Sisterly love: B. Claxon, Maloney's bond runs deeper than SW, MVNU VB
· Yahoo Sports
Former South Webster multi-sport athletes and high school and college teammates Bella Claxon and Faith Maloney may not be sisters by blood.
In fact, Claxon herself has plenty of sisters by blood to go around.
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But both Claxon and Maloney have spent so much time with and around one another that they might as well be sisters.
The two highly motivated and skilled South Webster alums, who helped lead the Lady Jeeps to the 2021 OHSAA Division IV State Final Four, have helped to continue to preserve and grow the strong culture that is present with the Mount Vernon Nazarene volleyball program.
Maloney amassed over 1,000 kills and led the Cougars to no less than 27 wins in each of her four seasons in a Mount Vernon Nazarene uniform, while Claxon, who has 212 assists in a contributing role with MVNU, has helped the Cougars go 58-14 as a teammate of Maloney's over the last two seasons.
Mount Vernon Nazarene, as a result, has reassumed command as one of the NAIA's primary volleyball powerhouses as a regular Crossroads League Championship and national tournament contender on a yearly basis with the help of the disciplined and steady duo's leadership.
"It’s meant so much to me," Claxon said. "I grew up always knowing about MVNU because of my parents and my mom took me to a lot of their volleyball games as well. I wasn’t always dead set I’d go here, but after my visit during my junior year of high school, it felt like it was where I was supposed to be. My mom always spoke so highly of Coach Swanson and the school, and it made me so excited to begin my career here. I’m proud to be a part of a great program and help carry on the programs tradition with my teammates and (Kendra) Mosher."
"The experience I’ve had for the past four years has truly been some of the best times in my life," Maloney said. "Our teammates became my closest friends and having such successful seasons each year has only added on to joy that being on this team brings me."
Claxon was essentially born on a court and spent much of her life around either a soccer pitch, a volleyball court, a basketball court or a softball diamond with her parents, Corey and Darcee Claxon, being the active sports aficionados and coaches — Corey, men's soccer and softball; Darcee (volleyball) — as they continue to be in the sports realm. She began playing organized volleyball in the fifth grade underneath her mother's direction and never looked back with the game, while also playing basketball in the winter and softball in the spring as a three-sport athlete.
Maloney was slower to take to the sport.
The future 5-11 middle hitting standout, in fact, hated volleyball. Maloney preferred playing soccer in the fall.
She had to be coaxed and convinced into playing the sport by Darcee Claxon in the seventh grade.
The pitching sell may have taken some work for the elder Claxon, but the pitch job certainly paid off in the long run as a line of motivated group of athletes, both before Maloney's and Claxon's classes as well as during their time in a South Webster High School uniform, began reversing the fortunes for the Lady Jeeps in multiple sports.
Both players were key figures in South Webster making year-after-year gains under head coach Ryan Dutiel — as both players played early and often.
Maloney ultimately averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.8 assists and 1.2 blocks per game over the final three seasons of her high school career as the Lady Jeeps' go-to post threat inside when South Webster needed juice underneath.
She proceeded to help Dutiel's group grew from an 8-14 overall record to marks of 12-11, 14-9 and 20-5 from her sophomore through senior seasons as a nice complimentary threat to the dazzling play of future NCAA Division II college guard Bri Claxon out top.
Bri's younger sister and Faith's teammate also made her own name and impact in the South Webster girls basketball rotation.
Carving out her own niche as a basketball player, Bella Claxon not only helped South Webster go 14-9 and 20-5 in her first two seasons as a key role player, but became a complimentary threat herself alongside fellow classmate Skylar Zimmerman in helping the Lady Jeeps go 13-10 and 13-11 in 2022-23 and 2023-24 on the hardwood.
Claxon averaged nine points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for her South Webster career — but upped those averages to 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as a junior and 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest as a senior.
Maloney was a Second-Team All-Southeast District selection by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association in her senior year of 2021-22, while Claxon was named Special Mention All-Southeast District by the same association in her senior year of 2023-24.
