HUDSON — Olmsted Falls doesn’t need a star. Bulldogs only need each other.

The Bulldogs felt a special season was in the works before the Division II Region 5 semifinal on Oct. 31.

Knowing that, their unselfish nature mixed with a fast system led to a 3-0 win against Mayfield, ending the Wildcats’ season.

“Every kid had to accept their role,” Olmsted Falls coach Julie Radigan said. “It took us a while to get to this point, but I think they finally understand that they can accept their role on the team and put the needs of the team first, we’re capable of doing great things.”

Olmsted Falls (19-5), 25-13, 25-18, 25-19. The Bulldogs advanced to the Division II, Region 5 finals and will face Wadsworth. The match will take place at noon on November 2.

“We haven’t gone far since 2008 when we won a state championship,” Olmsted Falls’ Hayden Hess said. “We’ve been talking about it for weeks. We wanted to go far. It is so important to us. We love the game of volleyball and we love each other.”

Mayfield finished his season 12-9. The Wildcats finished fourth in the Western Reserve Conference and caught fire in the second half of the season.

Mayfield has won five straight games and defeated Willoughby South twice, Riverside, Bay and Kenston. With a five-set win over North Royalton, the Wildcats reached the regional tournament for the first time since 2013.

“They worked hard and worked together. It meant a lot,” Mayfield coach Denise Correno said. “We went to two district semifinals. Getting to (the regional tournament) is a huge accomplishment. We’re trying to keep building on that for next year.”

Speed ​​was the name of the game for the Olmsted Falls system. With an athletic setter like Emily Oden, the ball went quickly to the outside hitters.

“(Oden) is a stud and our go-to guy,” Radigan said. “She is our point guard, one of our offensive players. She is such a clutch leader for us on the field.”

As the ball went on the first down, Mayfield couldn’t react quickly enough, causing him to recover on numerous block attempts with Oden and teammate Jaelyn Taylor on the set.

“The (Olmsted Falls) system was definitely fast. Our blocks were late and we were a step behind, which put us on defense. It’s hard to win games when you’re constantly on the defensive,” Correno said.

Oden (15 digs) did more than set his sights. When it was her turn, she was also an effective outside hitter. She had 16 kills in three sets played (5.33 kills per set average).

“I was ready and really excited,” Oden said. “I was super excited. I wanted to give it my all, because I didn’t want to have to regret anything. I gave it my all and put it all out (on the field).”

Olmsted Falls also had Maya Awad and Hess each with nine kills.

“When we recently played St. Joes, they talked about how our offense was and that they had never seen a team like this,” Hess said. “It’s so important to push the ball quickly, because when we can do that, we get the best.”

To get Oden the ball, libero Addison Koontz led Olmsted Falls with 19 digs. Hess also had 15 digs.

In doing so, Olmsted Falls got off to an 8-1 start in Set 1. Mayfield cut the lead to 10-9, but the Bulldogs got right back in the driver’s seat with a 9-1 run.

Using the momentum from the first set, Olmsted Falls took the second set as well. However, with the season on the line, Mayfield came out strong in the third set.