Regional volleyball: Natalie Maddox-led comeback puts Wadsworth in state semis

RAVENNA — Natalie Maddox jump-started the comeback for the Wadsworth volleyball team in the second set. It was only fitting that her kill sent the Grizzlies to the state semifinals roughly an hour later. Maddox took a feed from Averie Shell and sent it to the left back corner, where it kissed the court just out of the reach of a diving Emily Mansell, giving Wadsworth a 20-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-15 victory over Olmsted Falls in the Division II, Region 5 championship Saturday. Quinn Macko hammered 17 of her match-high 24 kills in the final two sets and Kameron Chapman finished with 13 kills and nine blocks for the Grizzlies (24-2), who advanced to the state semifinals for the second time in three years. "We're staying in the moment because that's what we've done all season, taking it game by game, but this is an amazing feeling," said Maddox, who had eight kills and four aces. "On the last point, I looked around because knew Averie was going to set a great ball and it was up to me to put it away." That she did, extending Wadsworth's winning streak to 21 — the second longest in Medina County history — and making the Grizzlies the fourth local squad to advance to state in the 52-year history of the tournament. Olmsted Falls (22-4) had won 19 of its previous 20 matches. "We're living up to the Wadsworth volleyball legacy, which was all we wanted to do," senior middle hitter Chapman said. "Now, we want to keep pushing the standard farther." No. 4-ranked Wadsworth (24-2) will face No. 5 Kings Mills Kings (22-3), which swept No. 3 Whitehouse Anthony Wayne in the Region 8 final. The match takes place Friday at 5 p.m. at Vandalia Butler. The opposite side of the bracket has No. 1 Magnificat (23-3) and No. 2 Sunbury Big Walnut (27-0), who will square off after the Grizzlies/Knights showdown. The top teams in the OHSVCA poll have been head and shoulders above the rest, setting up a great doubleheader. "This is a very special group," Grizzlies coach Joe Snyder said. "They're gamers, the whole crew, and they play for each other." Junior outside hitter Macko tied her career-postseason-high established three days earlier against Avon with her 24 kills, which were a county record for an regional final . She is the only local player with multiple two-dozen kill matches in her career at regionals. Shell dished out 39 assists, libero Ellie Wolf made 23 digs and Angelina Gambaccini had six kills and 13 digs for the victors. Julia Maddox also came up big at the net with five kills and seven blocks, and Addy Snyder added eight digs. "Every one of us came ready to play because we knew what the next step was," Macko said. "We're always going to celebrate every point, but there was a little extra toward the end." Outside hitter Grace Largent fired seven of her 16 kills in the first set for the Bulldogs, while middle blocker Alaina Pasiak had 10 kills and seven blocks. Maggie Radigan and Anna Minadeo each posted 15 assists, and Emma Schaefer chipped in seven kills and three rejections. "We always focus on playing in the middle of the court," Shell said. "But after the first set, we definitely pushed them to get kind of chaotic. We wanted to keep them moving by changing it up." Olmsted Falls ended the first on a 7-2 run, capitalizing on the Grizzlies' uncharacteristic 10 errors. Once the second began, Natalie Maddox brought about momentum change by herself with five kills and three blocks, and Macko warmed up with five kills. With Wadsworth ahead 16-13 after the Bulldogs cut their deficit in half, back-to-back block/kills by Natalie and Julia Maddox quelled their comeback. The twins combined for five blocks in the set despite giving up several inches to all of Olmsted Falls' attackers. "We are one," Julia Maddox said about the Grizzlies. "To go to state with my friends on this volleyball team means everything." Emotions ran high in the third, most notably when Bulldogs coach Brigid Radigan slammed her clipboard onto the hardwood in a huddle with Wadsworth ahead 8-4. The message was received, as Olmsted Falls tied at 14 on a Largent spike. It was Wolf's turn to make an impact, making an unbelievable dig that helped the Grizzlies go back in front, then scoring the next four points from the service line. Chapman's fifth kill of the set made it 20-16, but the Bulldogs pulled within 23-22 on three Wadsworth hitting errors. At that moment, Macko upped her game to a new level and powered Wadsworth home. She finished the fourth with two straight rockets from the left side, then put Olmsted Falls away in the fifth with nine kills and two blocks with a single error. "Quinn Macko tore it up," coach Snyder said. "Just dominant." The fifth also included three kills from Natalie Maddox, two kills and three blocks by Chapman and two Wolf aces. Macko unleashed her full arsenal of swings, and Julia Maddox vanquished the Bulldogs' energy with two straight kill/blocks that made it 18-10. From there, it was only a question of who would provide the point that advanced the Grizzlies to Greater Dayton. The answer was Natalie Maddox on an assist from fellow junior Shell. "We're all so grateful to play in a match like this," Wolf said. "It was pure excitement." There was exactly one lead change in each set and only six total ties. Wadsworth outblocked Olmsted Falls 33-15 and had 10 aces to the Bulldogs' five. Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @BrianDulik at X.