- Beechwood swept Scott 3-0 on opening night, showing experience and strong team chemistry.
- Isabel O’Brien led the Tigers with 13 kills and four aces, while Scott looked to build chemistry with new players.
- Scott’s Milyn Minor, a two-time 10th Region Player of the Year, finished with five kills.
- Beechwood’s depth and senior leadership gave them control in each set.
- Both teams see the early matchup as a springboard for the long season ahead.
Beechwood came in so hot on opening day of the Kentucky high school girls volleyball season, even the fire alarms couldn’t stay quiet.
Once play resumed, the No. 25 Tigers proved too much for defending state semifinalist Scott, rolling to a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-18, 25-15) in Fort Mitchell on Monday night.
Both teams entered the match with targets on their backs. Along with coming off a successful season, Scott returned two-time 10th Region Player of the Year Milyn Minor, while Beechwood brought back every player from last season’s 25-win squad.
The Tigers’ experience and continuity quickly showed on the court.
“I think it was proven,” Beechwood head coach Matt Long said. “We had good senior leadership, and having that many seniors and juniors gives you that much more continuity. There’s a lot of camaraderie and everyone pushes each other, younger players pushing older players.”
Each set showed exactly that.
Scott started strong in the first set, briefly leading 3-2, but Beechwood responded with a 13-2 run that put them firmly in control. The Tigers carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 12-1 lead. The Lady Eagles managed to cut the gap to 19-17, but Beechwood pulled away to secure the set. The third set proved the closest, with both teams trading points until an 8-8 tie, when the Tigers broke away and never trailed again.
Even when Scott managed a small run, never leading by more than two at 2-0 in the first and third sets, Beechwood responded each time, relying on preparation and a strong team environment.
“We wanted to focus on keeping the energy high from the very beginning because that’s how you start a game strong and win them,” junior Isabel O’Brien said. “I couldn’t be more grateful to be in this environment. It’s awesome, with the students cheering, and I can even hear my dad yelling ‘Let’s go Tigers.’ It shows on the floor.”
O’Brien delivered on that energy, finishing with a game-high 13 kills and four aces. Rachel Lewandowski added eight kills, Skylr Estep had 27 assists, Maggie Dawson recorded 12 digs, and Teegan Becker contributed five blocks.
Blocks weren’t going to come easy against Scott’s star, Milyn Minor, a two-time 10th Region Player of the Year and first-team all-state selection last season, who finished with five kills.
“We made sure we had two people taking care of her,” Long said. “Trying to slow her down, even if it was a little bit, we felt we had an edge if we did.”
The Tigers’ performance reflected both their preparation and mindset.
“We had scrimmages last weekend and we’ve been working on serves and getting one-on-one connections with our center and hitter,” O’Brien said. “Scott is a great, scrappy team, and they challenged us in ways we needed to work on. Starting the season like this shows we’re on the right track.”
For Scott, adjustments and growth will be the focus after a tough opener.
“It’s a lot of getting used to new teammates and players in different positions,” Lady Eagle coach Andrea Sullivan said. “We have a couple new players we’re asking a lot of right now, so it’s a matter of gelling. It’s the first game of the season, and we’re not quite there yet, but it’s a long season.”
While the record shows 0-1, the matchup offered Scott valuable lessons.
“Beechwood is one of the top teams in the state,” Sullivan said. “We saw some good things we can build on and areas we need to improve. Matches like this give us a starting point for the rest of the season. It’s a long grind, and this is just day one.”
Along with Minor’s five kills, she and Reagan Cummins each had a block, Morgan Justice added five kills, Ryann Grigsby had eight assists, Emory Sullivan recorded seven digs, and KaLeigh Grigsby added two aces.
Scott will face another top team in the state in their home opener against St. Henry on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Starting 1-0 for the third straight season, the Tigers will try to continue to keep their opponents winless as they travel to Campbell County for another 10th Region opponent the same night at 7:30 p.m.
Photo slideshow below provided by Charles Bolton:
Monday’s other volleyball scores:
Notre Dame def. Conner, 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-14)
Dayton def. Pendleton County, 2-0 (25-14, 25-18)
Highlands def. Bishop Brossart, 3-0
Heritage Academy def. Lloyd Memorial, 2-0 (25-22, 26-24)
St. Henry def. Ludlow, 2-0