Since actual data shows teams that win the first two matchups usually also win the third, the cliched sports adage that "it's hard to beat a team three times in one season" is largely a statistical myth.
But repeated enough times, many take stock in the old wives’ tale, so its narrative, a trio of victories is unlikely, is often accepted as dogma.
Unfortunately, the Clippers weren’t MythBusters in St. Peter on Thursday as fourth-ranked Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s blitzed them in three sets for an upset win in section 2A tournament.
While a year ago, the Clippers fell in the first two games against Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart but turned the match around to win the next three for a trip to state, that scenario didn’t repeat itself this year. The Clippers lost all three by just two points: the first 25-23, the second also 25-23 and the third 26-24.
The Clippers played tentatively at times, seemingly trying not to lose, and the Knights made comebacks in all three games. With 20 kills by 5-8 outside hitter and future D1 basketball player Morgan Mathiowetz and 6-0 freshman Andra Hoffman’s 14 kills, they brought a lot of firepower, but overall, SESM controlled all aspects of the game, said Clipper head coach Dave Nixon.
“We just got out played tonight. Every player for them played so well. They all did their job really well, and we just got out played. They came ready to play. They made it hard to score. They blocked balls; their defense was everywhere.”
Game Three
The Knights made a couple of circus style saves during the first point of game three and won it on a kill. Melia Sathoff responded with a big kill and then found a big open spot up front of the SESM court for an ace tip.
The two teams traded the next four points, but starting with a Sathoff kill she followed with an ace serve, the Clippers rallied for the next seven points, including a pair of Taylor McCabe kills and another Sathoff ace serve that put the Clippers in front 11-3.
But trailing 13-5 after a Kenzie Kortuem cross-court kill, the Knights started working their way to a comeback starting with a kill and a couple of serves the Clippers shanked to the bleachers.
The Knights lost a point to a carry infraction during what would have been a kill, but the Clippers hit the next point into the net and the Knights followed with an ace block to narrow their deficit to four, 14-10.
Jocelyn Kortuem and Sathoff tipped over aces, but the Phoenixes, or Knights rather, continued to rise, this time in a four-point spurt that included a pair of kills and a pair of Clipper hitting errors to pull within a point, 16-15 before they double hit at the net.
After a Clipper hitting error, the Knights deadlocked the score at 18. McCabe, Kenzie Kortuem and Sathoff came up with kills, but the Knights kept up and went ahead 24-22 when they hammered back-to-back kills.
Sathoff followed with a kill to hold the Knights off, and the Knights lost the next point when they sent a hit passed the boundary line, but a Clipper hit got stuck in the net after, and the game and match ended on the next point when a Clipper return glided over the left boundary line.
Game One
The match started with a Sathoff kill, one of 14 she would have on the night to lead the Clipper offense. Later, Maile Meissner swatted a winner to put the Clippers in front 8-5.
But with a kill and a pair of serves the Clippers couldn’t handle, the Knights knotted the game 8-8. Later, they won four of five points, all on kills to lead 14-13.
Up 22-18, it looked like the Clippers were going to take the game, but the Knights swung a kill, served an ace, found an open slot on a return and earned a point when the Clippers contacted the net for a 22-22 draw.
The Clippers went briefly ahead after a SESM hit out of bounds but served into the net after. The Knights came up with a pair of stifling blocks during the next point before winning it on a kill. The Clipper lost the game on the next point when they ricocheted a Knight serve into the Clipper student section.
Game Two
With an ace block followed by a kill and then Clippers wayward passes, the Knights scored the first three points of game two. Kenzie Kortuem stopped the early rally with a kill, Meissner walled a block, and Jocelyn Kortuem sent over a serve the Knights pinballed around before it fell to their side of the floor to pull the Clippers within one, 4-3.
The Knights hit back-to-back kills after, but the Clippers won the next four points, three on Knight hitting errors and one on an Aubrey Blaschko kill to lead 7-6.
Later, with kills by the Kortuem sisters in the mix, the Clippers went on a five-point spurt to lead 15-11, but the Knights bounced back to take the next three points. Later, with kills by Meissner and Liviana Lee, a Knight hitting error and a McCabe ace block for a four-point rally, it looked like the Clippers’ 23-20 lead would set them up to even the match at a game apiece.
But again, the Knights, trailing but undaunted, came up with two kills, a serve that the Clippers watched fall to the floor, another kill and a serve the Clippers shanked into the net for another comeback victory.
“It wasn’t our best response,” Nixon said. “We had them at the beginning or middle of each set, and we just could not put it away. We didn’t take advantage enough of their holes. When we were in system, they struggled to slow us down, but we were out of system for much of the night, and they took advantage.”
Stats
Sathoff finished the match with 14 kills, two set assists, four digs, one ace block assist and a pair of ace serves. McCabe had nine kills, one solo ace block, one set assist and 18 digs. Blaschko had four kills, one ace block assist and one dig. Meissner had six kills and one dig. Kenzie Kortuem had five kills, one solo ace block and one ace block assist. Lee had one kill. Jocelyn Kortuem set up 34 points and had three kills of her own, one ace block assist and one ace serve. She also hoisted seven digs. Libero Delaney Thompson saved 26 digs and set four assists. Luci Blaschko scooped five digs and served an ace. Kaitlyn Flowers had three digs.
It was the last match as a Clipper for 10 seniors: Flowers, McCabe, Sathoff, Thompson, Keira Schipper, Lee, Meissner, Anna Lamont, Cheyenne Lotspeich and Amelia Chmiel.
SESM is the seventh seed in the Class A state tournament and will take on second-ranked Fillmore Central on Thursday. The winner takes on the winner of third-ranked Mayer Lutheran vs fifth-seeded Belgrade-Brooten-Elorose. Minneota is the top seed and will play eighth-seeded Pine River Backus. The winner of that game will match up with the winner of fourth-seeded Sacred Heart vs fifth-seeded Chisholm.
Note: This author thanks the volleyball parents for their generosity and is grateful for their appreciation throughout the season.
Above: The Clippers settled for a second place. They are, from L-R, front row: Assistant coach Madisyn Schrom, Aubrey Blaschko, Amelia Chmiel, Jocelyn Kortuem, Delaney Thompson, Taylor McCabe, Kaitlyn Flowers, Luci Blaschko, Anna Lamont, Hadley Thompson and assistant coach April Thompson. Back row: Head coach Dave Nixon, manager Neenah Lassiter, Ava Kluntz, Sierra Lotspeich, Liviana Lee, Melia Sathoff, Kenzie Kortuem, Maile Meissner, Natalie Flowers, Keira Schipper, Cheyenne Lotspeich and assistant coach Maddie Keischutt.
Libero Delaney Thompson leans for a save.
Keira Schipper dukes it out at the net.
Taylor McCabe scooped 18 digs.
Jocelyn Kortuem stretches for pass.
Liviana Lee and Maile Meissner reach for a block.
Amelia Chmiel flexes for a dig.
Melia Sathoff releases a hit.
Kaitlyn Flowers stoops for a dig.
It was camo night in the student section.
The pep band was made the trip.
Pep band members Tyler Smith, Braeden Smith, Carson Lyons, Pierce Lyons and Luke Kortuem.
Pep band members Graham Reinhardt, Jose Castro-Arntson, Parker Holicky and Chase Roemhildt.
Allie Anderson, Paisley Jannsen, Charlotte Meyer and Brooke Bosse all in camouflage.