Andrea Sullivan has been thinking about Thursday for nearly two years.
Scott’s volleyball coach – and the Eagles on the court – have their chance at atonement. They meet Bishop Brossart – who beat the Eagles for the 2022 10th Region title – for a new trophy at 6:30 p.m. at Bracken County High School in Brooksville.
“I think I remember the losses more than I remember the wins,” Sullivan said.
Scott junior Milyn Minor thinks about 2022, but “not a ton.”
“But when we get back to region, I look to the past and remember it,” Minor said.
The Eagles and Lady ‘Stangs earned their berths in straight-set semifinal wins Wednesday. Scott defeated Pendleton County, 3-0 (25-13, 25-10, 25-21), and Brossart eliminated Montgomery County, 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-6).
Scott has dominated the series; the Eagles (28-11) hold a 27-8 edge since 2002, including this year’s 3-0 regular-season win (25-18, 25-13, 25-19) over the Lady ‘Stangs Sept. 18 in Alexandria and the 3-0 victory (26-24, 25-14, 25-21) in the 37th District final Oct. 24 at Calvary Christian.
“Even though we beat them twice,” Minor said, “the job’s not done.”
When you listen to Sullivan (Scott, Class of 1997) and Brossart coach Danielle French, for a second you think they’re ready to don their uniforms.
“It’s revenge,” French, a 2003 Brossart alumna, said. “It’s personal, it’s revenge.”
Thursday is also a regional title tiebreaker; Scott beat Brossart for the 2015 crown. The Eagles also hold a 2-1 edge in 37th District championships against Brossart.
Besides being a chance to join Ninth Region champion Notre Dame in representing Northern Kentucky in the state tournament, Brossart vs. Scott is a battle to make you notice the 10th Region has quality volleyball, too. (Campbell County won last year.)
“Brossart really was never on the map years ago,” French said. “We’re such a small school, and we don’t have the pool that these large schools have to choose from.”
Sullivan recognizes that volleyball is huge in the Ninth Region.
“What I love about the 10th Region is, these programs have really developed over the, I think, 15 years now that we’ve been in the 10th Region,” Sullivan said. “These programs are getting better, and that’s encouraging to see. It’s not just Scott, Brossart and Campbell every year. You have Montgomery County and Bourbon County that are competing now.”
Brossart (26-11) is 15-2 against 10th Region teams this season, but 2024 has not been easy.
The Lady ‘Stangs started at 6-2 and are now 11-1 over its last 12. In between was what you could call a five-day fall – losses to Scott, Somerset Christian, Louisville Holy Cross, St. Henry, Raceland and Highlands.
French hopes you look at Brossart’s quality wins this year: Holy Cross, Campbell County twice and Newport Central Catholic; she said even the Highlands 3-2 loss was big because it was the first time her team took the Bluebirds to five sets.
Scott is 11-0 against region teams this year, bringing an 11-game winning streak to the title game.
Brossart took early leads in the first and second sets against Montgomery County and watched the Indians come close.
In the first, the Indians closed to within 23-21, and trailed by just 11-6 in the second before Brossart unleashed a 14-10 streak. In the third, the Lady ‘Stangs weren’t threatened – they led, 20-5.
Scott led, 19-8, in the third set – and then watched Pendleton County’s 13-4 run.
Minor led Scott with nine kills, and Morgan Justice and Brooklyn Helm each added eight. Ryann Grigsby had 58 assists.
French said Brossart has prepared all year for Scott.
“They’re ready for it,” she said. “They want it, I want it.”