The Conner Cougars girls soccer team concluded the regular season winning a tight 2-1 game at home against the Dixie Heights Colonels.
Conner (15-3-3) outshot Dixie Heights, 10-7 with goalkeeper Ally Welch recording six saves.
“Anytime you can beat somebody who’s been in the region finals or semifinals the last several years in a quality program like Dixie, that’s always a plus going into the postseason,” said Mike Hughes, Conner head coach. “I feel we’re playing as well as anybody. It had a region feel to it. The atmosphere was great. It was intense, physical – everything you hope a regional final is.”
Conner’s Ella Mann and Dixie’s Karolyn Lighthall hit penalty kicks in the first half. But Milana Arevalo broke the tie with about 17 minutes to go, scoring off a nice assist from Izelee Kerns.
“I feel we learned a lot as a team in what we can and can’t do against Dixie,” Kerns said. “At first, we started off a little weak. But then we got together as a team, talked about it and we came back stronger in the second half.”
Conner earned the top seed in the top seed in the 33rd District Tournament and will take on Boone County (5-12) on Sunday at 1 p.m. The championship game is Tuesday at 6 p.m. Dixie Heights (11-8) faces Ludlow (9-7-1) on Wednesday in the 34th District semifinals at St. Henry.
Girls Soccer
Highlands 1, Elizabethtown 1
Highlands hit the road against last year’s state runner-up and came back with its second tie in three days.
Elizabethtown (13-4-2) outshot Highlands, 9-5. Natalie Hinegardner made eight saves for the Bluebirds (13-2-3) and Laney Smith scored the goal for her team-high 20th on the season.
Highlands concludes the regular season Saturday at South Oldham (10-5-1) at 12:30 p.m.
Other Girls Soccer Scores
Ryle 1, Bishop Brossart 1
Grant County 7, Calvary Christian 1
Simon Kenton 0, Campbell County 0
Bellevue 2, Holmes 1
Ludlow 3, Dayton 0
Oldham County 1, Beechwood 0
Roger Bacon 9, Newport Central Catholic 1
Villa Madonna 10, Aiken (Ohio) 0
Walton-Verona 4, Boone County 0
Boys Soccer Score
Holmes 4, Pendleton County 2
Volleyball
Conner 3, Villa Madonna 0 (25-11, 25-11, 25-9)
Peyton Walker earned her 500th career kill helping the Cougars to the road win.
Conner had 40 kills, 11 blocks, 37 assists, 42 digs and 15 aces. Lilly Hamburg had 15 kills and six blocks, including five solo with Walker recording 10 kills and three blocks including two. Carly Nehus had seven kills and seven digs with Aubrey Depenbrock adding 17 assists and four aces. Anna Hamilton recorded 15 digs and Bailey Morris tallied four aces with Mackenzie Sandeen adding eight assists.
Conner (23-7) plays host to Simon Kenton (24-5) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Villa Madonna (16-5) plays host to Bellevue (10-11) at the same time.
Walton-Verona 2, Bracken County 1 (25-22, 25-27, 25-11)
The Bearcats took down the Polar Bears as Walton-Verona head coach Katelyn Sallee, a 2005 Simon Kenton graduate, faced her high school head coach Julie Krift, who is in her first season coaching Bracken County.
Walton-Verona (15-14) had 28 kills, four solo blocks, 28 assists, 63 digs and 16 aces. Bella O’Brien had eight kills, nine digs and five aces for the Bearcats with Winter Vandiver and Chloe McIntosh recording seven kills each with Amber Hall recording 25 assists and eight digs. Annie Allen had 15 digs with Macie Godwin recording 12 digs and six aces and Abigayle Stamper tallying nine digs and four aces.
Walton-Verona plays at Shelby County (5-11) on Saturday.
Other Volleyball Scores
Lloyd Memorial 2, Holmes 0 (25-7, 25-8)
Boone County 2, Newport 0 (25-11, 25-9)