Bulldogs try different players mid-match in four-set loss to Clear Lake

HAMPTON – Bulldogs’ head coach Kelli Showalter, in an effort to shake things up for her team mid-match, she switched her lineup a bit in order to set a fire under them.

It worked temporarily for the Bulldogs, nabbing the third set, but they found themselves down 6-0 to start the fourth in an eventual 27-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-16 Clear Lake win on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Don’t expect those changes to last, however.

“I trust who I have in there,” Showalter said. “You have off-nights and it’s not working. I don’t feel changing the lineups…they’ve earned their positions; one night doesn’t mean they aren’t going to have their positions (taken away).

“I was just trying something so we could win, I had to do something when we had a lot of missed blocks, shanked passes. You have to do something to change it up.”

Coach Showalter and the Bulldogs had their chances in the opening set, leading 20-17 before a lift, a push-kill by Kaitlyn VanderPloeg and a hitting error tied it at 21, forcing Showalter to call timeout.

But after the break, Delaney Eden, who recorded a match-high 20 kills put down two of them over the next three points and Julia Merfeld’s ace made it 24-22.

It wasn’t over at the point, however, because two straight Lion hitting errors tied the set at 24 and one of Courtney Miller’s 10 kills for the Bulldogs gave them set point, prompting a Clear Lake timeout. Out of the time, a hitting error and a tip by Eden gave the Lions the momentum.

The second set featured a long serving run by Merfeld who turned around an 11-10 Bulldog lead to a 19-11 Lion advantage that finally ended after an extended rally on a hitting error by Allexa Whitehouse. But Clear Lake’s lead by that point was too great.

Clear Lake actually led 8-2 to start the third set before the lineup changes and the Bulldog rally. During that rally, Miller had three of her kills, a tip by Avery Hanson, a kill by Tara Krull and ace serves by Kaci Arjes and Miller tied the match at 10 before a Lions’ timeout. Out of the break, Krull went kill-block-kill before ending her streak. Krull finished the night with six kills, three blocks and tied for the team lead in assists with Kaci Arjes with 12.

Libero Maci Arjes finished with 28 digs.

The Lions roared out to a 6-0 lead in the fourth set with three kills by Eden and three Bulldog hitting errors. The Lions were also getting breaks with net serves getting a roll over the net and free balls also dropping.

The Bulldogs fell to 6-9 overall, 0-4 in the North Central Conference with a match against 3A state-ranked Humboldt looming. Clear Lake improved to 7-11, 1-3 NCC.

Clear Lake 27-25-20-25

Bulldogs 25-14-25-16

Kills– CL (Delaney Eden 20, Sara Faber 10, Kaitlyn VanderPloeg 9, Allexa Whitehouse 5, Chelsey Holck 3); H-D (Courtney Miller 10, Tara Krull 6, Kaci Arjes 3, Avery Hanson 3, Briana Grover 2, Jaelyn Hickman 2, Kirsten Suntken, Olivia Polk). Blocks– CL (Eden 3, VanderPloeg 2, Holck, Merfeld); H-D (Krull 3, Hanson 2, Miller 2). Digs– CL (Faber 20, Sophie Ollenburg 20, Merfeld 14, Holck 7, Jaden Ainley 5, Kennedy Kallenbach 5, Eden 3, VanderPloeg 3); H-D (Maci Arjes 28, K. Arjes 14, Miller 12, Hickman 7, Krull 7, Grover 5, Addy Showalter 5, Hanson 4, Suntken 2). Assists– CL (Merfeld 35, Eden, Holck, Kallenbach, VanderPloeg, Whitehouse); H-D (K. Arjes 12, Krull 12, Hanson 2). Serving– CL (Chelsey Holck 22-22, ace; VanderPloeg 12-12; Kallenbach 11-11, 2 aces; Merfeld 26-28, 4 aces; Faber 8-9, ace; Eden 8-9); H-D (Miller 14-14, 2 aces; Krull 13-13, 3 aces; Hickman 10-10, ace; M. Arjes 11-12, ace; Grover 11-12, ace; K. Arjes 15-17, ace; Showalter 0-1; Suntken 0-1).