never behind from there. Sierra Lotspeich and Ava Kluntz put down kills, and Clara Hilfer tipped over an ace, but MCW kept on the attack and took advantage of Clipper errors to lead 12-6 before an Anna Lamont kill.
Points continued to come sporadically for the Clippers. Kaelyn Blaschko’s kill was point 13, but after the net helped with a Maverick ace serve, the game ended when the Clippers couldn’t assemble a return.
A Flowers kill was the first winner of game three, but the Mavericks followed it with a kill to lead 3-1. But starting with a Kluntz ace tip, the Clippers scored five of the next six points, including a Sierra Lotspeich service ace.
But the Mavericks hung around. After a Flowers kill put the Clippers in front 9-6, they won the next three points to stalemate the game 9-9. Kluntz got the lead back with an ace tip, and Cheyenne Lotspeich sent over back-to-back ace serves to give the Clippers a little more breathing room.
The on an ace over, the Knights won the next point to pull within two, 12-10, but sent two hits in the net after before libero Rohlfing, with her first kill of the season, bumped the ball over and on to a vacant spot of floor in the deep right corner for the game and match victory.
Sierra Lotspeich had five kills, four digs, two set assists, one block assist and three ace serves. Cheyenne Lotspeich had six digs, 15 set assists and four ace serves. Flowers swung for six kills, scraped a dozen digs and sent over one ace serve. Rohlfing scooped 13 digs, sent over one kill, assisted two points and dished up five ace serves. Lamont had a pair of digs, two set assists and one kill. Hilfer hit four winners and had one ace serve. Taylor Wolf had four digs. Blaschko had two digs and one kill. Paisley Janssen had two digs. Kluntz swatted four kills and assisted one block.
Tonight, the B Clippers host Mankato Loyola for Dig’N Pink Night.
Above: Natalie Flowers, Ava Kluntz and Valentia Rohlfing await an MCW over.
Sierra Lotspeich challenges a Maverick blocker.
Valentina Rohlfing receives a serve. Behind her is Paisley Janssen.
Natalie Flowers pushes up a hit.