Madonna grabs Class 1A title

WELLSBURG - An impressive season continued Saturday for Weirton Madonna.

The Lady Dons stretched their record to 22-1 with wins over Beallsville and Paden City, and, more importantly, claimed the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class 1A volleyball championship Saturday at the Brooke Wellness Center.

"I've just been waiting for this forever," said Madonna senior Nicolette Sellitti. "I hoped and dreamed for it.

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The Madonna volleyball team won the Class 1A OVAC title with a three-set win over Paden City.
-- Fred Younce

"I said to myself 'it's my senior year and we have to do this'. I'm just so proud of my team."

Madonna head coach Jennifer Ewusiak added, "It's awesome. This is my first year coaching so to be 22-1 is amazing.

"We just have a great group of girls that work well together, and I'm proud of them."

Madonna faced a determined Paden City team in the finals. After the Lady Dons won the opening set 25-21 they looked poised to bring home the crown in a sweep, up 23-17 in set two. The Irish had other ideas though, running off eight straight points to win the set 25-23.

Ewusiak kept her message to her squad simple.

"I said to just go out and keep their coverage and keep their cool," she said. "Just to not get frustrated and if we played how we knew how to play we'd be fine."

And fine they were, scoring six consecutive points after falling down 2-0, and never looking back from there to a 25-17 third set victory that set off a Madonna celebration.

"I just think we have some really good players on this team,"! said Ewusiak. "They just really work well together and they just really want to win."

The win was something the Lady Dons' players will enjoy, but it's also a step to a greater goal.

"It feels amazing," said Madonna senior Dylan Fenske. "I've been waiting for this since my freshman year.

"It's just one more step to states."

Fenske led her squad with 19 assists in the finals while adding seven aces and two digs. Sellitti and Monica Bragg were strong at the net with Sellitti putting down eight kills and adding three blocks, and Bragg chipping in with five kills and seven blocks.

Katie Kramer had four aces and 12 digs, Gabrielle Sellitti had three kills and four digs, Emily Pietranton had two aces and 11 digs, and Amanda Paul had 12 digs.

Madonna defeated Beallsville 25-27, 25-22, 25-18 in the semifinals.

Katie Kramer had three aces and six digs; Nicolette Sellitti had two aces, 12 kills, and seven blocks; Dylan Fenske had 24 assists; Gabrielle Sellitti had five digs; Maddie Burchill had four aces; Emily Pietranton had 10 digs; Monica Bragg had 19 kills and six blocks; and Amanda Paul 13 digs.

Frontier reached the finals with a 25-12, 25-13 win over Clay-Battelle.