Campbell downs Mogadore to advance to final
Campbell downs Mogadore to advance to final
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MANSFIELD -- The Campbell volleyball team was riding a high coming into Thursday’s Division VII regional semifinal.
The Red Devils won their first district championship in program history. And on Saturday, they will compete for their first regional title.
Campbell won a highly contested match with Mogadore 3-1 on Thursday to keep its historic season going.
"It's nice to see how the girls play," Campbell head coach Tyler Allen said. "It's nice to have the community that we have. Our fans traveled really well tonight, it was like a home game for us. Just to see our girls battle through everything and really work, I'm just so proud of them."
The Red Devils, who never trailed in the first set, used a four-point run to take a 7-2 lead.
Campbell’s lead was cut to two on a few occasions, but an ace by Elysia Rudolphi gave the Red Devils a 25-18 win in the first.
The second set was a little tighter.
The Red Devils held a 10-7 lead, and the Wildcats eventually took a 17-16 lead. From that point, there were five ties and four lead changes until Campbell took a 23-21 lead.
Mogadore came back to tie it at 24. However, the Red Devils held on to win 26-24 and took a 2-0 match lead.
The back-and-forth battle carried into the third set, with neither team creating substantial breathing room.
The set was tied at 7 before a short run allowed Campbell to take a 12-7 lead. And eventually, the Wildcats tied it again at 17.
Mogadore took a 21-20 lead, forcing a Campbell timeout. But the break didn’t do it any good, and the Wildcats held on to win 25-22 to get on the board.
"I think they were feeling a little bit of pressure, so I think it's nice to get this out of the way and know what it takes and that we have the ability to put games away when we're in position to need them," Allen said.
Campbell grabbed a 12-9 lead in the fourth.
The Red Devils' advantage grew to 21-15. And despite another Wildcats comeback attempt, they won the third set 25-22.
"It's so nice to be able to compete in games like this," Allen said. "We train all year round. We go up to Cedar Point to face some high-level teams, teams that were in the state final last year."
Campbell will face the Cardinal-Northside Christian winner in the regional final, which is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Mansfield.
It's almost a two-hour drive from Campbell to Mansfield. When the girls get back on the bus on Saturday, the energy will be high as they look to add more to the 2026 records.
"It's just a great experience," Allen said."