Box jumps, plyometrics, foot workouts…Ava Hahn (above) used an assortment of exercises this summer to extend her vertical to 26 inches, two more than she could propel herself last spring.
Now less than 100 away from a career 1000 kills, her usual hard work outside the regular season continues to pay off, especially since at 5-7 and 115 pounds, she doesn’t fit the mold of a typical outside hitter.
“Most ‘big hitters’ are usually a bit taller, like 5-10 or more, but she plays much bigger than she is,” said head coach Dave Nixon. “She has great instincts, a high volleyball IQ and has worked extremely hard to maximize her potential. There aren’t many girls at Ava’s height who can hit like she can from both the front row and back row.”
While Hahn, who made the All-Valley first team as sophomore and junior and the second team as a freshman, said she didn’t have her best game as the Clippers swept visiting Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton on Tuesday, she still ended the match with 16 kills, one more than a year ago when the Clippers also beat the Bulldogs 3-0.
“Ava has the ability to see the court really well and not only hit around the blockers in front of her but to see the back row defenders and where they are positioned,” Nixon said. “She can overpower a back row defender, which many hitters can do occasionally, but the great hitters can do on a regular basis. Ava does it many times over the course of a match.”
But Nixon said Hahn is difficult to defend not only for her power but also for her ability to score in different ways.
“She has really improved her decision making to know when to hammer the ball around or through the block as well as when to hit a roll shot or tip. She is a great outlet when we are passing or digging out of system off the net, and she can still generate a lot of offense from the outside and back row on those out-of-system attacks.”
This fall, Hahn’s mission is to be more consistent hitting from the back row. But she is still transitioning from the sets of her sister, Greta Hahn, who graduated last spring after a career 1555 assists.
“I miss her…more than I thought I would have by now. She’s my best friend. But I’m getting used to (the setting of) Sophie (Perkins).”
Anika Sathoff’s diagonal hit was the first score in game one. Perkins followed up with an ace serve before the Bulldogs lit up their side of the scoreboard. With a Hahn kill and a Jocelyn Bartell ace tip, the Clippers led 7-3.
With Hahn, Bartell and Melia Sathoff maintaining offensive pressure, the Clippers won 25-16.
A Melia Sathoff kill was the first point of game two. The Bulldogs responded with a kill, but after a Melia Sathoff ace block, the Clippers never lost the lead. Hahn battered the Bulldogs with kills, Addi Holden punched a couple kills off the bench, and the Clippers won 25-14.
Trailing 3-0, the Bulldogs hit three winners in a five-point run early in game three. Melia Sathoff halted the rally with a kill. After Hahn pushed over a point and swung for another, Melia Sathoff spiked a winner for a 7-5 Clipper advantage.
Not going down easily, the Bulldogs stalemated the game 7-7 on a push over the Clipper front-line defense. A pair of Hahn kills put the Clippers back in front, but the Bulldogs took advantage of four Clipper errors and a kill to lead 13-10.
But with kills by Hahn, Anika Sathoff and, off the bench, Taylor McCabe in the mix, the Clippers scored the next seven points.
From there, the Clippers cleared their bench, and the game ended 25-16 on a Maya Lassiter kill.
The Sathoff siblings each totaled six kills. Bartell had five kills. Holden had three kills. McCabe had two kills. Lassiter had one kill.
Perkins assisted 27 points. Jocelyn Kortuem had three set assists. Meyer had two set assists.
Bartell, McCabe and Melia Sathoff each had one ace block.
Hahn scrapped 15 digs. Savannah Meyer had 14 digs. Perkins had 12 digs, Lacey McCabe and Kortuem each had six digs.
Perkins landed all her 14 serves in bounds with three of them aces. Hahn had two ace serves. Meyer was six for six from the service line, Lassiter four for four and Kortuem five for five. The Clippers only missed five serves.
The Clippers get a big break before a tournament in Waterville on Saturday. Last year, they won the tournament.
