It came down to players making plays – all of the players. For the Malcolm volleyball team to qualify for the state tournament, it took a total team effort. The No. 5 seeded Clippers outlasted a feisty No. 12 St. Paul team in a 19-25, 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 15-12 district final match Oct. 29 in Malcolm.
While players like Halle Dolliver, Lauryn England and Diamond Sedlak put up their usual gaudy numbers – 28 kills and 22 digs for Dolliver, 42 assists and 11 digs for England, 19 kills and 12 digs for Sedlak – it was a group of role players doing their job that made the win possible.
“Every girl in this program – all 26 – has a role,” Malcolm head coach Amber Dolliver said. “They know their role, they train hard, and they want to do their best.”
The Clippers found themselves in an unusual spot after giving up a lead and watching the Wildcats score the final seven points of the first set. It was only the fourth time in 33 matches that Malcolm lost the first set.
“St. Paul served well and got us out of system a few too many times,” Dolliver said. “Their outside hitter (Jenna Jakubowski) had a great day.”
The St. Paul senior was dominant early in the match and made her presence felt throughout the afternoon both at the net and from the service line.
The Clippers returned the favor in the second set by scoring the final four points of the set as Dolliver dropped a tip shot behind the Wildcats’ front line to finish the frame.
Malcolm scored seven of the final eight points of the third set when Madison Schultz went on a five-serve run to boost the Clippers.
“Madison served really well for us the whole match,” Dolliver said. “She played great defense too and dug some important shots.”
St. Paul took the momentum back in the fourth set after Malcolm led 9-8. The Wildcat lead grew to five twice in the set before the Clippers narrowed the gap late. A Jakubowski kill ended a long rally and evened the match at two sets apiece.
“We told the girls it was time to trust their training, keep communicating and live in the moment,” Dolliver said. “Oh, and relax. I think only three of these girls had played in a district final before.”
After the Clippers jumped out to a three-point lead early in set five, St. Paul came back to tie it at 8-8. Coach Dolliver took a timeout and Malcolm regrouped. The Clippers outscored the Wildcats 7-4 the rest of the way and finished with an ace serve from England on match point.
“This was a big moment for these girls,” Dolliver said. “So many stepped up when we needed them. Addy (Hanson) and Rachel (Lannin) gave us huge blocks. Jenna (Schweitzer), Abby (Zegar) and Madison played great defense. I’m so proud of these kids.”
Hanson and Lannin led the team with six blocks apiece. Zegar had 11 digs while Schultz had seven and Schweitzer got five.
The Clippers opened the week with Oct. 22 and 23 wins over Raymond Central (25-11, 25-17, 23-25, 25-7) and Lincoln Christian (25-10, 25-15, 26-24) in sub-district play.
Dolliver had 34 kills against the Mustangs. It was the third-most kills in a match in school history and the most ever in a four-set match. England offered up 47 assists that night.
Malcolm (31-2) enters this week’s NSAA State Championships as the No. 4 seed and will face No. 5 Gothenburg (31-3) in Nov. 2’s opening round at Pinnacle Bank Arena. North Bend Central (30-1) is the No. 1 seed in Class C1.
“Gothenburg is a strong, well-balanced team,” Dolliver said. “If we serve aggressive and pass well, everything else will fall into place.
“I really like our side of the bracket. C1 is loaded. There are no easy matches.”
