In a rematch of last year’s 8th Region championship, Simon Kenton got revenge against Oldham County, 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 13-25, 25-17) in the 8th Region volleyball tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night at Eminence High School.
Simon Kenton entered the region tournament 14-0 against region opponents this season, looking for their first 8th Region title in program history. Finishing a win short in their last three of four regional tournaments, the Pioneers are seeking redemption.
After a few shaky possessions to begin the match, Pioneer’s coach Amy Marx opted for an early timeout to settle the players.
“I think they were nervous there to start,” Marx said. “I told the girls in the locker room before the game that they’d already played like champions in their own gym. Now we just need to replicate that here.”
Marx’s message was received quickly as senior outside hitter Keira Hans tied the set up at 12 and represented half the Pioneer’s points. With seven kills alone in the set, Hans leads the team in both kills and blocks on the season.
“At that point we had to take what coach told us and trust ourselves to find our game,” Hans said.
And that they did. Overtaking the lead, Simon Kenton held on to a tight battle throughout the set as a decisive kill by senior Jenna Kitchens handed the Pioneers a 25-21 first set victory.
Rolling with the momentum, Hans continued her hitting edge while setter Ceanna Scalf had two early aces to give the Pioneers a 7-2 advantage in the second set. Shaking away the Colonels would prove to have its challenges as back to back kills by outside hitter Shelby Davis helped Oldham County climb to a 17-15 second set advantage.
On their heels, Simon Kenton turned up the pressure and ran off eight unanswered points. The Pioneer’s defense set up a number of unforced errors from the Colonels and Hans’ eight kills in the set allowed Simon Kenton to claim a 25-17 second set win.
“One thing that really stood out in this match in particular was the way the girls embraced each other through the good and bad moments,” Marx said. “We prepare for those types of moments and I was really glad to see everyone really step up when their name was called.”
Despite the Pioneers momentum, the Colonels never strayed away from a challenge. With their backs against the wall, Oldham County found a lifeline in the third set as they found themselves up 17-12.
Simon Kenton was unable to muster an answer in the set as Oldham County ran away with the momentum and convincing 25-13 third set victory.
“I tried my best to help lead the team through those rough spots that appeared especially in the third set,” Hans said. “Getting out of those ruts isn’t always easy. I think we were able to do that by viewing the fourth set as a fresh start instead of hanging in the past.”
Hans did exactly that as two kills early in the set seized the Colonels’ momentum. One set away from knocking out last year’s 8th Region champion, Simon Kenton’s experience showed itself late.
Oftentimes playing with nearly an all-senior lineup, the Pioneers didn’t get startled by a late run from senior blocker Mya Hunt who had six kills in the set. Instead Hans, Kitchens, and Scalf combined for 14 kills in the third set to win the final set 25-17.
In a gutsy first round performance, Hans finished the night with 28 kills while Kitchens followed with 20. Scalf recorded a team high 30 assists while senior Libero Tori Chasteen’s defensive performance didn’t go unnoticed as she racked up 45 digs on the night.
With a well earned spot in the second round, Simon Kenton will have little time to regroup after their win. On Wednesday night, the Pioneers will face Collins for a spot in the 8th Region championship match.
“I tried to lobby for a day off in between but that wasn’t able to happen this year,” Marx said. “The girls know we’ve come up just short in the last couple years and our philosophy is no excuses. We’re rising to the challenge we’ve prepared for regardless.”
Since 2003, Oldham County schools have claimed 20 straight titles. Simon Kenton, Collins, and Grant County are all looking for their shot to win their first 8th Region title.
North Oldham and Grant County meet in the first semifinal on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“We know what we have to do to win,” Hans said. “If we do that, I think we’ll be just fine.”
The championship match is Thursday at 7 p.m.