Losing both of their games by a small margin, the JV girls fell to host Wabasso on Monday.
The Clippers had only a handful of winning hits early in game one. With the Clippers trailing 5-2, Maile Meissner sent over an ace serve. Later, Kaitlyn Flowers served an ace, but the Clippers still trailed 9-6. Up to the net, Anna Lamont swung for a point that narrowed the Clipper deficit to two, 11-9.
But hanging around due to Wabasso mistakes, the Clippers didn’t get much offense going after that until Flowers smacked a kill that put the Clippers within five, 21-16. With a Chyenne Lotspeich ace serve and a Rabbit hit out of bounds, they were closed their gap to three, 21-18.
The Rabbits scored the next two points, but the Clippers went on a six-point run from there, with winners coming from a Flowers ace push and kills by Ava Kluntz and Lamont.
With the Clippers at match point, 24-23, the Rabbits scored the next two points, but Lamont’s kill kept them in the game. The Rabbits score don a kill for another match pint but hit the ball out of bounds.
With another kill, Wabasso led 27-26. Aubrey Blaschko’s kill again tied the game, but the Clippers stepped on the line and then hit out of bounds from there for the 29-27 Rabbit win.
Meissner and Flowers went to work on offense in game two, and Blaschko served and ace before Lamont’s kill put the Clippers within one, 8-7. The Rabbits posted the next two points before hitting into the net. Valentina Rohlfing looped over a service ace, and after a Rabbit carry infraction, it was all even at 10.
Evelyn Keltgen laid down a kill, Meissner served an ace and Lamont and Blaschko swung for kills that put the Clippers in front 16-14. But after they sent a hit out of bounds, the Rabbits scored the next four points, three of them on Clipper errors, to lead 18-17.
Lamont and Flowers hit for winners to put the Clippers back up by a point, but it was mostly Wabasso after that. After a Meissner kill, the Clippers hit the ball out of bounds and lost 25-22.
Lamont had six kills in the effort. Keltgen had five kills. Liviana Lee had three kills. Meissner and Blaschko each had two kills. Kluntz chipped in a kill.
Jocelyn Kortuem set up six points as did Lotspeich. Blaschko had three set assists, and Keltgen had one set assist.
Meissner, Kortuem and Kluntz each had one ace block.
Flowers had 19 digs. Rohlfing and Amelia Chmiel had eight digs. Lamont, Meisner and Lotspeich each had three digs.
Madison Wollschlager served six aces. Meissner served two aces. Blaschko, Kortuem and Lotspeich dished up one ace serve.
The JV Clippers will host Martin County West today (Thursday).
Above: Amelia Chmiel on the dig. Backing her is Valentina Rohlfing.
