Ryle didn’t get much rest before their matchup with St. Henry — and it turned out they didn’t need it.
Facing top-25 opponents on back-to-back nights, both on the road, the Lady Raiders first knocked off No. 25 Highlands on Tuesday before outlasting No. 5 St. Henry in five sets, 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 7-25, 15-8), to stay undefeated against Ninth Region foes Wednesday night in Erlanger.
“We knew going in this was kind of a battle for northern Kentucky,” Ryle head coach Tasha Tanner-Lovins said. “Both of us were undefeated in the region, so one of us had to win and one had to lose. The mindset was to take it point by point, have fun, be aggressive and play.”
Less than 24 hours after finishing at Highlands, Ryle was back on the floor and looked sluggish early, dropping the opening set 25-21. In the fourth, they were overwhelmed 25-7, the Crusaders forcing a decisive fifth frame.
Instead of folding, the Lady Raiders reset. By the time the final set began, they looked energized, closing with a 15-8 finish to hand St. Henry its first Ninth Region loss of the season.
The coaching staff has emphasized a point-by-point mentality, and the team showed it in the deciding frame.
“We like to make life difficult on ourselves sometimes, but their composure shows through,” Tanner-Lovins said. “Even losing 25-7, they came back in the fifth like it was 0-0 and started strong.”
With only two seniors on the roster, leadership has been critical. One of them, libero Ariana Furuta, provided steadiness on the back line all night. She was a constant factor in keeping plays alive, whether through serve-receive, digging heavy swings, or chasing down balls that seemed destined for the floor. That presence set the tone for her teammates, who responded with their own contributions in key moments.
“We all played really well tonight, minus that fourth set, and I think the trust we have in each other makes the difference,” Furuta said. “When my teammates believe in me, it gives me confidence in myself.”
Furuta led the team in digs, along with two aces and an assist. Morgan Heater and Layna Wilkinson combined for 27 kills.
The challenges of the week only magnified the importance of the result. It’s not an every day thing in Kentucky are tasked with facing ranked opponents on consecutive nights, but Ryle thrived on the moment. They have developed a habit of clawing back and Wednesday reinforced that identity.
“After the fourth set we just said, ‘all right, that’s out of the way, now it’s time to lock in,’” Furuta said. “We knew what we were capable of and just went in with a clear mindset.”
The Crusaders led by as much as six in the third set before giving up the lead and set, led late in the second set (19-18) and held the lead twice in the final set, but weren’t able to close any of them out.
St. Henry (19-11) saw their Ninth Region nine-match win streak snapped and now head across the Ohio River Tuesday to face Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. It continues a six-game stretch to close out the regular season with ranked opponents to follow against Beechwood, Notre Dame, Mercy and Paul Laurence Dunbar before the postseason comes.
Ryle (15-10, 4-0 in the Ninth Region) extended its win streak to three and now shifts quickly to another test, traveling to Dixie Heights on Thursday night for a 7 p.m. match. The Lady Raiders have more tough tests to finish the regular season, with Beechwood and Notre Dame still on the schedule.
More photos below, provided by Charles Bolton:
