Girls volleyball: Highland cruises to win over Medina

MEDINA — It's impossible to predict how long it will take for a talented freshman to adjust to the varsity level in volleyball. By any measurement, Highland outside hitter Samantha Ross is on an accelerated tract. Ross blasted nine kills and made three blocks Thursday in her second strong match of the week, helping Highland beat Medina 25-15, 26-24, 25-15 in a non-conference battle of Medina County squads. "She's a star," Hornets senior Lily Vojtko said, making Ross blush. "It's not easy starting out on varsity, but Sam is making it look that way. "Those early jitters washed away pretty quickly, and you'd never know she was a freshman by the way she plays." All-Gazette middle hitter Kamryn Heldreth fired a match-high 12 kills with three blocks, while outside hitter Vojtko had five of her six kills in the final set as the Hornets (2-2) scored their second Medina County sweep in three days. On Tuesday, Ross had eight kills in a breakout performance at Brunswick. She used her full arsenal in both contests, putting down hard spikes from the left and right antennas, on quick sets down the middle and from beyond the 10-foot line. "I was really nervous coming into the season, but all the girls were so nice, it's been really fun," the 5-foot-8 rookie said. "I want to give my all and not be scared so I can help the team." Senior Abby Capper added six kills, sophomore Payton Hrics had 20 assists and freshman Emma Tramonte posted 13, and senior libero Carley Niese led all players with 17 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Alaina Weingart made 11 digs. Vojtko's third set outburst was key to finishing off the Bees (0-3), who jumped in front 8-5 on an ace from Allie Fugarino and an Eva Myers kill. After spending the club season in the middle, two-year veteran Vojtko is back on the outside for the six-time defending Suburban League American Conference champion Hornets. "I'm trying to get back to where I was last season, but it's been an adjustment," she said. "Working with two new setters also has taken some time, but all of our seniors trust them and we believe in what they can do. We're getting better together." Senior middle hitter Elaina Sabol and senior outside hitter Kiera Szuter had five kills apiece to pace Medina. Junior Lauren Sherman dished out 14 assists and senior libero Leah McKinley collected eight digs, two kills and two assists in her usual gutsy style. Sabol also had a match-high six blocks and didn't commit a hitting error in a fun matchup with Heldreth. Her back-to-back kills in the second fought off two potential set points down 24-22 before Highland's Gigi Shank ended it with an ace. "Going against the best players like Kamryn is a really good way to test your abilities," Sabol said. "We have a lot of freshmen on our roster, so it's also a good place to showcase your skills." The teams combined to use 27 players while testing multiple rotations. Every one of them made at least one noticeable contribution. Olivia Fedor had four kills, Madelyn Petrulis chipped in three kills and Myers had three assists and two kills for the Bees. Allison Stanik had three kills for Highland and Shank had a pair. Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on X.