In Jennifer Jordan’s experience, the best way to compete with the Clear Creek volleyball team – if not defeat them – is counter their power with some slight of hand, namely tipping.

Unfortunately for Jordan and her Stratford teammates, by the time they managed to control any aspect of their match with the visiting Wildcats Tuesday night, they were more than a set behind and in a hole too deep to escape.

Clear Creek, believed by many to be the favorites in Region III, thoroughly dominated from the outset and cruised to a 25-11, 25-21, 25-13 non-district victory.

Nebraska-bound outside hitter Megan Pendergast had 11 kills and junior Madeline Gaffney added 10 for Creek (7-1), which lost to Cy-Fair in the regional final last year.

“They run a really fast offense and that’s what killed us,” Jordan said. “We were not prepared on defense for them to hit that fast. They just pass really low, set really fast and cream the ball. That’s what was so tough about this match.”

Powered by 5-foot-6 Pendergast, Oregon-bound libero Haley Jacobs and setter Becky Bejelka, Creek sprinted to leads of 12-5 and 19-8 in the first set. Jordan and Mary Ellen Luck tried to bring the Spartans back, but were prevented from creating any positive tempo.

“We served really well,” Creek coach Scott Simonds said. “We were very aggressive and we took them right out of their offense. That’s one of our keys. We’re not a very good blocking team but I think we’re one of the better serving teams out there. We can steal a lot of points on some aces.”

Jordan, Luck and the Spartans were more successful in the second set, slowing Creek’s momentum sufficiently with the tipping that worked well for Stratford in their meeting last year.

The Spartans drew within 21-20 on a Luck tip, but Creek closed the match on a 4-1 run.

“In the second game we went in with more confidence. The first game we were really slow to pick things up,” Jordan said. “It was all about the way we brought it.”

Creek wised up in the third, again taking a 12-5 lead early.

“The thing I was most proud of was in that third game, we never let them get into it,” Simonds said. “That was key – that second game they closed in at the end there and in that third game, we came out focused and put them away and didn’t give them a chance to let it go four or five games.”

Luck had 11 kills for the Spartans, who were playing only their third match of the young season (2-1).

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