High school volleyball: Highland beats Revere in thriller to take SL American title

BATH TWP. — Lily Vojtko dreamed of a moment like this from the first time she picked up a volleyball in the seventh grade. She was more than ready to author a storybook ending Thursday. Junior outside hitter Vojtko delivered the final two points of the match on kills — giving her a career-high 21 — as Highland clinched its sixth straight Suburban League American Conference championship with a 25-23, 24-26, 25-20, 20-25, 17-15 win at Revere. The Hornets (16-4, 11-1) fought off potential match points at 14-13 and 15-14 before storming back to beat the host Minutemen (16-4, 9-3) in another instant classic between two of the top Division III public school teams in Ohio. Highland is the first program in Medina County history to win six consecutive crowns. "This is so special, I am overwhelmed with joy," Vojtko said as she shared hugs and happy tears with teammates, family and friends. "I remember going to my first Highland match at Copley and as I watched the girls stretch, I knew this was what I wanted to do. "The determination and perseverance we showed when things got tough tonight was amazing. Especially at the end, we told each other, 'We can't lose like that.'" Junior libero Carley Niese was sensational with 35 digs, senior outside hitter Emily Stanik had a career-best 19 kills and senior setter Ashley Shefferly dished out 50 assists for the Hornets, who can lock up the outright SL crown with one win in their final two matches. Revere trailed 13-7 in the fifth set before roaring back behind its dynamic duo of senior outside hitter Jessa Randall and junior setter Tessa Milicia but ultimately couldn't stop Highland from continuing its title dynasty. "It's been a mix of emotions all evening for us, especially for us seniors," Stanik said. "There were a lot of nerves and a lot of adrenalin flowing. In fact, I still feel it now because I've been seen our team play like this. Ever. It was incredible." The Hornets ended the contest with three straight points, beginning with a block/kill from senior middle hitter Aleena VanKirk, who finished with eight kills and nine rejections. Junior middle hitter Kamryn Heldreth also shined with 13 kills and 11 blocks. Their secret weapon, though, was defensive specialist Ava Andrews, who scored the last two service points. The junior had only appeared in 29 sets and attempted 43 serves, but answered the call with a career-best 17 points and two huge digs in the fifth. "When it got to match point, I knew I couldn't let the team down," Andrews said. "I took a deep breath and got the serve in. I'm very, very happy right now. Honestly, none of us will probably be able to get to sleep tonight." Randall blasted a match-high 23 kills and had six blocks and three aces, and Tessa Milicia collected 46 assists, eight kills and served seven straight points to give Revere its 14-13 lead in the fifth. Freshman outside Grace Regula complemented them with 18 kills. The Minutemen rallied from a 12-8 deficit in the fifth during the teams' first meeting on Sept. 10, stunning the Hornets 15-25, 25-23, 25-12, 24-26, 16-14. "When they started their comeback tonight, we got kind of spastic on the court," Shefferly said. "But we went in the huddle after every one of those points and told each other to calm down. "When we broke (Milicia's) serve, Lily rotated in and brought the fire. She kept saying, 'We're going to get this ball. We're going to get this point.' Everyone fed off her and made it happen." Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow @BrianDulik on X.