Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – After her team had secured the first back-to-back trips to the state tournament in program history with a regional final sweep of Oskaloosa last week Clear Creek Amana Jackie Clubb said what most coaches would say entering the state tournament.

“We focus on taking one point, one set and one match at a time,” Clubb explained.

The one at a time cliché is coach speak 101.

However, to Clubb and the undefeated Clippers it’s not just a worn-out phrase – it’s how they do things.

“From the start of the season, really from the end of last season, we’ve talked about how you have to stay focused and take it one at a time,” Clubb said. “The focus comes from what we’ve done at practice and that’s been staying focused, get your job done, it’s film, it’s prep it’s everything.”

One match at a time has worked for the Clippers.

In fact it has worked so well Clear Creek Amana is on the verge of history.

Clear Creek Amana (45-0) enters the Class 4A state tournament on Monday one of only two unbeaten teams in the state and seeking the first state title in program history.

The Clippers haven’t lost a match since falling to Cedar Rapids Xavier in the 4A title match last season at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

Clear Creek Amana will open state tournament play at 4 p.m. on Monday against No. 10 Norwalk (26-14) in a 4A quarterfinal at Xtream Arena.

“We are trying to not let any of the records or anything get to our head, we aren’t going to come in cocky and think we’ve won it already or anything like that,” Clear Creek Amana senior Bliss Beck said. “It’s all going to be great competition from here on out and we have to be ready for that.”

It’s always difficult to not look ahead.

For Clear Creek Amana it’s been even more of a challenge considering the circumstances.

The Clippers returned its rotation from last year’s runner-up team nearly intact this fall.

Clear Creek Amana was number one in the preseason rankings and haven’t budged from that spot.

Not thinking ahead to regionals or the state tournament wasn’t always easy but the Clippers have stayed focused and stayed perfect in the process.

“We try our best to take it a game at a time but we have to constantly remind ourselves to look ahead or talk about what color we want for our state shirts,” Beck said. “We don’t want to just be assuming things will happen and it’s really hard to do that. It’s been such an amazing season for us but we have to remind each other what got us here and that’s taking it step by step.”

Staying in the moment and keeping the one match at a time philosophy has worked so well the Clippers won’t change now.

The other thing Clear Creek Amana wont’ change entering state tournament play is it’s mindset.

Last season the Clippers were seeded sixth but downed third-seeded Marion and second seed North Scott to reach the final.

Even as the favorite this season Clear Creek Amana enters the state tournament with an undog mentality

“Being the underdog at state last year, it was a good challenge for us,” Clear Creek Amana sophomore Averie Lower said. “We want to keep that mentality but this year we want to be on top.”

Clear Creek Amana has been dominant this season.

The Clippers have lost just four sets while going unbeaten and have 20 wins over ranked opponents.

“We just keep taking it one game at a time,” Lower said. “We’ve continued to practice really hard and stayed focused on just getting that next win.”

Beck gives the Clippers one of the best players in the state.

The senior has 389 kills on 4A-leading .471 hitting and leads 4A with 111 kills.

Lower has 269 kills on .229 hitting while senior Sam Schrage has 165 kills and is second on the team with 74 blocks.

Senior libero Meg Berkland leads 4A with 486 digs.

“We definitely don’t have big heads and we don’t look at the rankings or listen to that stuff,” Schrage said. “Our motto has been to do it for us and to keep playing because our team is so tight-knit and we want to play together.”

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