Saturday’s volleyball match between Notre Dame and St. Henry meant more than the final score.
The Pandas, the two-time defending Ninth Region champions and state runner-up, defeated the Crusaders, 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-12) in the 16th annual Playing for a Purpose match at packed Boone County’s Nell Fookes Court and improved to 6-1 on the season.
But there were way more important reasons to celebrate and remember. You needed only look at the pink t-shirts both teams and their fans wore – on the back were the words “Support the fighters, Admire the survivors, Remember the angels.”
Proceeds benefitted the I Have Wings Breast Cancer Foundation, a 501c3 charity “dedicated to educating and enriching lives emotionally and financially during a breast cancer journey.”
“I’m a survivor,” foundation executive director and Notre Dame alumna Janet Chambers said. “When I was diagnosed, my son was going to St. Henry, and I had two daughters at Notre Dame. I’m a 25-year survivor now; that’s all good.”
Chambers started the foundation in 2002. She said she, St. Henry volleyball coach Maureen Kaiser and former Notre Dame coach Kim Gunning met in 2008 and decided to start the series; proceeds were split between the foundation and the family of the late Gwen Schuler, who passed away three weeks before the first game.
“We went ahead and had the game, and we’ve had it ever since,” Chambers said. “Easily we’ve raised over $100,000 over the years.”
Kaiser said the Kentucky High School Athletic Association wanted member schools to do more service work.
“While we were at the meeting, we decided to do a breast cancer game,” she said. “The event outplays the game.”
The game has traversed the length of Northern Kentucky – from St. Henry to Thomas More University to Northern Kentucky University to Ryle High School to Boone County.
“Every year the fire marshal was closing the doors,” Chambers said. “There was a mile long to try and get in.”
Chambers said the foundation gets the money from t-shirt sales, with the schools getting the rest.
With seven seniors, Notre Dame is one of Northern Kentucky’s most experienced volleyball teams. Three of them were a factor against St. Henry – Ava Tilden had 10 kills, Lauren Ott had 15 assists, and Julia Grace had 11 digs.
“I think the team dynamic is really well,” Tilden said. “Mixing up the ball is going really well, defense is really good. I think, for us, we have all the right parts skill-wise; we just need to work on our mental game.”
Pandas co-coach Leslie Litmer said St. Henry’s long rallies often frustrated her team.
“It was something we had to keep talking about anytime we had a timeout or between sets,” Litmer said.
Notre Dame junior Lizzy Larkins added 21 assists for the game.
St. Henry (12-2) took a 5-3 first-set advantage, which quickly became 11-8 Pandas.
“I can’t say it was experience or skill,” Litmer said. “It was just, when you win by two, every little change helps.”
Notre Dame put away the second set with equal parts power and precision. The 10-5 sequence included senior Ella Goetz’s block, Tilden’s kill and a setter dump – a dink just over the front line – by Ott gave the Pandas a 17-11 lead.
St. Henry came no closer than 6-4 in the third set. Madi Demler led the Crusaders with 13 kills, Madelyn Keipert had 14 assists, and Kenadi Sieg added 11 digs.
Chambers would like to have the game in Florence every year.
“I think we’ll stay here as long as Boone County will have us because this is a big venue, and 3,000 people is a lot of people … We have a little room to grow.”
Litmer said breast cancer has impacted her and some of her players.
“So (Saturday) was definitely bigger than just the game,” Litmer said. “And it’s awesome the money that can be raised, and (to) see two communities, student body communities, come together to support this is indescribable.”
Some more photos from Saturday’s matchup between Notre Dame and St. Henry. All photos provided by Charles Bolton.
