CLEVELAND, Ohio — Down 7-0 in the fifth set of the OHSAA Division I boys volleyball state title game, St. Ignatius kept its composure after dropping the previous two sets to claim its first state championship in program history on Saturday afternoon at Wittenberg University.

For the first time since becoming a varsity sport in 2023, the Division I state champion has come out of Northeast Ohio. The Wildcats completed an improbable comeback on Thomas Worthington to win in five sets.

Junior Jack Ragon amassed a game-high 24 kills, including the go-ahead point to put the Wildcats up 15-14 in the fifth set. An attack error by the Cardinals on the game’s final point sent the Wildcats’ side into a full-on frenzy as the championship point was earned.

Saturday’s match was the second straight game the Wildcats were pushed to five sets after defeating St. Xavier in the state semifinals on Friday afternoon.

Things started off well Saturday for the Wildcats by taking a 2-0 set lead (25-17, 25-23). Then the match started to shift momentum in favor of the Cardinals in the third set.

The Wildcats fell 25-17 in the third, but showed no signs of fatigue or concern. In the fourth set, the Wildcats once again fell behind, but battled back to close a large Cardinals lead, but it was too much of a hill to overcome as the fourth set went to Thomas Worthington, 25-20.

In the fifth and final set (played to 15 instead of 25) everything seemed to be going in favor of the Cardinals with a stern 7-0 lead that left the Wildcats with few answers. St. Ignatius head coach Dominick Adornato called a timeout to recompose his group, and the move paid off in a big way.

From down 7-0, the Wildcats were suddenly in control of the game, 8-7, with the title on the line. Both sides traded off points with the Cardinals close to sealing the deal up 13-11.

But just as they had done all postseason long, the Wildcats rose up to score three unanswered points before surrendering one, then closing the game out in championship fashion.

The Wildcats ended the season with a 25-3 record and another championship trophy to add to the school’s illustrious collection.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Trailing 7-0 in the fifth and final set of Saturday’s OHSAA boys volleyball Division I state title game, St. Ignatius head coach Dominic Adornato called a timeout to huddle his team together.

Haunted by this very game one year before, in which his Wildcats fell in the championship game, Adornato wanted to look each player in the face to remind them that everything they had worked so hard for this season was still within reach.

As cheers started to pump inside the Pam Evans Smith Arena on the campus of Wittenberg University, from the Thomas Worthington fans across the court who could almost reach out and touch the state championship trophy, Adornato knew he had to address each of his players to raise their spirits back up.

Things were turning bleak for the Wildcats in a roller coaster of a title match. Everything that was working early in the game that gave the Wildcats a 2-0 advantage was suddenly different.

“I could sense the game slipping away a little bit, so I called a timeout to remind the guys about our mission and our goal,” Adornato said. “I calmed them down and said just to do what we talked about, what won the first two sets. It’s not over, because as far as I’m concerned, there’s still plenty of volleyball left to play.

“I pointed to each guy and I told them exactly what they needed to do. I made them look me in the eye because I felt I had to give them that confidence that they were slowly losing. To their credit, just like throughout the year, we believed in each other, we did it as a group. So that was my contribution.”

What happened next even Adornato couldn’t have seen coming.

The Wildcats ripped off an 8-0 run to flip the script back in their favor, now leading the first-to-15 set, 8-7.

“I would be lying to you if I said to you yes, (I saw that 8-0 coming),” Adornato said. “However, I knew we were going to come back and win. I didn’t expect eight straight points, but that definitely was the turning point of not only believing with that confidence, but showing it on the court, and I think that really rattled Thomas Worthington.”

Even with the lead, the match was far from over. The Wildcats needed to call on their first-team All-Ohio outside hitter Jack Ragon, who rose to the occasion with his team playing elevated around him.

Ragon played one of the best individual games ever in the OHSAA state tournament. His 24 kills were the high-water mark for the match, but it was his serving that disrupted his opponent so much with the game on the line.

Four of Ragon’s five aces came during the 8-0 run to force the Cardinals into timeouts to collect themselves.

“I give all the credit to Jack for getting all those hard serves in; he forced Thomas Worthington to take both of their timeouts on his serve alone, which really riled us up,” Adornato said. “To not lay off on his serve was huge. It’s always great to have a player like Jack. It’s very special and doesn’t happen every year. However, when it does, and with Jack’s character and the way he presents himself, that’s just the little extra.”

Ragon set the Wildcats up for victory by earning the go-ahead kill to push the score to 15-14. A return error by the Cardinals that sailed out of bounds was the final point the Wildcats needed to be crowned champions.

Relief and pure elation fell over the faces of the Wildcats players as they swarmed one another on their side to celebrate the marathon finish to their championship season.

On Friday, the Wildcats won their semifinal in five sets over St. Xavier, the top-ranked team in Ohio, according to MaxPreps. Saturday, the Wildcats were treated to five more sets to prove themselves worthy of the program’s first title in boys volleyball.

If anything, the five-set win over St. Xavier on Friday gave the Wildcats all the confidence they needed in a do-or-die fifth set on Saturday. Already notching the win over the Bombers, who defeated the Wildcats in the state title game last season, provided growth.

“Beating the presumed No. 1 team in the state, you just have that confidence, and it was our redemption tour,” Adornato said. “We needed to get that monkey off our back with Xavier, and I think that instilled in our guys’ confidence that we can win against a team like that.

“Then, going into the situation we kind of created ourselves with Worthington, where it went five sets, the boys had no fear. So, playing 10 sets in less than 24 hours and winning like that, I think if you ask anybody at the OHSAA, those are two of the top five matches they’ve ever seen in the past 5-10 years.

