Isabel Duron scoop

Above: Isabel Duron stretches for a dig.

Triumphing in their first match since they won their first two matches of the season, the C-Squad volleyball girls beat visiting Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman 2-1 on Tuesday.

Snapping the five-game losing streak came down to learning how to better synch up on the court, said coach Ellie Johnson.

“We’ve really been working in practice on working as a team and talking to each other because those are the most important parts of volleyball. We’re cheering each other on and coming together after we lose a point.”

The Jaguars jumped out to a four-point lead in game one, but with a bump over the net that found an open slot, a Mady Seely fake set for a winner, and a Jaguar hit out of bounds, Cleveland pulled within one.

The Clippers gave up the next point on a missed serve but then went on an eight-point run that featured a couple of Haddie Jobe ace serves and a kill off the hands of Melissa Miller.  

From there, the Jags took advantage of Clipper miscues to pull within a point, 13-12, but the Clippers scored a dozen of the next 13 points, including a kill and an ace tip from Amelia Hack and an ace push from Seely. After the Jaguars got caught in the net, the game ended with a 25-13 Clipper victory.

With a couple more Jobe service aces, the Clippers spurted for six points early in game two to take a 7-3 lead, but the Jaguars came up with a couple of kills and took advantage of Clipper blunders to knot the game at eight.

Madison Wollenschager airmailed an ace serve to put the Clippers up by two, but the next seven points posted to the Jaguar side of the scoreboard.

Chloe Haack broke up the run with an ace tip. Seely followed with an ace block, and Amelia Haack dropped in an ace tip to pull the Clippers within two points, 15-13, but the Jaguars dropped in a hit and followed it up with a pair of service aces  to extend their advantage.

That five-point lead lasted the rest of the game, which ended 25-20 when the Clippers sent a Jaguar serve back over the net but out of bounds.

In the sprint to 15, the visitors went up 2-0 before giving up the next two points on errors. After a kill and an ace tip, they were in front 5-3. 

But the Clippers won the next six points, which included an ace serve, and ace tip and an ace push, all off the hands of Evelyn Keltgen.

Leading 10-7, the Clippers didn’t allow another Jaguar point. Isabel Duron’s hit for a winner was the start of the run, which featured an Emma Bluhm service ace and ended when the Clippers won the frame 15-7 on an Amelia Haack kill.

Johnson pointed to the play of Jobe as libero and the crew in front of her.

“Haddie had a lot of great ups and lots of good serves. Our front row did a good job of getting up at the net.”

The C-Squad girls return to action on Thursday when they take on host Mankato Loyola in a 5:45 contest for Dig N' Pink night. There will be no B or JV game. 

Libero Haddie Jobe on the scoop.

Chloe Haack pushes the ball over the net.

Mady Seely stretches for a block.

Evelyn Keltgen and Amelia Haack reach for a block.