The 18 girls on this year’s Cleveland volleyball team will go down in school history as achieving several firsts:
They had the most wins in a season of any Clipper team (27). They were the first to win a Valley/Tomahawk Conference championship, and, saving the best for last, they were the first Cleveland team to earn a section title and make a resulting state tournament appearance.
Besides all of that, the Clippers swept the Valley Conference and won the Goodhue tournament. While they would have liked to have done better than 1-2 in St. Paul, the only definitely achievable title that eluded them was a first place at the Waterville tournament as they lost in the championship round to LCWM, a team they had beaten already.
And, other than to eventual state champion Mayer Lutheran, as their only other regular season losses—four of them— were at the Burnsville Class A tournament, that competition didn’t go as well as they would have liked.
“We had our bumps along the way, but we accomplished our goals,” said head coach Dave Nixon, who presided over the banquet. “The community got behind us, and I am really glad we were able to (participate in the state tournament) for the first time ever.”
The Clippers put a bough on their landmark season during an awards ceremony in the school commons on December 7. It was an atypical banquet in the sense that there were no senior goodbyes as the entire 18 are juniors and younger.
Junior outside hitter Taylor McCabe was chosen as the one of the team’s pair of Most Valuable Players and as the Clippers’ Offensive Most Valuable Player.
Lethal from the strong side, McCabe swung for 508 kills. She also scooped 369 digs, put up 23 blocks, assisted 18 points and sent over 18 ace serves.
“She did it with a ton of energy,” Nixon said.
Sophomore setter Jocelyn Kortuem was picked as the Clippers’ other Most Valuable Player.
Kortuem set up 988 points, a school record for the most in a season. She also set school records for the most set assists in a match (59). Kortuem also had 73 kills of her own, lifted 279 digs, put up 29.5 blocks and airmailed 39 ace serves.
Kortuem also took home the Miss Hustle award.
“She competed really well and was levelheaded and always went after the ball,” Nixon said.
During the season, McCabe and Kortuem were named as a KNUJ (New Ulm radio station) Player of the Week.
“They both were encouraging and made everyone around them better,” Nixon said.
Back after missing all last year due to an injury, junior libero Delaney Thompson was picked as the Clippers’ Defensive Most Valuable Player. Her 623 digs set a school record for most in a season. She also set a record for most digs in a match (38). She served up 22 aces, set 80 assists and hit for eight kills.
Only missing four of 431 serves, her 99.1 percent serving percentage was the Clippers’ highest.
Junior defensive specialist Taylor Wolf took home the Clipper Spirit Award.
“You are a great teammate. You provide enthusiasm. You provide encouragement when needed,” Nixon said.
Junior defensive specialist and setter Kaitlyn Flowers was picked as the Most Improved Player.
Rookie of the Year awards went to sophomore right-side hitter Aubrey Blaschko, who totaled 45 kills, 40 digs, 12.5 blocks and four set assists, and junior middle blocker and right-side hitter Keira Schipper, who recorded 85 kills, 42 digs, 38.5 blocks, nine set assists and one ace serve.
Junior hitter Melia Sathoff’s 70 ace serves was the most for the Clippers and set a school record for the most in a season. Sathoff also hit 438 kills and elevated 284 digs. She stretched for 14.5 blocks and set up 25 points.
“They brought a lot to our team,” Nixon said.
All Valley Conference awards went to McCabe, Sathoff, Thompson and Kortuem. Sophomore defensive specialist Luci Blaschko, who scraped 205 digs, was an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
Besides the award winners, earning letters were juniors Liviana Lee (24 kills and 6.5 blocks), Amelia Chmiel, Cheyenne Lotspeich, Maile Meissner (45 kills and 42 blocks), Anna Lamont; sophomores Ava Kluntz and Valentina Rohlfing; freshman Sierra Lotspeich and eighth grader Natalie Flowers.
As they had GPAs of 3.75 or better during the season, Academic All-Conference awards went to Wolf, Kaitlyn Flowers, McCabe, Kluntz, Kortuem, Thompson and Schipper.
Nixon said that Cedar Mountain brings back a lot of players as well, but most section teams will lose players to graduation. He said the girls could up their game in the offseason by hitting the weight room.
Above: Top award winners, from L-R were Taylor Wolf (Clipper award), Kaitlyn Flowers (MIP), Kiera Schipper (Rookie of the Year), Taylor McCabe (MVP, Offensive MVP), Delaney Thompson (Defensive MVP, Highest Serving Percentage), Melia Sathoff (Most Ace Serves), Jocelyn Kortuem (MVP, Miss Hustle) and Aubrey Blaschko (Rookie of the Year).
Earning letters were, from L-R, Luci Blaschko, Kaitlyn Flowers, Taylor Wolf, Keira Schipper, Sierra Lotspeich, Natalie Flowers, Amelia Chmiel, Liviana Lee, Delany Thompson, Melia Sathoff, Taylor McCabe, Maile Meissner, Valentina Rohlfing, Ava Kluntz, Aubrey Blaschko and Jocelyn Kortuem. Missing is Anna Lamont.
Voted by Conference coaches as All Conference players were, from L-R, Delaney Thompson, Taylor McCabe, Melia Sathoff, Jocelyn Kortuem and Luci Blaschko (Honorable Mention).
Earning Academic All-Conference awards were, from L-R, Taylor Wolf, Kaitlyn Flowers, Taylor McCabe, Ava Kuntz, Jocelyn Kortuem and Delaney Thompson. Missing is Keira Schipper.
Head coach Dave Nixon recognized Melia Sathoff, Jocelyn Kortuem and Delaney Thompson for setting school records.