Spikers lose five-set stunner to LCWM’s Knights
In the blink of an eye, the Cyclones volleyball season ended in dramatic fashion as they dropped a five-set thriller against the Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Knights on October 21. The Knights had been a thorn in the Cyclones’ side during the regular season as the team lost both matches decisively, but the intensity of a section playoff gave St. Clair added motivation to win when it matters most. The Cyclones appeared to have conquered their demons on the court as they took the first two sets against the Knights, but they would battle back to bring the match to a pivotal fifth set. Unfortunately, a questionable in-bounds call during match point clinched the match for the Knights and left the Cyclone players, coaches, and fans in disbelief as their season had abruptly come to an end.
As the preparation for the match was underway, there was no room for error from either teams as the gravity of a section playoff sharpened the focus of the players on the court. Coach Ashley Sander noted her team had been “locked-in” during their most recent practices leading up to the match; she also stated that the seniors’ intensity during practices made the coaches “very proud” and Brooklin Hinze had “stepped up as a leader.” Sander knew the Knights would be a tough out for her team given the recent track record, but she remained confident that the playoff atmosphere gave them a chance, “We can’t think of who our opponent is when it comes to the playoffs…we just have to play our game and handle what’s in front of us.”
Set 1: The Cyclones got off to a hot start with Hinze leading the charge with two hard shots down the line for an early 3-1 lead against the Knights. Serving played a factor in this opening set as Aubree Mathiowetz landed an ace to give a 5-2 advantage; Haddie Jobe and Adeline Lotton would land one each. A brutal attack by LCWM would knock back Mathiowetz and bonk Adeline Lotton in the head, but Hinze would return the favor with an aerial assault of her own as St. Clair led 8-5. Paige St. Peter made her presence at the net as her soft shot landed for a 10-6 lead and a timeout by the Knights. Despite a quick two-point rally, the Cyclones maintained a steady lead against a Knights team that struggled on the serve in the opening with four faults. St. Peter would slam a shot down to push the score 18-13 and would later land two straight aces; Ashlyn DeMartini and Payton Blount teamed up to deliver some of the final blows of the set for the Cyclones as they took the first set 25-18. There was a combined surge of celebration and a sigh of relief as the whistles blew to call the set as it would be the first set over the Knights for the season and it came at one of the best times–the playoffs.
Set 2: The Knights came out for the second set swinging as the Cyclones had delivered an opening haymaker to demand their respect; LCWM would quickly gain a 7-2 advantage over St. Clair as their defensive wall did well to contain DeMartini and Blount on the attack. Brooklyn Meng would utilize her quick strikes at the net to keep her team in the game offensively, but it was a combined defensive bulwark of DeMartini and herself that three blocks in rapid succession that helped lead to a five-point swing to tie the set at 7-7. Blount would give the Cyclones their first lead of the set with a thunderous shot down the centerline; she would follow that up with an even more furious attack that caused a Knights defender to duck out of the way. Yeah, I would, too. Serving would once again play a key factor for St. Clair as Meng landed two consecutive aces and Lotton landed one as well. Some confusion on the rotations resulted in two penalties for LCWM and a 16-13 lead for St. Clair. However, once the confusion was sorted out, the Knights seemed to settle back into the set as they would take the lead 19-18, but Blount would tie the set with another kill. After some mental mistakes on the return and some questionable “double-hit” penalties, the Cyclones now found themselves down 21-19, but they were able to tie the set at 21…now only four points separated a winner as both teams traded impressively long volleys, but St. Clair would take a slim 23-22 lead. A shot by Hinze seemed to be headed for out-of-bounds, but a Knights defender continued the play only to strike the ball out-of-play herself (the irony) as the Cyclones reached set point 24-22 and would clinch the set on the following play. It was astounding to see a team that had yet to win a single set against the Knights in their previous two matchups to take control of a road playoff game after winning two hard-fought sets.
Set 3: The Cyclones entered what could be the deciding set of the match hot as DeMartini scored several kills including one that pinballed off the ceiling, but the Knights were determined to fight their way back into the match as they held a lead throughout the third set. St. Clair did hold a brief 10-9 lead, but LCWM maintained control for the rest of the set; Blount did what she could to keep her team in the set, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Knights counter strike as they took the set 25-16.
