No. 3 Clear Creek Amana Sweeps Burlington to Advance to State Volleyball Tournament

Delivering a masterclass in postseason volleyball, Clear Creek Amana swept Burlington 25-13, 25-10, 25-12 on Tuesday night at Clear Creek-Amana High School, securing its fifth consecutive trip to the state tournament. Third-ranked Clear Creek-Amana improved to 38-6 overall, according to mississippivalleypublishing.com, while yourprepsports.com noted the Clippers’ record at 33-6 following the regional final clash.

A Dominant Night in Tiffin

The Halloween-themed student sections packed the gym for a high-energy regional final, but the Clippers quickly turned the atmosphere into a showcase of relentless execution. Senior setter Payton Curtin kept the offense humming with a mix of quick sets, slides, and shoots that handcuffed the Burlington block. Across the net, a towering front line featuring Delaney Vaske, Julia Schlarbaum, and Bailey Simpson manufactured booming kills from the corners and the middle.

Burlington entered the match fresh off an emotionally draining upset win over 12th-ranked Grinnell on the previous Thursday. “We know one of our strengths is when we are playing a team that has one good player, we are really good at shutting that girl down, like we did against Grinnell on Thursday. But obviously Clear Creek-Amana has a lot of good hitters on their team. We definitely struggled with closing the block,” Johnson said, as reported by mississippivalleypublishing.com.

No. 3 Clear Creek Amana Sweeps Burlington to Advance to State Volleyball Tournament — Photo: mississippivalleypublishing.com

Schlarbaum Service Runs Lead Clear Creek-Amana

After Burlington grabbed an early first-set lead on a kill by Lauren Schrader, Clear Creek-Amana responded with surgical precision. Schlarbaum knotted the score with a quick-set kill, sparking a sequence that put the Clippers ahead for good. In the second set, Schlarbaum delivered a devastating nine-point service run that broke open a tight frame after Burlington closed to within 4-3.

“We definitely knew they were going to be a good team. They upset Grinnell. We were expecting to win and hopefully play well and get to state,” Schlarbaum said, according to mississippivalleypublishing.com. The 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter has already committed to the University of South Dakota.

The Road to Coralville

Clear Creek-Amana coach Jackie Clubb noted that the team practiced with music and noise to prepare for a boisterous crowd. By practicing with music and crowd noise in the gym, the Clippers mastered the regional atmosphere.

Burlington closed its season with a 28-13 record, bidding farewell to a senior class consisting of Gemma Plummer, Emma Hutchinson, Sela Rascon, Meilah Ertz, and Sophia Young. Meanwhile, the third-ranked Clippers advance to face sixth-ranked Sioux Center, which holds a 22-9 record, in a Class 4A state quarterfinal match scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Monday at Xtream Arena in Coralville.