A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

St. Henry volleyball team will play top-ranked Sacred Heart in state tournament semifinals on Saturday


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

St. Henry has advanced to the semifinals of the state volleyball tournament and will play Louisville Sacred Heart, the top-ranked team in the final state coaches poll, at 10 a.m. Saturday at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.

In the quarterfinal round on Friday, St. Henry (34-8) defeated Bowling Green, 3-0, and Sacred Heart (33-9) knocked off West Jessamine, 3-0, to set up a rematch. In August, the teams played each other twice at a tournament in Tennessee and Sacred Heart won both best-of-three matches against St. Henry by 2-1 scores.

St. Henry senior setter Cora Taylor

The winner of their Saturday morning semifinal match will play in the state championship final at 7 p.m. Saturday against Central Hardin, Louisville Mercy or Boyd County.

St. Henry was ranked No. 6 in the final state coaches poll. The Crusaders upset No. 3 Notre Dame, 3-1, in the 9th Region championship final to earn a berth in the 16-team state tournament bracket.

Senior middle hitter Taylor Preston had a team-high 15 kills and three service aces in St. Henry’s 25-15, 25-20, 25-18 win over Bowling Green on Friday. Two of her teammates — junior Sidney Arstingstall and sophomore Alivia Skidmore — had 10 kills each with senior setter Cora Taylor getting 31 assists.

St. Henry won the 1981 state volleyball championship and lost in the finals of the 2005 and 2006 state tournaments. This is the third time in the last 14 years that the Crusaders have made it to the state semifinals under head coach Maureen Kaiser.

Last year, Notre Dame defeated Louisville Mercy, 3-2, in the state final to become the first Northern Kentucky team to win a state volleyball championship since 1994.


Related Posts

Leave a Comment