Claxon added to that success in the spring as a softball talent, batting over .350 as a junior to lead South Webster to the OHSAA Division III, Region 11 Championship Game in 2023, then leading the Lady Jeeps to their first-ever OHSAA Final Four appearance in 2024 with a 4-3 win over Wheelersburg to avenge its 2023 OHSAA Division III, Region 11 Championship Game setback.
But it was clear where both Maloney's and Claxon's futures lied.
That was volleyball, and the duo's successes in basketball as well as softball for Claxon, as strong as they were, even paled in comparison to what the duo did throughout their four seasons on the volleyball court.
South Webster began its rapid ascent up the volleyball food chain in 2018, when Maloney tallied 217 digs, 215 kills, 66 aces and 64 blocks for a Lady Jeep squad that went 15-8 in her freshman season of 2018-19.
The following year, Maloney led the Lady Jeeps to the first of its ongoing seven consecutive district championships and regional tournament appearances, guiding South Webster to a 20-6 overall record and a four-set victory over Waterford in the OHSAA Division IV District Championship Game.
South Webster dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Sarahsville Shenandoah in the OHSAA Division IV Regional Semifinals, but behind Maloney's 391 kills on a .300 attack percentage to go along with her 228 digs, 76 blocks and 71 aces, the bar had been raised.
"It was always a super fun and competitive atmosphere," Maloney said. "We all had a desire to win and play well, but we also all cared so much for each other on and off the court. The expectations Coach Claxon had for us were high because she knew we were capable, and it pushed us to be better athletes."
The success only increased with Bella Claxon alongside Maloney for the 2020-21 campaign and healthy nucleuses of players both coming back as well as coming up to varsity level competition.
In rather dominant fashion, South Webster won 64 sets and dropped just seven from the months of August through October, and from Oct. 8 to Nov. 5, didn't drop a single set en route to not only winning back-to-back district titles but reaching a OHSAA Division IV Regional Final, where the Lady Jeeps fell to Newark Catholic in four sets.
Again, South Webster had taken another step on the ladder — as Maloney posted 327 kills on a .368 attack percentage with 163 digs, 96 blocks and 74 aces to boot while Claxon added in 201 kills on a .263 attack percentage to go along with 198 digs and 41 aces.
South Webster finished 23-2 in Maloney's junior season and Bella Claxon's freshman season.
"It was always a dream of ours to make a run at the state tournament," Claxon said. "It felt like a real possibility going into my freshman season, and as a team, we all believed we could do it. We came up just short, but it ultimately gave us the fuel for next season, which gave me no doubt we would accomplish our goal. That year the core of our team were seniors and great leaders. We all played for one another and had a great bond on and off the floor, which only helped us to play better. My mom continuously told us that we were capable of something special and worked us hard so we wouldn’t forget it."
"I felt that we had the athletes and the ability to make a good run from my sophomore year, but it really didn’t feel like a real chance at state until my junior year when we made it to the regional finals," Maloney said. "After that, I knew that my senior year was our chance at redeeming ourselves and claiming the regional title."
The pair's senior and sophomore seasons of volleyball action would result in sweet harmony.
Going 25-2 in 2021, South Webster dropped a straight-set decision to OHSAA Division III Adena but did not lose a single set following that match, which occurred on Aug. 28, all the way to Oct. 7.
The Jeeps, in fact, didn't lose a single match en route to winning the SOC II outright, and won 15 out of 16 contested sets between district and regional competition, capping off the program's run to its first-ever OHSAA Final Four with a 3-1 win in a spirited rematch against Trimble that South Webster held serve on, followed by a straight-set sweep of Newark Catholic in the 2021 OHSAA Division IV, Region 15 Championship Game, avenging the loss from the season prior at the same stage in doing so.
