Coming up with blocks and miraculous saves, scrappy Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s gave the host varsity Clipper girls a run for their money last night (Monday) in the Tomahawk-Valley Conference championship, but ultimately the Clippers repeated as champions with a 3-0 sweep.
The win is the launching point for the section tournament. The Clippers are the top seed and host Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman next Monday. The winner takes on the winner of eighth-seeded Nicollet vs. number nine Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, the team the Clippers beat in the section championship in 2025.
Game one against the 8-0 Tomahawk Conference champion Knights (20-3-1 overall coming into the match) was the most deceive with the Clippers—who early in the season beat SESM on the road 25-11, 25-14, 25-23—winning 25-16, but it got tougher from there.
After the SESM sent down a kill to earn the first point, Melia Sathoff came up with back-to-back kills and an ace roll for a 3-0 Clipper lead. The Knights hung around though, only trailing by two at the midway point, but Keira Schipper pushed over a winner, Kaitlyn Flowers found an empty slot of Knight real estate in the back corner for an ace serve in a 5-point Clipper spurt and an 18-12 lead.
Down the stretch, Taylor McCabe spiked a kill, and Sathoff pounded a couple more kills before the Knights hit the ball into the net twice for the Clipper triumph.
Game two started with a Sathoff kill. While the Knights hung around, the Clippers never trailed until, leading 23-17 after a Sathoff kill, the Knights ascended with an eight-point comeback that sent the game into extra points.
“We were out of system a lot tonight, where we were digging and passing behind the 10-foot line, where our only option was to throw it outside or throw it back row,” explained head coach Dave Nixon. “In doing that, we were predictable because we couldn’t set right side as much. That allowed them to cheat that way and camp out our outside, so the block was there. Also, when the set is coming from farther off the net, you really have to stay behind the ball, and if you get caught looking up, that is when you make errors.”
After a Knight kill, Sathoff swung for a kill that set the Clippers up for game point. But taking advantage of a trio of Clipper hitting errors as well as a pair of kills and a pair of ace serves, the Knights surged for seven-straight points to lead 25-24.
A McCabe ace tip kept the Clippers alive, but they let a set drop to the floor, and it was advantage-in Knights. But with a McCabe kill followed by a Knight line infraction and a hit out of bounds, the Clippers halted the uprising in a 28-26 victory.
Game three also began with a Sathoff kill for the first of four straight Clipper points. While often a team will fade away after a close loss like in game two, the Knights never surrendered and tied the game 12-12.
“They’re competitive,” Nixon said. “They’re not going to go down without a fight. It felt like we were 2-0 and losing, and I reminded the girls we have to play with more energy because we’re up 2-0. The expression on our faces…we were showing too much frustration. Good things happen when you’re energized, and we just need to be that and be patient too and trust in our defense will give us opportunities if we can’t get a kill.”
But with the game deadlocked at 15, the Clippers scored the next four points, three of them on SESM errors. Later, Aubrey Blaschko, Sathoff and Kenzie Kortuem nailed back-to-back-to-back winners for a 23-18 Clipper lead.
The Clippers gave up the next three points on errors, but Kenzie Kortuem sent a hit zinging diagonally for a winner that set up game and match point. The Knights came up with a kill to hold stay briefly alive, but with a Sathoff kill, the Clippers won 25-22.
Sathoff slammed 21 kills and scooped 12 digs. McCabe thundered six kills and lifted 15 digs. Aubrey Blaschko swung for seven kills and elevated two digs. Kenzie Kortuem smashed five kills and hoisted a pair of digs. Schipper slammed a pair of kills. Maile Meissner, Jocelyn Kortuem and Luci Blaschko each hammered one kill.
Jocelyn Kortuem set up 37 points and pulled up a dozen digs. Libero Delaney Thompson excavated 28 digs. Luci Blaschko had nine digs and one set assist. Flowers had six digs. Liviana Lee had two digs. Amelia Chmiel had one dig. Sathoff set up two points. Aubrey Blaschko set up one.
Aces on the block came from Jocelyn Kortuem with two solos, her sister Kenzie with one solo, and one assist by Sathoff, Lee, Aubrey Blaschko and Meissner.
Dishing up a service ace, a tough thing to do against the Knights, were Thompson, Luci Blaschko, Flowers, Sathoff and Chmiel.
Unlike last year, the second round of the sections will be played at the high seed instead of at a neutral site. It will be on the following Thursday. The semi-final and final are at St. Peter high school, November 2 and November 5 respectively and both at 6:00 p.m.
On the other side of the section bracket, Martin County West is the number-two seed. SESM is number three. BOLD, the fourth seed, is on the Clipper side as is fifth-ranked Mankato Loyola.
Above: Sisters Jocelyn and Kenzie Kortuem stretch for a block.
Luci Blaschko slides in for a dig.
Keira Schipper swings a hit.
Maile Meissner reaches for a block.
Delaney Thompson and Melia Sathoff ready for a serve receive.
Liviana Lee sends over a hit.
Melia Sathoff sends the ball between the upright arms of a Knight blocker.
Before the match, the Clippers were presented with the Valley-Conference champion trophy. Receiving it were captains Jocelyn Kortuem, Taylor McCabe and Delaney Thompson.
The Clippers and their Valley Conference trophy. Later, the Tomahawk-Valley traveling trophy found its way out of the woodwork.
The pep band performed before the game.
Grandma in the house. Taylor McCabe’s grandmother Rita, a spry 94, attended the match, making it extra special for the senior strong-side hitter.
Complete with sun hat and floaty, Braeden Smith was ready for a day at the beach.