Girls volleyball: Wadsworth beats Nordonia to clinch share of fourth straight SL National title

WADSWORTH — The premier volleyball program in the Suburban League National Conference has captured another championship. Wadsworth outside hitters Lauren Decker and Quinn Macko each fired three kills in the final 15 points of the match, wrapping up a 25-23, 25-12, 26-24 victory over Nordonia on Wednesday night. The Grizzlies (17-1, 12-0) clinched a share of their fourth consecutive conference crown with two matches remaining, sweeping the second-place Knights (13-3, 9-2) for the second time this fall. "We've built a lot of momentum for the rest of the season," said sophomore Macko, who finished with eight kills and just two errors. "The beginning was a little rocky tonight, but we kept fighting and got better." Two-time Gazette MVP and Robert Morris recruit Decker collected a match-high 18 kills, nine digs and a pair of aces as Wadsworth extended its winning streak to double digits. All-Gazette setter and Ohio University recruit Rowan Kelly had 33 assists and three kills, and fellow senior Lilly McComas added five kills for the Grizzlies, who are ranked No. 4 in the OHSVCA Division II state poll. "We have such a nice mix of many experienced players and youth, it feels good to win another SL title," Wadsworth coach Allyson Wines said. "It also means more to do it tonight because Nordonia is really good and well coached (by Erick Sopata)." After taking a two-point win in the first set, the Grizzlies dominated the second. It has essentially been the script for their season in mentally breaking foes. The third, however, was much tougher as the Knights went ahead 22-21 on a Mariah Moss kill, then reached set point at 24-23. Wines called a timeout to refocus her players, who promptly scored three straight points on back-to-back Decker kills and a Nordonia error. "It was a good feeling finishing them off here, the way we did," Grizzlies sophomore Ellie Wolf said. "We're ready for what's ahead and are going to take the next step going into the tournament." Wolf made a team-best 15 digs and had two assists and two aces, continuing her rapid development into one of the top liberos in the conference. Junior middle hitter Kameron Chapman chipped in four kills and three blocks, while sophomore outside Averie Shell had two kills and five digs. Wadsworth will earn an outright SL title next week by beating either Stow or Solon, who have a combined 10-25 record. Two-time league champ Macko, who also has made huge strides this season, says the experience the Grizzlies gained in reaching the 2024 state semifinals is paying off daily. "I know I'm more confident because I know what playing in big matches are like," Macko said. "We're ready for whatever happens." Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on X