It was a night filled with both triumph and heartbreak for a pair of Chagrin Valley Conference volleyball programs on Thursday as Berkshire fought through momentum swings to win its first district championship since 2018 in a five-set thriller over Triway at Magnificat High School, while Chagrin Falls battled valiantly before falling to top-seeded Crestview in its own district final at Streetsboro High School.
Berkshire holds on to claim first district title since 2018
Berkshire outlasted Triway, 25-17, 25-11, 18-25, 16-25, 15-8, to capture its first district championship in seven years.
The Badgers jumped out to a 2-0 match lead, saw that advantage slip away as Triway evened things up at two sets apiece, but regrouped in the decisive fifth to finish the job.
“We did really well executing in the first two sets. We were doing a good job getting touches on blocks and hitting our spots with our swings. In sets three and four, we didn’t execute those things as well, and Triway executed better in what they needed to do,” said Berkshire head coach Joni Prots. “It was a big swing in momentum, but going into set five, I challenged the girls to get back to what was working early on and bounce back. They came out and did the things we needed.”
With the magnitude of a district championship on the line, Berkshire’s ability to regroup after losing the third and fourth sets decisively showed its resilience.
“I reminded them it wasn’t over yet. We still had the fifth set to play, and we kept reminding them to do the things that were working in the first two sets,” Prots said. “I saw them take a deep breath and realize they can do it. The seniors stepped up as leaders in that huddle. The underclassmen responded to that, and we don’t win that match if it isn’t a total team effort. We had the leadership of Marissa (Rish), Jill (Smetana), and Kate (Miller), and their supporting cast was just as good. It was good to see that they could bounce back and get back to what we did best. I feel like we deserved it even with the momentum swing in the middle.”
For the first time since 2018, Berkshire brought home a district title trophy—just three years removed from a district runner-up finish to eventual state champion Lake Catholic, which went on to win three straight titles beginning that season.
“This group of seniors was freshmen when we went to the district finals last time and lost to the eventual state champs Lake Catholic that year, and they got a little piece of what it felt like to just be there,” Prots said. “I feel like they weren’t ready to be done as seniors, and I wasn’t ready to be done with them, so I’m really glad that they bounced back and worked at it. It just shows what a special group this team is, and top to bottom, everybody that was out there is just a special team. They fought through and bounced back, and it’s nice to see that we got some more time together as a team.”
The Badgers were led by Kate Miller, who posted 12 kills, 17 digs, and four service aces. Marissa Rish added 16 kills, three blocks, and 28 assists, while Jill Smetana contributed 11 kills, five blocks, and six digs.
Berkshire advanced to face Elyria Catholic in a Division V, Region 17 semifinal on Oct. 30 at Medina High School, with first serve scheduled for 8 p.m.
Chagrin Falls comes up short against top-seeded Crestview
Chagrin Falls battled tooth-and-nail but fell to top-seeded Crestview, 22-25, 25-22, 17-25, 22-25, in the Division V district championship match at Streetsboro High School.
The Tigers went toe-to-toe with the 21-win Rebels, the top-ranked Division V program in the bracket.
“The girls came in with a great mindset. They were willing to put themselves out there, and they put their whole selves into the match,” said Chagrin Falls head coach Kelly Holtz. “All of that made for some fun and exciting volleyball.”
The opening two sets were thrilling, with both teams trading momentum and splitting the frames.
In the first set, the Tigers held a slim lead up to 18-16, thanks to the persistence of Gigi Calabrese, Molly Nightwine, and Anna Topel, who combined for 14 points, along with two blocks and two kills from Molly Wheatley.
That narrow lead slipped away as Crestview rallied to take the opener, 25-22.
Nightwine and Calabrese stayed aggressive on the attack in set two, with Nightwine recording six kills and a service ace, while Calabrese added six kills of her own to help Chagrin Falls even the match with a 25-22 victory.
The Rebels responded with a dominant third set, jumping out to a 12-2 lead and riding that momentum to a 25-17 win to reclaim the match lead.
Crestview maintained that energy in the fourth, finally pulling ahead 13-12 and holding off every Chagrin Falls rally from Calabrese, Topel, and company to seal the match, 25-22, and capture the district crown.
Despite entering as underdogs, the Tigers played with poise and confidence—a trait that showed earlier in their district semifinal win over Canton Central Catholic.
“Our first set on Tuesday night was our nervous moment. It frustrated them and embarrassed them, and tonight, coming off of Tuesday, they didn’t want to repeat that,” Holtz said. “We do game-like drills and have lots and lots of competition throughout the year, and the girls have a lot of confidence and faith in their ability to do things that most people would give up on. They knew it was going to be a battle, and they tried to weather it.”
Even though the outcome wasn’t what they’d hoped for, the Tigers walked away from 2025 with pride and accomplishment.
“I wish it were a different outcome, but I’ve personally never made it this far in the playoffs,” said Calabrese, a senior.
Topel, a senior who transferred from Pennsylvania last year, added, “I’ve also never made it this far in any season. It would have been great to be district champions, but this is all we could hope for.”
Calabrese capped her senior season with 20 kills, while Topel added 14 kills, four blocks, and two service aces. Nightwine chipped in 10 kills and two aces, and Molly Wheatley tallied four kills and four blocks. Freshman Margaret Svette dished out 38 assists.
Chagrin Falls finished the year 18-5 with a co-CVC championship, a sectional title, and a district runner-up finish.
