LIZTON -- The Cloverdale volleyball team made a run in the Class 2A Tri-West Sectional, but fell short in its second round match with the Bruins

LIZTON -- The Cloverdale volleyball team made a run in the Class 2A Tri-West Sectional, but fell short in its second round match with the Bruins.

The Bruins defeated the Clovers 3-2, by scores of 25-16, 26-24, 26-24, 25-13, 15-12.

The Clovers and Bruins met up earlier in the season with Tri-West coming out on top three games, but that wasn't the case Saturday, when the Clovers forced the Bruins to five games.

Clovedale came out in game one determined to win the match, knocking down the Bruins 25-16. In game two, Cloverdale carried its momentum over from game one to nearly take a 2-0 lead over Tri-West, but allowed the Bruins some air to breathe and come back for the 26-24 win.

"If we could have won game two, I really think that the outcome of this match would have been different," CHS Kathy Moore said.

The Confidence that the Clovers had from game one was shaken after their second game lost, shaken enough that it nearly cost them game three. Tri-West got into its hitting groove, spiking everything that came close to the net, but weren't able to kill every ball, thanks to Ashley Arnold who blocked everything she could. Arnold recorded, 18 blocks in her last match of the season.

The third game came down to whichever teams defense would crack and allow two consecutive points, and it was Tri-West that cracked first for the 26-24 Clover win.

The Clovers were up two games to one on the Bruins and it was looking like the Clovers were going to advance to the championship game, until the fourth game started.

In game four, the Clovers lost all thier drive and trailed from the start. No matter what the Clovers did, the Bruins matched it, better and faster and trampled Cloverdale, 25-13 in game four.

The fifth game was no different. Cloverdale fell behind early and was never able to come bounce back. The Clovers made a short run when the Bruins were on match point, but a quick kill from Tri-West ended any hopes for Cloverdale making it into the championship.

"This match could have gone either way, and I know these girls wanted to win bad," Moore said. "I think because we are a very young team, we hadn't developed the confidence to finish a close match like this, but that will come in the future.

"Ashley Arnold had a huge night, blocking on the net and that is what I wanted her to do, block on the net," Moore said.

Arnold had more than big night on the net blocking. She also had 12 kills for the Clovers' offense while Kristen Schroer had six kills and six blocks. Hannah Monnett had seven kills and five aces.

Emily Puffer recorded five kills and one block while Ashley Koosman had three kills, five digs and one block on the afternoon.

"This is the best that these girls have played all year, but we still haven't got past our first round win in the last three years, and I thought we had chance this time," Moore said. " The fourth game is what really cost us."

The Clovers finished the season with an overall record of 6-22 and 3-3 in the West Central Conference.

At Tri-West

Class 2A Sectional 45

Tri-West 16 26 24 25 25

Cloverdale 25 24 26 13 12

Record 6-22 overall and 3-3 in WCC.