Battle Creek— The Clinton Redwolves varsity volleyball team opened its 2026 season in impressive fashion Saturday, going 4-1-1 at the Cereal City Invite on Saturday, August 28, 2026. Clinton combined a balanced offensive attack, strong serving and relentless defensive play to finish the day with 4 wins, 1 close loss, and 1 split. The Redwolves won nine of the twelve sets they played. The Redwolves began the tournament against Lakeview, battling through a competitive match before splitting- 25-27 and 25-23. Despite the loss, Clinton showed plenty of fight during the match. Clinton battled again the next match against a tough D2 team, Marshall losing a close set 23-25 and then 16-25. Clinton then rolled past Athens 2-0, winning 25-3 and 25-8 to wrap up pool play. The Redwolves dominated from the opening serve, hitting .428 as a team and recording 28 kills. The defense was equally impressive, producing 36 digs while the team finished with 12 service aces. The Redwolves continued their winning streak against Battle Creek Central, earning another victory, 25-8 and 25-11. Clinton hit .520 in the match and collected 28 kills, while its defense contributed 35 digs. The Redwolves also recorded 6 aces. Then in the silver semi finals Clinton beat Hopkins 25-14 and 25-13 and hit .391 as a team with 33 digs, and 9 aces. Clinton closed the day with a 2-0 victory over last year's state runner up D4 Mendon, 25-17 and 25-16 in the silver bracket finals. The team had 41 digs, 6 aces, and 28 kills in the two sets. The six-match performance showcased contributions throughout the Redwolves lineup. Avery Loftis had a standout day directing the offense and making an impact from the service line. She finished the tournament with 78 assists, 16 kills, 35 digs and 15 aces. She also notched her 2,000 assist for the Redwolves which is a HUGE accomplishment for any setter. Congratulations to her! Addison Loftis provided a major offensive presence, recording 31 kills, 54 assists and 46 digs over the five matches. She also added nine service aces. At the net, Rylee Pepper finished with 25 kills, 19 digs while Bella Bannon added a team-high 36 kills, 9 blocks and contributed 19 digs. Abby Sheneman also delivered a strong offensive performance with 32 kills and 11 blocks. Joslyn Kranz added 18 kills and 9 blocks. Defensively, Lila Kennedy had Clinton with 43 digs, Calli Kruger with 29 digs, 14 points, and passed a 2.2 for serve receive. Zoey Riddle had 27 digs and contributed five service aces and 19 points while passing a 2.5 for serve receive. Emily Farmer contributed with 9 digs and 18 points and Makenna Gore had 3 kills. The team hit .296 together as a hitting percentage on the day and a team serve receive of 2.5 on the day. The Redwolves' 4-1- day gives the team momentum heading into the regular season. After overcoming a tough pool in the tournament, Clinton responded by winning eight consecutive sets, establishing the balanced and competitive style to carry forward. The Redwolves are in action again this week as they host the first LCAA Pool Play on Tuesday, September 1st starting at 4pm at Clinton High School. Clinton will play: 4 pm against Madison, 5pm against Hillsdale, 6 pm against Ida, and 7 pm against Hudson. Come cheer on your Redwolves.