MOUNT VERNON - They held a mini-state volleyball tournament at Mount Vernon High School Tuesday night and called it the Wamac Conference tournament.

Seven ranked teams reached the quarterfinals of the star-studded field, so some awfully good squads fell by the wayside and failed to reach the semifinals in the elite event.

Unfortunately for the Marion Indians, they were one of the teams that fell short.

Clear Creek-Amana swept Marion, 31-29, 25-18, in the quarterfinals, dropping the Indians into the consolation bracket with other disappointed clubs.

Marion is ranked No. 3 in Class 4A and Clear Creek-Amana is ranked No. 5, so it was a minor upset at best. Marion swept the Clippers, 3-0, at Clear Creek High School on Sept. 23, but the Indians played shorthanded Tuesday night with Abby Phillips nursing a broken hand.

Marion hopes Phillips, a key player, can return for the postseason playoffs next week.

The Wamac Tournament quarterfinals featured West Delaware (No. 2 in 4A), Mount Vernon (No. 1 in 3A), Independence (No. 6 in 3A), Williamsburg (unranked), Solon (No. 2 in 3A), Center Point-Urbana (No. 15 in 3A), Marion (No. 3 in 4A) and Clear Creek-Amana (No. 5 in 4A).

There was not a soft touch in the gym and several of those clubs undoubtedly will be playing in the state tournament at the U.S. Cellular Center next month.

Marion staved off several set points in the marathon first game against Clear Creek-Amana, but the Clippers finally prevailed. Clear Creek-Amana had the upper hand in the second set and swept the match.