Regional volleyball: Wadsworth takes down defending state champion

RAVENNA — Quinn Macko and the Wadsworth volleyball team ended Avon's quest for a second straight state championship. Outside hitter Macko hammered 24 kills and middle blocker Kameron Chapman had 18 kills and 10 rejections, powering the Grizzlies to a 19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 win over the Eagles in the Division II, Region 5 semifinals Wednesday. "This is pure excitement — no nerves — at this point," said Wadsworth libero Ellie Wolf, who made 23 digs. "Even though we have a lot of players in different roles, we worked hard all summer in order to reach our potential. Our dedication to each other spurred us on tonight." The Grizzlies (23-2), who extended their winning streak to 20 matches, will play Olmsted Falls at the same site Saturday. The Bulldogs beat Amherst in four sets in the nightcap of the doubleheader. "We've been consistent throughout the whole winning streak," Macko said. "That will continue." Chapman agreed, saying, "Our focus has been on keeping ourselves centered, but when we started to take momentum tonight, we ran with it." Sophomore Clare Freaney fired 16 kills from all over the front row and outside hitter Peyton Reinart had 14 kills and six blocks in her career finale for Avon (15-10). Freshman Lucy Lee totaled seven kills and five blocks in the final two sets. The Eagles had won their first seven sets in the tournament until Suburban League National Conference champ Wadsworth stormed back. "I'm so proud of how far we've come and grateful for everyone affiliated with this team and our community," Freaney said. "We pushed to our limits and overall did pretty well tonight, but we definitely tightened up in the last two sets." In a show of respect between Southwestern Conference rivals, the Bulldogs and Comets lined up to congratulate the Eagles before they left the court. The turning point — and the first lead change — of the match occurred midway through the third, when junior Macko delivered five kills during a 9-4 run that put the Grizzlies ahead 22-21. She then ended the set with a spike off the back line. In the fourth, Wadsworth went ahead for good at 14-10 on a five-point service run by Angelina Gambaccini. The rookie later had two kills and an ace to push the Grizzlies to the brink before Chapman finished it with a kill from the right side. "Our energy stayed high once we got going," Gambaccini said. Wadsworth setter Averie Shell tied the school-postseason record with 57 assists and made four blocks. Outside hitter Natalie Maddox had 13 kills and twin Julia Maddox had four kills and four clutch blocks. The Eagles also received seven kills and five blocks from Julia Majerus, 32 assists from senior Madison Demmerle and five kills from Aria Barbera. Libero Ally Brediger was stirling throughout the match. "Avon played really good defense, so we had to earn all of our points, which wasn't easy," Shell said. There were a mere four lead changes and 11 ties in the Sweet 16 contest, which was a regional rematch of programs that rebuilt on the fly. The Eagles won a five-setter in the 2025 Streetsboro final en route to the state crown. Ultimately, Wadsworth's power hitters were too much for Avon to overcome. The Grizzlies won the kill battle 70-52, allowing them to overcome making 15 more unforced errors. "It was a little loud in here, and we got a little frazzled too easily," Eagles coach Kara Stergiou said. "The momentum shifted a lot in that third set, and Wadsworth handled it better. "They're a really good team, and we're also a really good team. It just came down to a handful of key points." The Grizzlies have only advanced to state once, reaching the D-II semifinals in 2024. Juniors Macko and Wolf are their only current players who played in that match against Cincinnati St. Ursula. Many others were either on Wadsworth's bench or in the stands that day and are eager to carry the torch back to Greater Dayton. "We're not going to change our routine for Saturday," Julia Maddox said. "It's just another game. That's the way it's been all season." Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow @BrianDulik on X.