Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Clear Creek Amana coach Jackie Clubb views Thursday’s championship bracket at the WAMAC tournament as the perfect precursor to the postseason.

With six ranked teams in the championship bracket its easy to see why Clubb sees the final day of the annual conference tournament as the perfect way to prepare for postseason play.

That made Monday’s WAMAC Pool Play in Tiffin a way to prepare for the preparation.

The Clippers showed they were close to being ready for their pre-postseason test on Thursday.

Clear Creek Amana went 2-1 on the opening day of the WAMAC Tournament on Monday finishing second in Pool 3 to secure a spot in the championship bracket on Thursday in Mount Vernon.

“Our goal was to make it to the championship bracket to prep for postseason because we know the postseason is going to be tough and we have to have good competition to prepare for that,” Clubb said. “We are excited to have that opportunity on Thursday.

Clear Creek Amana swept South Tama 21-17, 21-11 in its opening match and overcame an opening set loss to down Central DeWitt 14-21, 21-17, 15-11 to secure a spot in Thursday’s winners bracket.

The Clippers fell to Class 4A ninth-ranked West Delaware 21-11, 21-14 in their final match of the night as the Hawks finished 3-0 to secure the top spot in Pool 3.

3A No. 12 Mount Vernon defeated 4A third-ranked Independence to finish 3-0 and win the Pool 2 title.

“Finishing second we will get matched with the number one team on Thursday but I’d rather have that good competition going into the postseason,” Clubb said. “We are going to have to play well.”

Clear Creek Amana improved to 25-12 with its 2-1 performance on Monday and enters Thursday’s WAMAC championship playing perhaps its best volleyball of the season.

The Clippers have a chance to really boost themselves heading into the postseason with a strong showing on Thursday.

“I think our postseason will go really well and that starts on Thursday with the WAMAC,” senior Shauntina Williams said. “We all have high hopes.”

Williams has been a big part of the recent surge for the Clippers.

The senior missed 14 games with an injury to her thumb but has helped Clear Creek Amana rattle of wins in eight of 10 matches since returning.

Williams had a team-high eight kills in the two-set loss to West Delaware on Monday.

“We are focused on the postseason and getting to the championship bracket is an important step for us to get ready for the postseason,” Williams said. “It’s all about being at our best in the postseason.”

Clear Creek Amana and West Delaware had each already secured spots in the championship bracket before they met on Monday.

The Clippers used the match as a chance to gauge themselves against one of the best teams in Class 4A before Thursday.

Clear Creek Amana trailed 11-9 early in the opening set but the Hawks finished on a 10-2 run to secure the win.

It was more of the same in the second set as West Delaware broke open a 1-point match early with a 5-1 run and scored four of the final five points in a 21-14 win that clinched the match.

Sophomore Hailey Pollock added four kills and an ace serve to go with the eight kills from Williams in the loss to West Delaware.

“We talked about coming back on Tuesday and Wednesday and making the adjustments we need to do to play at a higher quicker level and they understood that,” Clubb said. “This group is ready to roll. They are ready to make those adjustments.”