After losing game one to host Mayer Lutheran on Tuesday, the newly reformulated C girls rebounded to take the next two games for the match win.
Mayer scored the first three points of the rubber game, but after a hat trick of Mattea Grandaw ace serves, the Clippers went up 4-3 and never trailed from there. The Crusaders tipped over an ace for a 4-4 tie, but the Clippers scored the next five points and never looked back.
On a kill and a service ace, the Crusaders pulled within three, 9-6, but Liviana Lee hit for a point and served for another in a four-point Clipper run that put them comfortably in front 13-6. Following a Neenah Lassiter ace tip, the game and match ended 15-7 on a Sierra Lotspeich ace serve.
Off to a sluggish start, the Clippers trailed 8-2 in game one. Lotspeich, who, along with Grandaw, Clara Hilfer and Jessilynn Milnes, moved up from the eighth-grade team before the game, swung for a hit that was the Clippers’ first winner.
Taking advantage of Crusader errors and a Grandaw kill, the Clippers narrowed their shortfall to a point, 10-9.
From there, Lee swung for a couple of kills, and Hilfer dished an ace serve, but the Clippers trailed 14-12.
Behind 17-14, the Clippers took advantage of Mayer miscues and a Grandaw kill for a 7-point spurt that put them in front 21-17.
They couldn’t hang on though. Grandaw pushed the ball over and onto a chunk of open floor, and Lassiter swung for a kill, but the Crusaders, winning eight of the following 10 points, sent over back-to-back ace serves for a 25-23 triumph.
Ameila Chmiel’s ace serve put the Clippers in front 4-1 in game two. With a Lotspeich kill followed by a Hilfer service ace, they led 8-4. The Clippers went on the warpath from there. Lee and Lotspeich spiked kills, and Madison Wollschlager pushed over a winner for an 11-7 Clipper advantage.
With kills by Grandaw, Lassiter and Lee, the Clippers led 15-10, but Mayer went on a 6-point run to take a 1-point lead.
After a trio of Crusader errors, the Clippers were back in front, 20-17 before Mayer rallied for 5 points, all but one the result of a Clipper flub, to go ahead 24-21.
But the Clippers stayed alive when the Crusaders couldn’t assemble a return and then sent a pair of hits out of bounds. On another Crusader error, the Clippers led 25-24 before Grandaw tipped over an ace to tie the match 1-1.
The Clippers return to action on Monday when they road trip to Wabasso.
Above: Mattea Grandaw stretches for a hit. Beside her is Sierra Lotspeich.
