FAIRBORN — Versailles completed a dominant tournament run, sweeping top-ranked Coldwater with wins of 27-25, 25-11, and 25-12 to claim the OHSAA Division V state volleyball championship.
The Tigers did not lose a set throughout the tournament, capping one of the program’s greatest postseason runs with their fourth state title and first since winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. Versailles also defeated Coldwater in the 2017 championship match.
This time, the Tigers faced a rematch with a Cavaliers team that defeated them 3-1 in September.
“We knew going into this it was going to be a battle,” Versailles coach Liz McNeilen said. “The girls innocently asked me yesterday, ‘Do we wanna play Meadowbrook or Coldwater?’ I said it doesn’t matter, but you know Coldwater. You know what they are capable of.”
The opening set delivered the battle McNeilen expected. Neither team led by more than two points in a set featuring 20 ties and 10 lead changes.
Versailles senior Kiley May delivered nine of her match-high 15 kills in the opening set. Neither team wavered, but the Tigers secured the consecutive points they needed to close out a 27-25 win.
The second set followed a different script.
Versailles jumped ahead 4-0 before Coldwater rallied to tie the score at 5-5. The Tigers then took control behind May, Allie Weitholter, and Reagan Ratterman, putting together a 12-1 run to take a 17-6 lead.
Versailles carried that momentum to a 25-11 victory and a two-set lead.
The Tigers wasted little time establishing control in the third set, opening a 5-0 lead and continuing to pull away. Coldwater used its final timeout trailing 16-8, but Versailles maintained its pace and closed out the match, championship and season with a 25-12 victory.
The finish stood in sharp contrast to the beginning of Versailles’ season.
The Tigers opened 0-2, losing to Fort Loramie and Russia. They lost six matches during the season, but McNeilen reminded her players to consider the quality of their opponents and remain focused on their goal.
“As a coach, you realize who you’re losing to. All of our losses are from top 10 teams in the state around different divisions,” McNeilen said. “That is a testament to these guys, too. I had to remind them of that. You’re losing to No. 1 in the state, you’re beating No. 1 in the state. We beat Parkway when they were ranked No. 1, but also keeping your eyes on the prize.”
Versailles refocused, responding to its setbacks by coming back stronger and keeping its championship goal in sight.
For the seniors, the victory also marked a breakthrough after successful seasons that ended short of the state finals.
“It hurts losing regional finals, regional semifinals,” Weitholter said. “I think we came very strong this year and put our heads down.”
Four seniors — Salimah Shardo, Jalyn McEldowney, Hannah Luthman and May — helped lead the Tigers through the season and their unbeaten run through the tournament.
Their departure leaves shoes to fill, but their final match added another championship to Versailles volleyball’s legacy.
