The Tippecanoe volleyball bench and fans react to one of the many big points against Urusline Academy in a D-III regional semifinal at the Hawks Nest at Lakota East High School Thursday. Ursuline Academy won in five sets.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
Tippecanoe’s Livia Hiser stretches to send the ball back over the net against Ursuline Academy Thursday night.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
Tippecanoe’s Savannah Clawson digs the ball on serve receive Thursday night.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
Tippecanoe’s Faith Siefring (3), Emily Aselage (9) and Savannah Clawson (10) watch as a serve sails long Thursday night.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
Tippecanoe’s Bri Morris launches a serve as coach Howard Garcia watches Thursday night.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
LIBERTY — It was all you could ask for in a D-III regional semifinal volleyball matchup at the Hawks Nest at Lakota East High School.
And Tipp showed the same grit and heart that got them the district title four days earlier in a D-III district title match against New Richmond.
But, Ursuline Academy was able to survive and get a 25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-12 win over the Red Devils, ending an amazing 24-2 season under coach Howard Garcia.
“It was one of the most exciting matches to watch and coach,” Tippecanoe coach Howard Garcia said. “We had our struggles with some decision making, but that was overridden by the tenacity of our net play and non-stop floor defense.”
After dropping the first set, Tipp began to turn things around in the second set.
“We started a little slow and tentative,” Garcia said. “But, the team took off with and excellent offense and by following the game plan until the end.”
Tipp opened a 13-8 lead in the second set, before Ursuline Academy answered with five straight points to even things.
The Red Devils opened the lead back up to 18-14 and made it 20-14 on Jenna Krimm’s serve with a kill by Savannah Clawson and a UA kill attempt sailed long.
After Ursuline Academy would tie it with six straight points, Tipp refused to be denied.
Clawson had a kill for a sideout to make it 21-20 and on Clawson’s serve, Krimm had a great dig and Livia Hiser finished the point with a kill to make it 22-20.
Abby Mader had a kill to break a 22-22 tie.
Genna Kinsman followed with an ace to make it 24-22 and at 24-23 a Ursuline Academy serve sailed long to even the match at one set each.
It was a repeat in the third and fourth sets with UA winning 25-18, before Tipp answered with another 25-23 win.
That set up a dramatic fifth set, with UA coming out on top 25-23.
Clawson and Mader both had big nights for Tipp at the net.
Clawson would finish with 24 kills, three blocks and 15 digs.
Mader would add 16 kills and one block.
Emily Aselage had eight kills and 11 digs and Hiser had seven kills and one block.
Courtney Post had three blocks and Lexi Luginbuhl added one block.
Krimm had 32 assists, 10 digs and three aces, Bri Morris had 2o assists and Emily Richardson dished out six assists.
Faith Siefring would lead the defense with 28 digs.
“Despite falling in five action-packed sets, there is no question that the 2024 Red Devils are one of the best in the state and showed how things are done with class and dignity,” Garcia said. “A team to remember.”
That played with the grit and heart of champions to the very end.
Sports Editor Rob Kiser can be reached at [email protected]
