Volleyball Falls to Lincoln Lutheran in District Final
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Launch the media gallery 1 playerPlaying on their home court, the Clarkson-Leigh Volleyball team competed in subdistricts on October 27th and 28th in Leigh. Their district run culminated in a district final at Lincoln Lutheran High School on Saturday, November 1.
In their first matchup of the post-season, the Patriots faced off against the Arlington Eagles winning all 3 sets. In the first set, they started off strong winning 25-19. In the second set, they won 25-12, and they finished by taking the last set 25-18.
Playing against the Boone Central Cardinals on Tuesday, the Patriots swept them in 3 sets. The first set was close with the Patriots winning 25-21. In the second and third set, the Patriots won with both sets being 25-18.
Junior Vylet Hollatz said, “Going into subdistricts, we knew we were put in a place to succeed, and we believed that. On Monday, we played Arlington, where we struggled to find energy and get something going throughout the whole game. We still powered through and pulled out the win in three sets. That set us up against Boone Central in a match to make a District Final. We knew Boone Central was a tough team, but we came in with the right mindset and played Patriot volleyball, leading us to win in three sets and make a district final match!"
Assistant coach Brianne Bachman said, “The Patriot team entered subdistricts with confidence, knowing they had the talent and determination to make a run to the finals. They opened play against Arlington with a slow start in the first set, but once they found their rhythm and momentum, they never looked back, sweeping Arlington to advance. The following night against Boone Central followed a similar pattern—they started a bit slow but quickly gained energy and confidence, finishing with another strong sweep to move on to the district finals.”
Winning their sub-district put them in the substate round as the #15 seed against the #2 seed Lincoln Lutheran.
After travelling to Lincoln on November 1, the Patriots just weren’t able to pull off the upset, even though they battled hard the first two sets.
In the first set, the Patriots jumped to an early lead but ended up losing 23-25 in a back-and-forth battle. The second set was also so close, ending 24-26. In the third set, the Patriots ran out of steam and lost 14-25.
This loss capped a successful 23-9 season for the Patriots.
Coach Bachman said, “In the championship match against #2-seed Lincoln Lutheran, the girls battled hard and played two very competitive sets, but ultimately, we didn’t come away with the win. The team had a fantastic season, showing grit, teamwork, and heart every step of the way. The coaching staff couldn’t be prouder of all they accomplished and the growth they showed throughout the year.”
Senior Karly Wendt said, “Going into the final game against Lincoln Lutheran, all of us wanted to prove something. We were confident in what we had been practicing and preparing for mentally and physically. We knew it was going to be one of our hardest games yet, but losing to them earlier in the season made us even more hungry for the win.
“We kept them on their toes for the first two sets and that is something we were proud of. I was proud of each and every teammate for battling through adversity throughout the years. I'm thankful I got to be a part of the Patriot family, and I’m also really excited to see what is to come for our school in the future.”
Clarkson-Leigh vs. Lincoln Lutheran:
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Clarkson-Leigh: 23 24 14
Lincoln Lutheran: 25 26 14
Individual Stats: (kills, assists, blocks, aces, digs)
Maizie Stoklasa: 4, 0, 0, 0, 3; Graicee Sortino: 4, 1, 0, 0, 0; Kendal Schnider: 2, 17, 1, 0, 7; Claire Holoubek: 4, 0, 0, 1, 6; Reese Wietfeld: 1, 0, 0, 0, 5; Vylet Hollatz: 0, 1, 0, 1, 10; Ava; Kasik: 8, 3, 0, 0, 6; Ella Baumert: 2, 2, 0, 0, 10
Clarkson-Leigh vs Arlington:
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Clarkson-Leigh: 25 25 25
Arlington: 19 12 18
Clarkson-Leigh vs Boone Central:
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Clarkson-Leigh: 25 25 25
Boone Central: 21 18 18