Clare had the home court advantage for the recent districts but lost in the Class B semifinals as Reed City prevailed 25-20, 25-21, 25-17.
“I thought we played pretty solid,” said Reed City coach Don Patterson. “Clare is a solid team and served really well.”
Clare built a 12-8 lead in the second game on a kill by Courtney English. The Coyotes gradually worked their way back to a 16-15 deficit.
The score was tied 18-18 when Reed City was whistled for a fourth hit.
The call was reversed in Reed City’s favor and then reversed again after a successful argument from Clare coach Tom Hurdle and an unsuccessful rebuttal from Patterson.
Clare closed its season at 18-21-2.
“We had a tough time covering tips and downliners,” said Clare coach Tom Hurdle. “They did a nice job of exploiting us.”