High school volleyball: Avon makes it 2-for-2 by winning Division II state championship hours after boys soccer team's win in state final

DAYTON — Avon capped its revenge tour with a state championship. A day after the Eagles avenged their only loss of the season in the semifinals, they flipped the script on the team that ended their 2024 postseason with a 25-16, 18-25, 25-23, 25-22 win against Anthony Wayne in the Division II state final at Wright State University's Nutter Center on Sunday. Last year, the Generals won a five-set thriller in the state semifinals. Avon coach Kara Coffman said after the team's win against Magnificat on Saturday that last year's match still haunted her. It's safe to say those demons have been exorcised. "We came to play this weekend," Coffman said. "We have been so determined the past couple of weeks. I wrote this down in June: 2025 state champions Avon volleyball. I think when we set our mind to something, nothing is going to stop us. I had all the faith in them and they had all the faith in themselves that we were going to persevere tonight. Even with some adversity, we stayed determined, pulled out the win and showed how much depth we have." Right before Avon (27-1) took the court for warm-ups, it had learned its boys soccer team brought home a state title with a 1-0 overtime win. The Eagles were clearly determined to make it 2-for-2 from the onset as they pulled away in the first set, ending on a 12-3 run thanks to a well-balanced effort. "We saw that they won (and) we said to ourselves that now it's our turn," said senior Londyn Stone, who finished with a team-high 21 kills to go with an ace and 24 digs. "We definitely stepped up a lot more because it's a community. We all support each other no matter what. We were literally about to walk onto the court and start our game and we were still watching their game. We all support each other no matter what." Avon got kills from seven different players with six of them recording at least two. Four different players recorded blocks and both Lily Hamilton and Kaitlyn Pojman had six assists. The Eagles also started off strong on the block, which was also a key in their win against Magnificat. Bethany Sherwood and Hamilton each had two blocks while both Clare Freaney and Julia Majures each had one. Sophomore libero Ally Brediger broke the game open with some strong serving down the stretch, including back-to-back aces and three overall for the set. Brediger also played outstanding defense, especially when things got tight in the final two sets. She dove around the court to keep points alive and finished with 34 digs, also adding six assists. Anthony Wayne (26-2) adjusted in the second set as Avon only had two blocks while the Generals piled up 15 kills. "We really just took all the momentum of the first set and pushed together as a team," Brediger said. "They found the opening spots in our court during the second set, and we needed to be more aggressive, but we did a really good job of bouncing back. We do a really good job of working together when points are quick. We trust each other in every moment." The Eagles then got a tough break in the third set when Sherwood went down with a left leg injury with Avon trailing 13-9. Sherwood, a senior, finished with eight kills and two blocks. That fired up Stone, who opened with an emphatic kill, while fellow senior Lily Hamilton scored 11 of her 18 kills in the final two sets, including the championship clincher. "We were hustling our butts off," Hamilton said. "We did not want to lose a point. We did not want to give up a free point. And even when we lost a point, we encouraged each other. I'm still in shock. I couldn't even cry after the game. I can't believe this is real life. I'm just so proud of this team, I'm speechless." But the two seniors weren't the only ones who stepped up as Avon got contributions throughout its roster all evening. Kara Hricovec started in Sherwood's place in the fourth set and recorded her only block of the match. Freshman Clare Freaney along with junior Peyton Reinart, who led Avon in blocks for the second straight match with four, and sophomore Julia Majures continued to frustrate Anthony Wayne's attack. Reinart opened the third set with a kill and added a block that helped Avon push its lead to 14-8. The Generals closed the gap to 17-16, but Hamilton took over down the stretch with four kills to keep Anthony Wayne at bay. "We knew Bethany was one of our best hitters and really had to adjust," Reinart said. "I knew my role, and she's had a big impact on how I play, so I had to step up to that role. I was playing the whole game for her. We definitely focused on their two main hitters, and I had to adjust because before Bethany got hurt she told me to adjust. I knew where I had to line up and was focusing on their arm and everything," Contact Chris Sweeney at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.