Glory and Disappointment in Lincoln
Launch the media gallery 1 playerPatriot Volleyball Finishes 4th in the State in Class C-2
By: Emily Loseke, a senior at Leigh High School
For the first time in Patriot volleyball history, Clarkson-Leigh moved past the first round in the C-2 State volleyball tournament and finished fourth, ending their season with a winning record of 22-9.
The Patriots’ postseason journey started before the state tournament, on October 26, as the Clarkson-Leigh Patriots battled the Norfolk Catholic Knights in a sub-district game held at Lutheran High Northeast. While the Norfolk Catholic Knights championed over the Patriots in three sets, the Clarkson-Leigh girls battled and never ended a set more than six points away from victory.
Despite this first-round defeat, the Patriots knew their journey wasn’t over. Through a wildcard, the Patriots lived to fight another day. They made good use of the opportunity, as they won at home against the Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur Wolverines in four sets, earning themselves a coveted spot in Lincoln.
Senior and varsity starter Kayden Schumacher said, “When we beat BRLD in the district finals, it was the best feeling in the world. The atmosphere was great, and everyone was filled with excitement. Our fans and the energy they brought really helped us; they always create such a great environment and are our support system.”
After a booming send-off put together by students, teachers, parents, and firetrucks, the Patriots headed to Lincoln for a battle of Highway 91 against Howells-Dodge in the first round of the State tournament. The two teams faced off on November 5, and Clarkson-Leigh set the tone right away, paving the way for their victory in three sets.
Head coach Becky Schneider said, “The way these girls performed down at State was absolutely phenomenal! They all played beyond their potential; I can't even begin to describe it! They made it look so effortless! Before our first match against Howells-Dodge, we had talked about being nervous and that it was ok to feel nervous, but being aware of it and channeling it into energy was the key, and that's exactly what they did! They didn't show one ounce of being nervous and absolutely just dominated!”
The Patriots carried over their success to the next day and fought with everything they had against #1 seed Lutheran High Northeast. This same LHNE team boasted a 34-1 record going into the match and had previously defeated Norfolk Catholic in the Patriots’ sub-district final. The game went into five spirited sets. In the last set, the two teams volleyed back and forth, until the game ended with a score of 15-17 with Lutheran High Northeast barely coming out on top.
The Lutheran High game was a total team effort. Middle blockers Cassidy Hoffman and Chloe Hanel dominated the net, racking up 16 and 17 kills respectively and 5 blocks apiece. Junior setter Makenna Held paced the offense with 48 set assists. Leading the defense were seniors Alissa Kasik and Kayden Schumacher, as well as junior Kennedy Settje, all of them recording over 20 digs on the match.
On the final day of State volleyball, November 7th, the Patriots faced off against Overton. After a disappointing defeat in just three sets, they Patriots nevertheless finished the tournament proud of their accomplishments, battling Overton until the very end in each of the three sets.
Schumacher said, “Playing in Pinnacle Bank Arena is something that we will never forget. It was a great experience for my team and I. When we won the first game against Howells-Dodge, we all looked up in the stands. We saw parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and friends. A majority of our community came to watch and support us, and hearing them cheer as we won quarter finals at state created a great environment. Friday and Saturday's environment was just as exciting and heartwarming; our team had so much fun at State.”
This year’s varsity members included seniors Gracelyn Baumert, Kayden Schumacher, Alissa Kasik, Bailey Lemburg, and Cassidy Hoffman; juniors Makenna Held and Kennedy Settje; sophomores Korbee Wendt and Sammy McEvoy; and freshmen Chloe Hanel and Tanyn Larson.
Schumacher said, “As a senior, saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am so thankful that I got to be a part of something so special. I couldn't be prouder of my teammates.”
Schneider said, “These girls are so incredible, and we wanted nothing more for them than to be successful!! Placing 4th at State is such a huge accomplishment, and it's something that a lot of teams don't get to experience, so these girls have definitely succeeded! These are the moments that they will cherish for a lifetime! “
Stats are as follows:
Clarkson-Leigh vs Norfolk Catholic
S1 S2 S3
Clarkson-Leigh: 23 21 19
Norfolk Catholic: 25 25 25
(kills, aces, blocks, digs, assists)
Korbee Wendt (0, 0, 2, 4, 1); Bailey Lemburg (0, 0, 0, 4, 0); Makenna Held (0, 3, 1, 10, 36); Alissa Kasik (1, 2, 0, 15, 0); Cassidy Hoffman (7, 0, 3, 3, 1); Kennedy Settje (9, 0, 1, 17, 1); Chloe Hanel (10, 0, 2, 5, 0); Kayden Schumacher (14, 0, 1, 14, 0)
Clarkson-Leigh vs BRLD
S1 S2 S3 S4
Clarkson-Leigh: 25 25 24 25
BRLD: 19 19 26 18
(kills, aces, blocks, digs, assists)
Korbee Wendt (2, 0, 2, 9, 0); Bailey Lemburg (0, 3, 0, 12, 0); Makenna Held (3, 0, 4, 13, 41); Alissa Kasik (0, 1, 0, 15, 0); Cassidy Hoffman (12, 0, 7, 6, 1); Kennedy Settje (8, 0, 0, 28, 0); Chloe Hanel (12, 0, 4, 11, 0); Kayden Schumacher (13, 2, 3, 27, 1)
Clarkson-Leigh vs Howells-Dodge
S1 S2 S3
Clarkson-Leigh: 25 30 25
Howells-Dodge: 17 28 17
(kills, aces, blocks, digs, assists)
Korbee Wendt (1, 0, 0, 2, 0); Bailey Lemburg (0, 1, 0, 5, 0); Makenna Held (0, 1, 2, 12, 28); Alissa Kasik (1, 4, 0, 19, 0); Cassidy Hoffman (9, 0, 2, 1, 1); Kennedy Settje (8, 1, 2, 11, 0); Chloe Hanel (11, 1, 5, 5, 0); Kayden Schumacher (8, 0, 1, 16, 3)
Clarkson-Leigh vs Lutheran High Northeast
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5
Clarkson-Leigh: 25 13 25 14 15
LHNE: 23 25 22 25 17
(kills, aces, blocks, digs, assists)
Korbee Wendt (1, 0, 1, 5, 2); Bailey Lemburg (0, 2, 0, 15, 0); Makenna Held (1, 0, 2, 10, 48); Alissa Kasik (0, 0, 0, 28, 0); Cassidy Hoffman (16, 0, 5, 4, 0); Kennedy Settje (7, 0, 3, 23, 0); Chloe Hanel (17, 0, 5, 8, 1); Kayden Schumacher (11, 1, 3, 29, 1)
Clarkson-Leigh vs Overton
S1 S2 S3
Clarkson-Leigh: 16 23 18
Overton: 25 25 25
(kills, aces, blocks, digs, assists)
Korbee Wendt (1, 0, 3, 0, 1); Bailey Lemburg (0, 2, 0, 3, 0); Makenna Held (0, 0, 2, 4, 28); Alissa Kasik (0, 0, 0, 14, 0); Cassidy Hoffman (8, 0, 4, 3, 0); Kennedy Settje (3, 1, 1, 16, 1); Chloe Hanel (12, 0, 1, 4, 0); Kayden Schumacher (9, 2, 0, 9, 1)