Note: This is the full story from Oct. 12.
When Malcolm Public Schools made the decision to join the Trailblazer Conference – with a majority of schools being in Class B – some wondered if the Class C1 school would be able to compete. Less than two months into the conference, the Malcolm volleyball team feels just fine about where it fits.
The No. 4 Clippers cruised to the conference championship at the Oct. 8 tournament in Malcolm with wins over Beatrice (25-16, 25-13) and Wahoo (25-19, 25-19).
“It’s certainly an accomplishment,” Malcolm head coach Amber Dolliver said. “To come in and compete in a new conference against schools that are bigger than ours is definitely a momentum builder.”
Much like the first time the two teams met, Wahoo made life difficult for Malcolm as the Warriors found ways to hang around.
“They just play hard,” Dolliver said. “They’re a young team and they’ll continue to improve. They have a tradition of winning and they compete every match.”
Halle Dolliver led Malcolm with 11 kills in the championship match. The freshman added eight digs and two service aces. Diamond Sedlak had eight kills and two aces while Lauryn England added 20 assists. Abby Zegar led the way with four ace serves.
It was Sedlak that had the big arm in the semifinal match against Beatrice. The senior outside hitter had 12 kills and two aces while Dolliver added ten kills while digging eight balls. England had 23 assists.
The Clippers, who routinely rotate ten players –– more than most teams –– are getting quality play all over the court.
“We have a lot of girls who work hard and bring something different when they step on the court,” Dolliver said. “ Our depth challenges us everyday in practice as the girls continue to compete for playing time.”
One noticeable area of improvement with this year’s squad is the play of Malcolm’s middles. Jordan Brown and Addy Hanson are both making plays and getting important touches.
“I love our middles,” Dolliver said. “Addy and Jordan are hard working kids who understand their role and they get better everyday. They get a lot of touches and they make a big difference on the court.”
Malcolm opened the week with a straight sets sweep of Nebraska City, 25-13, 25-11, 25-10.
Sedlak and Dolliver provided the one-two punch with 14 and 13 kills respectively while England dished out 30 assists and four ace serves. Jenna Schweitzer led the Clippers with five aces.
Malcolm (26-2) has just two matches over the next two weeks. The Clippers host Platteview (16-13) this Thursday before closing out the regular season next week with a trip to Ralston.
“We’ll get some rest these next two weeks,” Dolliver said. “But, we’ll also throw in some hard days of practice. We need to fine tune some things. We have plenty to work on.”
