While it is a rebuilding year for New Ulm Cathedral, for the varsity volleyball Clippers not so much…and then some.
So it was no surprise that Thursday’s varsity season opener in New Ulm was pretty much all orange & black. Game scores were 25-10, 25-10, 25-21.
Melia Sathoff swung for 15 kills, Taylor McCabe added 11, and Jocelyn Kortuem recorded 27 set assists, her first one, to Melia Sathoff for point three in game one, was for a career 1000.
Kortuem, who had a whopping 988 set assists as a sophomore last year, said her milestone took a whole team.
“I have to give them the ball so they can get a kill, and I need a good pass so they can get a good set.”
The Kortuem-Sathoff hookup was the first winner in game one and put the Clippers in front 3-0. The game ended on a Sathoff cross-court kill.
The Clippers hit into the net on the first point of game two but with McCabe and Maile Meissner on the warpath, the Clippers went up 6-1 an never looked back. After a pair of Sathoff service aces for points 23 and 24, the game ended when Cathedral shoved the ball into the net.
A Sathoff kill was the first point of game three, but the Greyhounds, taking advantage of a couple of Clipper errors, a kill and an ace serve, led 5-2.
The Clippers tied the game 12-12, but Cathedral hung around, and with an ace serve, led 16-15. Liviana Lee tipped over an ace, and McCabe served an ace to pt the Clippers in front 18-16, but the Clippers errored twice after that.
Later, Sathoff, typically strong down the stretch, hammered back-to-back winners and sent over a kill again to put the Clippers in front 21-20. The Clippers hit the next point out of bounds, but Sathoff stretched for an ace block, Kortuem tipped over an ace and McCabe slammed a kill before the game ended when newcomer Kenzie Kortuem sent down a kill.
Jocelyn Kortuem, Aubrey Blaschko, and Meissner each had two kills. Keira Schipper, Lee and Kenzie Kortuem each had one kill.
Sathoff assisted four ace blocks. The Kortuem sisters and Schipper each assisted two blocks. Meissner had one solo block.
Delaney Thompson added four assists. Sathoff, Luci Blaschko and Kaitlyn Flowers each assisted one point.
Thompson elevated a dozen digs. Jocelyn Kortuem lifted nine digs. Flowers brought up seven digs. Sathoff and McCabe each scooped six digs. Luci Blaschko had three digs. Lee and Amelia Chmiel each had one dig.
The Clippers kept 55 of their 60 serves in bounds. Luci Blaschko sent over four aces. Sathoff had three aces. Chmiel and Thompson each had a pair of aces. McCabe and Jocelyn Kortuem served one ace.
A match against New Ulm Cathedral has been the season opener for the Clippers since 2008 with the venue alternating between schools. It’s usually competitive. Two years ago, the Clippers beat the Greyhounds in their own gym 3-1. Last year, back on the Cleveland floor, the outcome was the same. With the win this year, the Clippers lead the series 11-8.
The varsity girls, who are coming off 3-0 win over Rochester Mayo in New Prague on Saturday, take on visiting Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton today (Tuesday).
Above: Jocelyn Kortuem sets up an assist. She reached a career 1000 early in the match.
Melia Sathoff swings for a hit.
Maile Meissner splits a pair of defenders.
Taylor McCabe reaches for a hit.
Freshman Kenzie Kortuem scored the match winning point.
Jocelyn Kortuem celebrates 1000 assists with her teammates. They, are, from L-R, front row: Kenzie Kortuem, Liviana Lee, Luci Blaschko, Jocelyn Kortuem, Delaney Thompson, Melia Sathoff and Kaitlyn Flowers. Back row: Sierra Lotspeich, Keira Schipper, Aubrey Blaschko, Maile Meissner, Taylor McCabe and Amelia Chmiel.