Overcome by errors, hits in the net and out of bounds, the JV girls’ fell 2-0 to host Mayer Lutheran on Tuesday.
The Clippers errored twice right out of the gate. Amelia Chmiel served an ace, and Taylor McCabe hit a winner, but the Crusaders led 6-5 before scoring eight points to the Clippers’ one, another McCabe kill.
Kaitlyn Flowers’ tip fell for an ace, but the Clippers still trailed 14-7. From there, Clipper winners came from a Flowers kill, service aces by Cheyenne Lotspeich and Chmiel and an Aubrey Blaschko kill for Clipper point 15. The Crusaders scored the next three points for the 25-15 victory.
Flowers tipped an ace for the first Clipper point of game two. On a Mayer hit out of bounds, they went in front 3-2, but the Crusaders won the next three points, two of them on wayward Clipper hits.
After a Blaschko kill, the Clippers were behind 8-5. Flowers swung for a kill, Maile Meisner stretched for an ace block, Blaschko knocked over an ace tip, and McCabe launched a kill, but the Clippers still were still behind by four, 17-13.
Meissner hit for a winner before the Crusaders broke serve with a kill for a 25-15 win.
With two kills in the match were Meissner, McCabe, Blaschko, Flowers and Ava Kluntz. Chmiel set up five Clipper points. Blaschko set one point. Chmiel served two aces. Lotspeich served one ace.
Valentina Rohlfing scraped 11 digs. Chmiel raised four digs. Blaschko scooped three digs. McCabe and Lotspeich each had two digs. Flowers, Isabel Duron and Kluntz had one dig.
The Clippers return to action on Monday with a road trip to Wabasso.
Above: Kaitlyn Flowers extends for a block. Beside her is Ava Kluntz.