Set 4: The most critical set for both teams turned out to be the most competitive as neither team gave in to the other’s will; no lead was safe as both teams traded long volleys throughout the set and no team had a lead larger than two points. Blount got her team fired up with a roaring strike that zipped past Knights defenders to tie the set at 5, but the offensive firepower for the Cyclones was few and far between as would be stifled by an imposing wall of defenders. DeMartini’s rolling strike from the outside would be sent back on several points, but Hinze was able to break through with a kill. While she had some serving issues earlier in the match, Hinze was able to bounce back with an ace to tie the set at 11 and would later land several furious attacks at the net. Meng’s impact was felt on the court as she landed two aces in the set and sliced several cross-court shots to keep the Knights off-balance. It was an engaging set between the two teams as they battled for victory and as the fourth set reached its end, Blount delivered two haymakers to put the Cyclones at match point 24-22…the St. Clair crowd erupted in cheer at the chance of upsetting a familiar foe in the playoffs, but the Knights were able to tie at 24 and then would take the set off a serve that bounced off the top of the net 26-24. The pressure was now on the Cyclones to focus and clinch this playoff match.
Set 5: It was a winner-take-all mentality as both teams entered the court as it was now a race to 15 points to clinch the match and move forward in the section playoff. Mathiowetz landed an ace early, but the Cyclones would find themselves at a deficit until Blount dropped the hammer down on a shot to take a 8-7 lead. The Knights would then suddenly take control of the set and soon reached match point 14-8; the Cyclones did everything they could to counter as Blount continued her aerial assault and Meng landed a shot in the corner…St. Clair was able to push the score to 14-12, but a shot by Blount down the right corner line caused some controversy as an out-of-bounds call abruptly put an end to the match 15-12. Stunned and distraught, the Cyclones’ wonderful season had come to a shocking end.
It was an incredible display of volleyball from both teams as the Cyclones combined for 39 kills with Blount, Hinze, and DeMartini landing 11, 9, and 7 respectively. Hinze also showed off her defensive ability with 23 digs, but Meng and Mathiowetz would have 21 and 22 respectively. Unfortunately, they were unable to pull off an upset that would have been a highlight to remember for years to come, but it was not meant to be. Coach Sander gave kudos to her team for “giving Lake Crystal a run” and “battling for every point” against a Knights team that has been a thorn in their side for years. Four seniors would say goodbye to the volleyball program in Lotton, Addison Nicolai, Natalie Kasprowicz, and Rachel Hogen, and Sander thanked them for their commitment and passion toward the sport, “These four have been with Tyler and I since we took over the program and we’ve all learned and grown from each other in the last four years. They all bring leadership and work ethic both on the court and in the classroom…we can’t thank them enough for what they have done for this program.”
With the season ending, the Journal highlighted two of the team’s leading seniors in Lotton and Nicolai. Lotton has been described as the leader of the Cyclones and her work ethic on the court during the season has led to much of her team’s success; her skill on the defensive side of the court kept points alive and her precision at the net made for a tough attack to stop. She spoke briefly about her leadership role and the impact she had on her team this season, “Being one of the leaders on this team came from the coaches to always want more out of what we can do as athletes…being a role model for the younger athletes means a lot to me and it’s been an amazing four years with this team.” As she wiped the tears off her face and held her teammates close, she left some wisdom behind for the young core to remember, “You have to fight for every single point out there, but you have to not sweat the small stuff…let the little things go, and you will find success.”
While she wasn’t a dominant force on the court like some of her teammates, Nicolai proved to be one of the more integral pieces for the Cyclones’ success as her defensive prowess at the net played a key factor in many of their victories this season. The formidable wall of Nicolai and Paige St. Peter bounced back shots throughout the year and Nicolai’s positive mindset even in hectic moments helped her team overcome any adversity they faced. She gave a heartfelt message to her coaches and teammates, “These girls on the team are so amazing and them accepting me as one of the leaders and backing us up when things got tough means everything to me.” Nicolai also had some parting words for her teammates who will take over the mantle, “Enjoy the time you have playing on this court for this team…it goes by so fast, but don’t forget to play this game you love with everything you have.”
It may have been a disappointing end for a Cyclones volleyball team, but a 16-5 record and second place finish in the Gopher conference results in one of the better seasons in recent memory for the program. The seniors laid down the groundwork for a young core to take over and only time will tell what the Cyclones can do at the net for the 2025 season.
