State volleyball: St. Ursula stops Wadsworth in state semifinal

KETTERING — It took three phenomenal performances from NCAA Division I recruits to end the greatest season in Wadsworth volleyball history. Outside hitter Molly Creech fired 21 kills, Emsley Venard had 40 assists and three aces and libero Emma Frietch made 21 digs as second-ranked Cincinnati St. Ursula edged the fourth-ranked Grizzlies 25-19, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22 in the D-II state semifinals Thursday night. Creech (Miami University), Venard (Florida Atlantic) and Frietch (Tennessee) — all seniors — propelled the Bulldogs into the championship match, where they will play top-ranked Whitehouse Anthony Wayne at Wright State. "That's why they're D-I kids. They played like it," Wadsworth coach Allyson Wines said. "It took an incredible match by their entire team to get past us. Our girls weren't scared, and they were all so tough the whole time. "I told them afterwards they had to take a deep breath. I also said we're not crying. We understand it's difficult to lose, but no one can ever take away what this group accomplished. I want them to be proud. Very proud." All-Ohio outside hitter Lauren Decker drilled a career postseason-high 24 kills, All-Ohio setter Rowan Kelly totaled 32 assists and seven aces and middle hitter Karley Allwood had nine kills and eight blocks for the Grizzlies in their state semifinals debut. Wadsworth also received gutsy performances from outside hitter Quinn Macko, who had 10 kills, and middle hitter Reese Kelly, who posted four kills and four aces. The Grizzlies had won 18 straight matches and finished with a 24-3 record. "It hurts because we're so sad it's over," Decker said. "This is the most incredible team, and everyone played a big part in that match." Freshman Ellie Wolf had 21 digs and four assists in her first varsity start, while Decker made 16 digs and Rowan Kelly had 15. Lilly McComas went 14-of-15 serving, including a five-point run in the third set that pulled Wadsworth within 21-20. After trailing by as many as six in the third, the Grizzlies evened the score twice, first at 22 on a Decker push kill, then at 24 on a Macko-from-Rowan Kelly spike from the left side. St. Ursula scored the next two points, winning the set on a Penelope Bollinger ace. "The way we played mattered more than the result," Allwood said. "Everybody wanted this game so much, and I appreciate all that they did. We were the first Wadsworth team to make it to state and should be so proud of that." Emily Snyder added three assists as Wadsworth played without libero Maddie Blackburn, who suffered a season-ending left foot injury in the regional final. Seniors Blackburn, Allwood and Reese Kelly each ended their high school careers on the evening. "Our seniors are the best people ever," Rowan Kelly said. "It's really hard to see them go." St. Ursula, located 49 miles away, brought roughly 200 boisterous students who filled an entire section inside the college-caliber Trent Arena. The eight-time state champions actually lost the kill battle 54-52 and were outblocked 17-14 but came up with timely play after play. The Bulldogs, who are 22-4, rode the momentum from the third set to jump in front by seven in the fourth. Aces by Reese and Rowan Kelly brought the Grizzlies within 21-16 and 24-21, respectively, before St. Ursula closed at Kettering Fairmont High. "We did a good job keeping them out of system with our aggressive serving, rather than just putting the ball in play," Rowan Kelly said. "We also were able to show we have a lot of weapons in the middle and on the right side, which is very important." Creech also had 11 digs and three aces, making all 16 of her serves. Nia Jones finished with 11 kills and six rejections — three apiece in the fourth — and Gabby Semona had nine kills for the victors. In the first semifinal at the site, the Generals needed five sets to vanquish third-ranked Avon in a 2-hour, 11-minute battle. Mallory Pike unleashed 32 kills for Anthony Wayne, while Londyn Stone had 25 for the Eagles in a wild one-on-one duel. Wadsworth was just the third Medina County team to qualify for state and the first to do so in 40 years. Its 24 wins are tied for the second most in a season locally. In 1981, Highland beat undefeated Cincinnati Madeira 15-2, 15-7 to win the Class AA championship and establish a county record with 27 victories. Black River reached the Class A semifinals in 1984, losing to Dola Hardin Northern. Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on X.