Kills, sets and now digs.
Clipper one thousand milestones have been reached this year in rapid succession, and the latest was 1000 digs for libero Delaney Thompson.
Thompson needed 17 digs in the match against host Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s last Monday and ended up with two extra: 19 on the night. She joins Clipper 1000-Dig Club members Savannah Meyer (2025), Ava Hahn (2025), Emma Sweere (2023) and McKenna Robb (2020).
After scooping 157 digs as a freshman, except getting in a game for a couple of token serves, Thompson missed her entire sophomore season due to an injury. Last year though, she racked up 623 digs, The senior added 203 this year before the SESM match.
Meanwhile, the Clippers didn’t have too much trouble dispatching the Knights. Set scores were 25-11, 25-14 and, with subs moving in and out, 25-23.
With 14 kills, Taylor McCabe led the offensive onslaught. Melia Sathoff added 10 kills. Aubrey Blaschko and Jocelyn Kortuem each had three kills. Maile Meissner, Keira Schipper and Kenzie Kortuem each chipped in a kill.
Kortuem had 20 set assists. Kaitlyn Flowers set up five points. Thompson, Schipper and Sathoff set up one point.
Sathoff hoisted 11 digs. McCabe and Jocelyn Kortuem each lifted eight. Flowers excavated six digs. Luci Blaschko hoisted five. Aubrey Blaschko scraped up two digs. Schipper and Sierra Lotspeich each boosted one dig.
With two solo ace blocks and three ace block assists, Liviana Lee lead the front-line defense. Jocelyn Kortuem extended for one solo ace block and three ace block assists. Sathoff stretched for one solo ace block and two ace block assists. Kenzie Kortuem assisted three ace blocks while Schipper and McCabe each assisted a block.
Luci Blaschko dispatched two ace serves while Jocelyn Kortuem and Flowers each sent over one service ace.
Coming off a 4-1 Class A tournament at the Midwest Volleyball Warehouse in Burnsville over the weekend, the 17-2 Clippers travel to Hector today (Tuesday) to take on 5-13 Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, the team they beat last year to win the Tomahawk-Valley Conference Championship and then came back to top them again to win the Section 2A tournament.
Above: Delaney Thompson celebrates 1000 digs with her coaches and teammates, from L-R, front row: Assistant coach Maddie Keischutt, Kaitlyn Flowers, Anna Lamont, Sierra Lotspeich, Delaney Thompson, Anna Chmiel, Luci Blaschko, Cheyenne Lotspeich and assistant coach Madisyn Schrom. Back row: Assistant coach April Thompson, manager Neenah Lassiter, Keira Schipper, Jocelyn Kortuem, Taylor McCabe, Melia Sathoff, Liviana Lee, Kenzie Kortuem, Aubrey Blaschko, Maile Meissner, Ava Kluntz and head coach Dave Nixon.
Despite missing her sophomore year, Delaney Thompson reached the 1000 dig milestone.
Photos courtesy of April Thompson