“The most memorable and most awesome part of this is that we had our goal and we were able to reach the goal. Before the match today, I told the guys, and I did this yesterday too, I want us to have pride in our job, have pride in our craft, and if we all do this together, then we’ll ride this ship to the finish line.”

The paint had barely dried on Manheim Central’s District 3 Class 2A boys volleyball championship victory last Thursday, when the chatter immediately turned to what’s next.

The PIAA tournament, where the Barons have payback on their minds.

“We have to win,” Central senior middle Landon Mattiace said, with much emphasis on have.

“This one is great,” Mattiace’s teammate, senior outside hitter Reagan Miller said about hoisting district gold after a 3-0 win over York Suburban.

“But we know what’s next,” Miller continued. “It’s states. And that’s what we really want.”

Safe to say Central is plenty motivated to climb the 2A state bracket — and clear the summit this time around. The Barons reached the finale in Penn State’s storied Rec Hall last June, but dropped a 3-1 decision against mighty Meadville. 

It was the second time Central reached a state finale; the Barons are 0-2, and antsy to finish the job over the next two weeks. 

That L against Meadville has stuck in the craw for Central’s returning crew, and there are a lot of them. Like Mattiace, who is a matchup nightmare in the middle, and he’s ticketed for Eastern University. And Miller, a real pogo stick who can unleash from the pins with the best of them.

Senior setter Dylan Musser rallies the troops. He’s at 2,500-plus career assists, and he directs traffic and keeps plays alive like nobody’s business. 

Mattiace and Miller are flanked up front by reliable senior hitters Caleb Groff and Weston Longenecker and junior middle Blake Neiles. That trio has made a huge splash as first-time starters this spring.

Senior libero Colin Rohrer is a rock in the back. Just when you think a point is over, he comes flying in for an acrobatic dig.

Musser and Miller — both electrifying jump-serve specialists — shared MVP honors in Section 2 this spring. Those two have been starting since their freshman year, and they won’t be flustered one iota on the big stage. 

Central’s PIAA journey begins Tuesday, when the Barons welcome District 12 runner-up Academy of Palumbo for a 6 p.m. showdown in Derbyshire Gymnasium. Palumbo is situated in Philadelphia and represent the Philly Public League. 

The Griffins and the Barons have clashed before in the state bracket. Central won 3-0 in a first-rounder in 2018, and the Barons won again, also 3-0, in the PIAA quarterfinals in 2019. 

Tuesday’s survivor will book it to the state quarterfinals next Saturday, and will get the winner of District 1 champ Dock Mennonite and District 2 runner-up Crestwood on a neutral court. 

The other matchups in the top of the bracket on Tuesday feature District 12 champ Lansdale Catholic against District 3 runner-up York Suburban, and District 2 champ Holy Redeemer against District 12 third-seed Carver Engineering & Science. 

Central beat Lansdale Catholic 3-0 in the first round last year, and the Barons are coming off a victory over York Suburban in the district title tilt. A potential rematch there wouldn’t come until the state semifinals. 

In the PVCA state rankings, Central opens the week at No. 2, York Suburban at No. 4 and Holy Redeemer at No. 5 in 2A.

The bottom half of the draw is loaded with state-ranked teams: No. 3 Shaler, the WPIAL champ, against No. 7 Saegertown, the District 10 runner-up; District 6 champ West Shamokin against No. 8 Brandywine Heights, the District 3 third-place squad; District 8 winner Obama Academy against No. 6 Ambridge, the WPIAL runner-up; and No. 1 Meadville, the District 10 champ, against No. 9 South Fayette, the WPIAL third-seed.

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Meadville is undefeated, and is out to defend its state crown. A Bulldogs vs. Barons rematch would not be a shocker. They’ve been 1-2 in the state rankings since the preseason poll back in mid-March, and they both have plenty of returning firepower. 

The 2A finale is set for June 14 at 11 a.m. in Penn State’s Rec Hall. The Barons are salivating for a return trip. 

While Central (20-1 overall) will unleash with its usual suspects, the Barons’ defense must keep tabs on a trio of Palumbo players on Tuesday.

Kingston Insixiengmay, an active outside hitter, has bombed 260 kills with 150 digs and 29 aces. He had 10 kills against Lansdale Catholic in the District 12 finale.

Bertrand Arifin will go toe-to-toe in the middle with Mattiace and Neiles; he has 109 kills and is the Griffins’ top blocker. Andy Le is the setter; he had 22 assists in the district title match, and he has 538 assists this season, heading into the Central match. 

Palumbo is 10-12 overall, and the Griffins went 8-4 in the Philly Public League, finishing in second place in their division in the regular season. 

Under veteran coach Craig Dietrich, Central captured its third straight Section 2 title, before the Barons fell to Cedar Crest 3-1 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League tournament championship match. Central, which was in the L-L finale for the third year in a row, barreled through districts without dropping a set. 

The Barons are locked and loaded for a state run.

Meanwhile, four District 3 teams are in the Class 3A bracket. The champ, undefeated Cumberland Valley, gets District 1 third-seed Unionville in the first round. CV dropped a set for the first time this spring in the district finale, but the Eagles rallied nicely for a 3-1 win over Central York. 

CY gets WPIAL runner-up Seneca Valley; District 3 No. 3 Governor Mifflin will square off against District 11 champ Emmaus; and District 3 No. 4 Northeastern York gets District 1 champ Pennsbury. 

Nine-time PIAA champ North Allegheny, the WPIAL winner, is lurking in the bottom of the 3A bracket. 

The 3A title match is also June 14 in Rec Hall, at 1:30 p.m.

X: @JeffReinhart77

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