South Webster had made history. Maloney eclipsed 300 kills for the third straight season — posting 379 to be exact in 2021 with 99 digs, 54 blocks and 53 aces during her senior campaign — while Claxon posted 222 digs, 84 kills, 53 aces and 38 blocks to help the Lady Jeeps reach the state semifinals for the first time.
Maloney ultimately finished with over 1,300 kills for her South Webster career.
"My favorite memory at South Webster was definitely winning the regional championship," Claxon said. "But it wasn’t just because of the win. It was because everything we had been working years for was finally accomplished. We poured so much into that season and into each other, and the community rallying behind us every step of the way made the win for them as well."
"I would say my favorite memory at South Webster would be winning regional finals and having our community there to support us," Maloney said. "Webster has such a strong foundation for volleyball that I can only give credit to Darcee Claxon and the time and effort she puts into the program. From day one, she had high expectations for us as players, but also as people and teammates. I think she instills the competitive spirit and grit that players need to play volleyball at a high level, while also encouraging us at each step. I am so thankful that I had the chance to be a part of that program."
Claxon then helped South Webster continue their roll. As a junior in 2022, Claxon posted 273 digs, 193 kills on a .292 attack percentage and 94 aces, helping South Webster keep its top perch alongside Wheelersburg as the pair shared the SOC II crown. The Lady Jeeps went 22-3 and didn't drop a single set from Sept. 27 through its district final victory over North Adams on Oct. 29, with only a loss to Byesville Meadowbrook in the regional semis ending South Webster's run.
Claxon and the Lady Jeeps were even better the following season. Reassuming full command of the top spot in the SOC II race, South Webster won each of its first 26 matches en route to breezing through competition en route to another regional final appearance, the program's third in four seasons. The Lady Jeeps lost just four sets, total, from Aug. 28 through its regional semifinal win over Adena on Nov. 2.
Meadowbrook defeated South Webster in the regional finals in 2023, but not before Claxon enjoyed yet another fine season, with 306 kills on a .252 attack percentage to go along with 312 digs, 88 aces and 27 total blocks.
"It was really great," Claxon said of playing for her mother. "I mean, she’s my mom so of course I would never say anything bad about her, but in all seriousness, she is an amazing coach. I would not be the player I am today without her. She demanded your very best effort always but still found the balance of giving praise where it was due. Her constantly pushing me and holding me accountable still benefits me as a player today and certainly has helped me reach my potential."
The six-year stretch that South Webster had during both players' time with the volleyball program amassed to an incredible 128-22 overall record with four straight SOC II Championships in either share or outright fashion, along with three trips to the regional finals and that 2021 OHSAA State Final Four appearance.
"The program really helped establish what it means to be a good teammate and play for the people around you," Claxon said. "Skill is definitely important, but at South Webster it’s made known that your skill won’t take you far if you don’t buy into being a good teammate first. Since coming to college, I have really begun to see how important that lesson is and I’m very grateful for that."
More wins were to come for the pair at Mount Vernon Nazarene.
While Bella Claxon was finishing her career at South Webster, Maloney got the ball rolling early on. Darcee Claxon connected Maloney to her alma mater, and Maloney, in addition to the team climate and the program's penchant for winning in the sport of volleyball, took a liking to the school's nursing program.
"I had heard of Mount Vernon through Darcee, and she had connected me to the coach at the time, but the school didn’t entice me until I was able to play with some of the girls and they made it feel like home," Maloney said. "They also have a really good nursing program, which solidified my choice."
Helping Mount Vernon Nazarene obtain a 27-9 overall record as a freshman by playing in 17 of the team's 36 matches and amassing 98 kills on a .269 attack percentage with 30 blocks as a rotational player, Maloney turned herself into a full-time starter by her sophomore season in 2023. She never left the main rotation from there.
In fact, Maloney helped Mount Vernon Nazarene achieve over 30 wins over the next two seasons, with the Cougars going 31-9 in her sophomore campaign and 31-5 during her junior season.
