This story originally appeared in the September 20 edition of the weekly LINK Reader. To get these stories first, subscribe here.
There is something going on with the Ryle High School volleyball team. Head coach Tasha Tanner Lovins thinks she has it figured out: the Raiders are making a name for themselves.
Despite laboring in the shadow of 9th Region stalwarts Notre Dame and St. Henry, Lovins said her team is transforming. The ensuing teamwide boost has Ryle playing better than it has in a while.
“We’ve had a lot of success,” Lovins said. “We have goals we want to reach and I’ve got a great group of girls who enjoy winning.”
The Raiders have achieved their success despite never winning a 9th Region tournament title. Notre Dame or St. Henry are usually in the way. Ryle has advanced to the 9th Region tournament semifinals each of the last four years. But Notre Dame and St. Henry keep winning.
Ryle, meanwhile, has become a fixture on top of the heap in the rough-and-tumble 33rd District. The Raiders have won four straight district championships and 10 of the last 14. Lovins is pursuing career win No. 600. Each time the Raiders win, they extend her program record.
Over the years, a deeper sense of pride in the program is palpable and it has proved to be a powerful motivator. It’s pushing players to train harder and perform better to maintain their sense of achievement. Coach Lovins said her players truly believe in their abilities and they meet challenges with a positive mindset. It’s making the Raiders more resilient, resulting in some impressive bounce-backs.
“It’s our attitudes,” said senior Lucy Trapp, a Thomas More University commit. “We’ll be 10 points down and our body language is good.”
Greater team pride, coach Lovins said, is also enhancing team dynamics by fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect. With that has come an elevated teamwide confidence, greater player accountability not to mention plenty of wins.
The Raiders finished 24-13 last season and 5-0 against 33rd District foes. They won 19 of their final 24 matches. Ryle has won at least 20 matches in six of the last eight years. This year, the Raiders added to their 33rd District winning streak which now spans three seasons. They won their ninth district match in a row with a win over Conner. It was part of an 11-0 start to the 2024 season, Ryle’s best in years.
The hot start also includes victories over a slew of state-ranked teams. The Raiders beat Paul Laurence Dunbar in the opener when Dunbar was ranked No. 4 statewide. They beat North Oldham, Great Crossing and West Jessamine.
Then came the real shocker. Ryle defeated nationally ranked Louisville Assumption in straight sets on the Rockets’ home floor at the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. Ryle, the eighth seed, defeated top-seeded Assumption, 26-24, 25-21, in bracket play, snapping the Rockets’ 25-match winning streak. It marked the first time a Kentucky public-school volleyball team had beaten Assumption in at least 22 years.
“It’s still kind of surreal,” coach Lovins said. “It’s a memory my players and I will never forget.”
The Raiders completed the highly competitive tournament featuring some of the best teams in Kentucky with a record of 3-2. They finished in fourth place, far outpacing their seed.
At the time of the upset, Assumption was ranked No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Super 25 national rankings and No. 1 by the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association. The Raiders were No. 10 in the KVCA poll and No. 3 in the 9th Region, behind, who else: No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 St. Henry.
The longtime dominance displayed by Notre Dame and St. Henry has fueled a deeper desire at Ryle, and the results are obvious to the players.
“Our team chemistry is really good and it’s helping us beat these teams,” said senior Karsyn Griffin. She’s verbally committed to the North Alabama beach volleyball team. “I’m really proud of the Dunbar win especially. It set the tone for the season.”
One of Ryle’s other top players has a further explanation for the hot start, and she should know. Her last name is Heater, first name Morgan. She’s receiving college offers. Coach Lovins admits Heater has a hot volleyball name and a sizzling game to match. The junior dynamo is a key cog as the Raiders get into their quick-tempo offense.
“I’ve been called Mo, Fastball and just plain Heater,” said Heater. “People ask if we’re warm. We do have a loving family.”
Similarly, Heater indicated that coach Lovins has a warm name and a personality to match. Heater said Lovins loves her players like family, and the players love her right back, creating a tight-knit family atmosphere. Occasionally, Lovins sees her players out and about in the community. Heater is one of them.
“We go to the same church,” Lovins said. “Morgan’s mom, Meredith, is Ryle’s boys volleyball coach. Morgan’s a great kid from a great family. It sounds warm and fuzzy, and it is. But it’s funny; Morgan’s not so warm and fuzzy when she’s playing. She’s our setter. A big part of our success is she holds people accountable, including herself.”
Griffin, Trapp, Heater and junior Ria Furuta represent the core of the team. They were named to the KVCA 2024 preseason watch list. Trapp and Furuta were selected to the LIVT all-tournament team. Trapp and Griffin are the early season kill leaders. Heater is the leader in assists and aces. Furuta leads in digs. Rachel King, Layna Wilkinson, Francesca Hansel, Lucy Baker and Rebecca Kramer are also contributing.
“I can’t wrap my mind around it. It’s just so positive,” Trapp said. “I’ve never been on a team quite like this and we just want to keep winning.”