Avon Volleyball Edges Out Olmsted Falls In 5 Set Instant Classic

If Tuesday night’s volleyball showdown between Avon and host Olmsted Falls is any indication, then Southwestern Conference fans better strap in and get ready for a thrilling season.

Avon continued its season-opening win streak, edging the Bulldogs in five sets by the scores of 25-12, 22-25, 25-21, 12-25, 15-11. The Eagles are now 4-0 overall and 3-0 in SWC play, while Olmsted Falls drops to 4-2 and 2-1, suffering their second consecutive loss after opening the season with four victories.

“I’m excited and relieved that we got away with that game and won,” said Avon junior Lily Hamilton. “It was definitely one of our most exciting games. We came together as a team at the end and really pushed through all the ups and downs.”

The teams traded sets throughout the match, setting up a deciding fifth set that went the way of the Eagles right from the start. Scoring five of the first six points because of Olmsted Falls errors, Avon jumped to a 6-1 lead. Several times the Bulldogs cut the margin to two points, but they could get no closer, as Hamilton had three of her 12 kills midway through the fifth set and then big hitter Londyn Stone put the match away by scoring three of her team’s final four points. Stone led all players with 17 kills.

“I’m super proud of my kids,” said Olmsted Falls coach Brigid Radigan. “After that first set, we battled back. Fifth sets historically are not our friend. We started slowly in the fifth set, and then we battled back in that fifth set as well. I have a bunch of really gritty kids. They made me really proud tonight.”

While the Bulldogs were struggling early in the fifth, Avon turned its game up a notch or two.

“I was really proud of the way that the girls stepped up in that fifth set,” said Avon coach Kara Coffman. “I was glad to see that we don’t crumble under pressure. It’s really good for us to get experience in five-set matches and it’s really good for us to get experience in five-set matches in other peoples’ gyms. I’m very happy that we had this opportunity tonight and I’m very happy that we pulled it off.”

A key to the match was the play of Hamilton, who fills many roles at once. She sometimes is the team’s setter, and she sometimes is one of its big hitters. She also added five aces to the cause. Her versatility allows Coffman to run a system that allows Hamilton to succeed in both roles.

“She does both,” Coffman said. “We’re good there. I do not want to run a 5-1 with Lily because she’s such a good hitter. I’ll never run a 5-1 with Lily. She’s a great setter and she’s great offensively for us. As you could see in that fifth set, she really stepped it up. She wanted the ball, and she put it away for us.”

When asked which role she prefers, Hamilton was unable to pick.

“That’s the million dollar question,” she said with a laugh. “I love the excitement and the adrenaline from hitting, but I definitely love getting to be a part of my teammates’ excitement when they get a good kill. So, I can’t really choose.”

After the opening set, it appeared the hosts could be in deep trouble and might be looking at a sweep. But Olmsted Falls turned things around midway through the second set after the Eagles took a 14-9 lead. The Bulldogs went on an 11-2 run to take a 20-16 lead and then hung on.

A big factor in the turnaround was the improvement of the Olmsted Falls defense as the match progressed. Early on, with Stone and Hamilton pounding the ball and middle hitter Bethany Sherwood controlling the net with nine kills and nine block winners, the Bulldogs appeared helpless to stop the Avon power attack. Eventually, that changed.

“The defense that you saw in sets three, four and five, that’s the expectation,” said Radigan. “I think sometimes the kids need to remind themselves that that is the defense that they are capable of playing. Sometimes they don’t come out with that mentality. We’re still working on our leadership, and sometimes it takes some leaders on the floor to remind themselves that they are capable of playing that kind of defense. It was refreshing to see.”

The third set was a tight affair, with Avon scoring the final four points after the Bulldogs fought back to tie the score at 21. Just as the first set was all Avon, the fourth set was the same for Olmsted Falls, which raced out to an 8-1 lead and never looked back. But in the end, it was the slow start in the first set that cost the Bulldogs the match.

Olmsted Falls was led by Hayden Hess with 13 kills, two blocks and two aces. She was backed by Emily Odon with nine kills and Maya Awad with eight kills, three blocks and two aces.

“Our schedule is very tough,” Radigan said. “We scheduled tough non-league matches and we have a tough conference. The loss does not matter to us tonight. We want to go as far as we can in the postseason and playing in matches like this will only give us good experience and prepare us for the postseason.”

Certainly, Avon has the same goal, but the Eagles are also hoping to defend the conference title they won last year. With strong teams from Avon Lake, Amherst and Olmsted Falls, it appears the SWC title chase could be a barnburner.

“I just talked to them about defending our conference title and this was a step in that direction,” Coffmand said. “Every team is going to come and give us their best game and we need to be prepared for them.”