Above: Senior libero Emma Sweere reached the 1000 dig milestone during the match.
Always scrappy, New Ulm Cathedral came to town and spoiled the Clipper girls’ season opener on Thursday after losing the first two sets.
The Greyhounds now lead the series 8-7.
“We had our opportunities to finish and didn’t do it,” said first-year coach Dave Nixon. “We shied away a little bit at the end where we weren’t our aggressive selves like we were the majority of the match. We were not out to t put them away. It was like we were out to not make mistakes, and you can’t play tentative.”
Up 13-10 in the short set, the Clippers hit in the net but then pulled within a point of the win on a Lexy Waldron ace tip.
But the Greyhounds scored the next five points on two Clipper errors, two kills and an ace block to end the game 16-14.
“We just couldn’t get that last kill,” Nixon said.
Cathedral jumped out to a 5-0 lead in game one before hitting into the net. Ava Hahn’s kill was he first winner for the Clippers, who finally caught up at the 14 mark when a Cathedral serve got caught in the net. Greta Hahn’s push from the back row put the Clippers up 24-20. The Greyhounds scored the next three points, two of them coming off the attack, but the game ended 25-23 on an Ava Hahn kill.
Neither team had a lead larger than three points in most of game two until, trailing 17-16, a NUC hit into the net was the start of a seven-point rally for the Clippers. Waldon had a kill in the run, Emma Sweere served up an ace, and the Clippers went up 24-16 on a Laci Hollerich kill.
Cathedral scored the next five points, but the game ended 25-21 when Hollerich pushed the ball onto an open chunk of gym floor.
With game four tied 4-4, the Greyhounds went on a six-point spurt to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Clippers hung around though, and pulled within a point, 21-20 after a pair of NUC errors and an Ava Hahn return that the Greyhounds couldn’t handle.
But the Clippers errored on the next for points for a 25-20 defeat.
“They took control, and we never really recovered,” Nixon said.
Game four was back and forth. The Clippers were up 14-13 but lost the next five points, all on errors. With the score knotted at 20, the Clippers caught the error bug again to allow NUC the next four points. Ava Hahn served up an ace, but the game ended 25-22 after a Greyhound attack.
“It was anyone’s game, and we didn’t finish,” Nixon said. “A missed serve or a bad pass here and there didn’t help.”
A positive for the team was that senior libero Emma Sweere picked up her 1000th dig. She needed 30 scoops coming into the game to reach the milestone and racked up 31. After the match, former teammates Grayce Kortuem, Maddie Steen and Allison Jindra (all CHS 2022) acknowledged Sweere’s achievement.
Ava Hahn led the attack force with 17 kills. She also had eight digs, one assisted block and a trio of ace serves. Waldron hit eight kills and posted two solo blocks and one block assist. Sarena Remiger slapped eight kills and had one block. Hollerich had five kills. Greta Hahn propped up 37 set assists, excavated 10 digs and smacked three kills. Harley Connor hoisted eight digs swatted two kills and sent over three ace serves. Savannah Meyer had eight digs and was 22 of 22 from the service line with a pair of aces.
“We’re scrappy too,” Nixon said. “We play hard. We’ve got some hitters who can really hammer the ball. Some of them were a little inexperienced in those tight situations, and that is maybe why we were doubting ourselves instead of going after it.”
The varsity girls will look to get on track when they take on non-conference JWP in Janesville today (Tuesday).
The varsity girls with Emma Sweere. They are, from L-R, Jersie Kelley, Jocelyn Bartell, Chloe Anderson, Melia Sathoff, Lexy Waldron, Sophie Perkins, Laci Hollerich, Sarena Remiger, Maya Lassiter, Harley Connor, Greta Hahn, Ava Hahn and Savannah Meyer.
Ava Hahn goes on the attack.
Harley Connor pushes the ball up.
Lexy Waldron swats the ball over the net.
Despite school not being in session, the student section was strong and loud.