The Notre Dame Pandas headed down Interstate 71 ready for a battle between the last two state champions.
Notre Dame (6-1) came back up the dark highway with a huge 2-1 win over the South Oldham Dragons (4-2), erasing a 1-0 halftime deficit with two unassisted goals in the second half.
Kate Lenihan tied the game with her team-high fourth goal of the year and Hannah Knapke scored her first of the year with about 10 minutes left.
“In our beginning of the game talk, we knew they were going to play short so we did our best to press and always be up on their back line,” Knapke said. “(Lenihan’s) goal came off a defender and she placed it very well in the end. On mine, (teammate) Scarlet Cogswell was dribbling up the field. She might have taken a shot. The ball ricocheted off a defender and I placed it. That all came from the press for sure.”
Notre Dame outshot South Oldham, 11-8. Hannah Renaker made six saves at goalkeeper in the first half and Joelle Hentz had to make just one between the pipes in the second half.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Woeste credited the depth of the team for this one, noting every player that dressed played minutes in the heat.
“On the second half, we were on the attack the majority,” Woeste said. “We honestly executed in the midfield well in both halves. I thought we were the dominant team both halves. We just had to clean up the possession and get a little bit more aggressive on the attack in the second half and that’s exactly what we did.”
Notre Dame plays at Simon Kenton (3-4) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Dixie Heights 4, Campbell County 1
The Colonels recorded their third straight win taking down the visiting Camels.
Hadley Greene scored two goals for the Colonels (5-1) with Karolyn Lighthall scoring one goal and adding an assist. Makenna Long scored the other goal and Abby Parsons tallied two assists.
Campbell County (2-3-1) has dropped two in a row. Jozie Holmes scored the lone Camel goal off a Valerie Stephens assist. Morgan Roomes made six saves for the Camels and Abi Medaugh made one.
Dixie Heights plays at Ryle (1-5) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Campbell County plays host to Montgomery County (3-2-1) at the same time.
Conner 3, Ryle 0
The Cougars downed the Raiders in a 33rd District seed game for their third straight win despite some injury issues.
Milana Arevalo scored two goals for the Cougars (5-1-1) and Izelee Kerns scored the other one. Arevalo is second on the team with four goals on the season and Kerns has scored three.
“We are missing (the starters), but we have enough depth on the team,” said Mike Hughes, Conner head coach. “The kids are buying into the system. The experience they’ve had the last couple years has definitely made a big difference.”
Hughes credited the Conner defense for the job it did on Ryle’s top scorers, including senior Gracie Carrigan.
“We were definitely able to adjust,” said Laurel Frazier, Conner senior. “We worked well together to stop their attacking. (Carrigan) is a very tough and strong player so she’s able to run through balls. I feel like we were able to put a body on her and not allow her to go through us.”
Conner plays host to Boone County (1-3) on Wednesday in another district seed game at 7:30 p.m. Ryle (1-5) plays host to Dixie Heights (5-1) at the same time.
Bishop Brossart 4, Scott 0
The Mustangs won their fifth in a row downing the visiting Eagles in a 37th District seed game.
Avery Schaeffer led the way for Bishop Brossart (6-1) with one goal and two assists. Abby Lloyd and Rachel Shewmaker added one goal and one assist each with Larah Callahan recording the other goal.
Scott (3-2-1) did not put up many shots as Brossart goalkeeper Madeline Broering made four saves.
Brossart plays host to George Rogers Clark (1-3-2) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Scott plays at Cooper (3-3-1) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
All “A” 9th Region Girls Soccer Scores
Beechwood 8, Ludlow 0
Dayton 1, Bellevue 0
Holy Cross 2, Newport Central Catholic 0
St. Henry 6, Villa Madonna 0
Wednesday’s All “A” 9th Region semifinals schedule at Villa Madonna
St. Henry vs Holy Cross
Beechwood vs Dayton
Other Girls Soccer Score
Lafayette 10, Boone County 0
Volleyball
Simon Kenton 3, Highlands 1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-22, 25-20)
The Pioneers came out with the non-region win executing better offensively with 55 kills to 34 for Highlands.
“They did a phenomenal job,” said Amy Marx, Simon Kenton head coach. “We actually dug ourselves in a lot of those sets in the beginning. Then it was back and forth, back and forth. We came back from (19-12) in the first set, so a lot of that was a mental challenge as well. They did really well at rising to that challenge.”
Simon Kenton (2-1) had 37 assists, five aces, 57 digs and four blocks including two from Alisha Hawkins at critical moments. Sadie Rehkamp dished out 37 assists for the Pioneers.
Keira Hans led Simon Kenton with 16 kills and 10 digs. Jenna Kitchens added 14 kills with Sophie Spanier and Tori Chasteen digging up 13 and 11 balls, respectively. Hans and Spanier landed two aces each.
“We have a lot of big hitters,” Rehkamp said. “They’re very tall. When they swing down, they use their momentum and just pound the ball.”
Highlands (0-2) had 33 assists, five aces, 50 digs and 14 blocks. Hayden Gessner had 21 digs and two aces with Ava Muzumdar tallying 17 assists and two aces. Rachel Ossege had 18 kills and six blocks.
Sydney Shomaker followed with eight kills and Ella Cox had 15 assists for the Bluebirds. Annie Ellison dug up 12 balls with Maggie Carnohan and Lyla Bottom blocking three and four balls, respectively.
Scott plays at Oldham County (3-0) on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Highlands plays at Holmes (1-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Notre Dame 3, Cincinnati (Ohio) Mercy McAuley 2 (27-29, 24-26, 25-20, 25-20, 15-8)
The Pandas rallied to take down the Wolves.
Notre Dame (4-0) recorded 64 kills and 88 digs overall in the road win over the Wolves (1-1). Julia Grace and Lacey Hostetler dug up 25 and 14 balls, respectively, to start the attack. Lauren Ott and Lizzy Larkins had 27 and 26 assists, respectively. Grace Portwood, Riley McCloskey and Ava Tilden pounded out 21, 14 and 11 kills, respectively, and Audrey Dyas had three blocks.
Notre Dame plays host to Frederick Douglass (0-1) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
All “A” 10th Region Volleyball Tournament Score
Calvary Christian 2, St. Patrick 0 (25-8, 25-8)
Other Volleyball Scores
Scott 3, Holmes 0 (25-6, 25-12, 25-4)
Holy Cross 2, Villa Madonna 0 (25-23, 25-19)