MVNU went from losing in the conference quarterfinals and not making the NAIA National Tournament in Maloney's freshman year to making the Crossroads League Championship Game in Maloney's sophomore season and the Crossroads League semifinals in Maloney's junior year while advancing into NAIA National Tournament Pool Play in each season.
Those two years saw Maloney post 327 kills, 76 digs and 73 blocks as a sophomore and 317 kills, 81 blocks and 54 digs as a junior. No. 8 hit .221 and .218 in both campaigns and was a Crossroads League Honorable Mention talent in 2023 and 2024.
Claxon joined Maloney in the Fall 2024 semester, and, during her own freshman season, contributed 154 assists and 21 digs while playing in 32 of the team's 36 matches.
Like Maloney, Mount Vernon Nazarene checked the academic and athletic boxes necessary for Claxon prior to arriving on campus as a biology major and a setter for the volleyball program.
"I was always aware of the program and school because of my parents," Claxon said. "On top of that, it would give me the opportunity to play with Faith and Graci again, which might have been what I loved most. But, academically it checked all of my boxes and it was encouraging to know the staff worked well with their student athletes."
Both players continued their long string of winning in 2025.
For the third season in a row, Mount Vernon Nazarene went back to NAIA National Tournament Pool Play after advancing to the Crossroads League Championship for the second time in three seasons. Maloney finished with career highs in kills (366), attack percentage (.225) and digs (181) and was subsequently named to the Crossroads League's First-Team All-Conference list, completing a career where Maloney was named as an all-conference talent three times. Maloney was also recognized as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region performer in her final season with the program.
Claxon, meanwhile, tacked on 58 assists in a contributing role for the Cougars.
"Playing on this team was so fun and refreshing," Maloney sadi. "Everyone brough something different to the table, and it was exciting to play with them every day," Maloney said. "(Kendra) Mosher has done a great job of making our team close and being a supportive figure for each of the girls. It is one big group of friends who also happen to be pretty good at volleyball, and I am so blessed to have been a part of a program like it."
"It’s been a great journey where I’ve really been able to grow as a person to become better on the floor," Claxon said. "Coach Mosher has great expectations for us and exerts a lot of her energy into us to help us reach our goals. Coach also always reminds us of the blessing that it is to be a part of the Cougar volleyball legacy, which is why I’m very happy to play for this program."
Over the last four seasons, Mount Vernon Nazarene has gone 116-30 overall. Much like their time at South Webster, Claxon and Maloney credit that success to the challenging schedule that the Cougars play on a yearly basis.
"Day in and day out, we’re expected to be all in, so having people to compete with makes you want to hold yourself to the same standard everyone else is holding themselves too," Claxon said. "It’s very challenging but also a lot of fun. It’s highly competitive and you really can’t take any games off. From a competitive standpoint it’s great to have great competition to play with, but it does make you stay on your A-game because in any given night any team can steal a win."
"It is so competitive and never gives you the chance to let your guard down against an opponent," Maloney said. "Each team in the conference is strong and has the ability to knock off some of the high ranked teams in the nation. I feel that playing such high-level teams during conference play only prepared our teams to make runs into the national tournament and has been a huge reason for our success. It brings out the best in everyone. When you are practicing so competitively with one another, it really pushes everyone to their full capabilities. There’s not a day in practice where we are not fighting back and forth to win a drill or scrimmage play. We all work so hard to be better every day."
With bright futures ahead, Claxon and Maloney say their experiences have been shaped by the very people who helped mold those memories and times into what they were.
"My lasting memories of South Webster volleyball will be the closeness of the team and the community that surrounded us and made it feel like home," Maloney said. "My lasting memory of MVNU volleyball is the energy and love that each of my teammates brought everyday and the relationships that I gained from having them there beside me."
"For sure, it's the people," Claxon said. "Your teammates are who you spend so much of your time with on trips, at practices, and games, so you get to create a really special bond with them. I am so blessed to have had so many amazing teammates at both South Webster and Mount Vernon Nazarene, who are now going to be lifelong friends."