Notre Dame and St. Henry making it to the 9th Region championship is like clockwork.
The Pandas swept Ryle in straight sets, while the Crusaders took down Beechwood in four during Tuesday night’s semifinals at Ryle. The results set up the 16th championship meeting between the two programs since 2003.
The title match is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Ryle.
Here’s how both semifinals unfolded:
St. Henry 3, Beechwood 1 (25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 25-19)
St. Henry head coach Maureen Kaiser has been to the championship before — 19 times before, in fact — but even after all those championship appearances, the moment still hit her.
“The rallies, the never-quit attitude,” Kaiser said. “Some of the balls we picked up, Beechwood’s known for that, we’re typically not. My group came to play. They were determined not to let the ball hit the floor. We’ve been preaching it all year: play with enthusiasm and grit, and they did.”
The match stayed tight throughout, with the largest lead by either team just six points. In a back-and-forth battle, the Crusaders found their rhythm late in each set, while Beechwood managed to edge out the second, 26-24.
“It’s not the outcome we wanted, but it was an amazing match,” Beechwood head coach Matt Long said. “They made a few fewer mistakes than us, and sometimes that’s what it comes down to in volleyball.”
The regular season wasn’t always kind to St. Henry. The Crusaders traveled to Knoxville, played in the Louisville Invitational, and even flew to Phoenix to face some of the best competition around. The record didn’t always reflect success, but the growth did.
What mattered most was how those challenges shaped St. Henry when the lights were brightest.
“Tough teams only prepare you,” St. Henry sophomore Violet Main said. “When you’re playing higher-level teams, you rise to that level. Even though we didn’t win in Phoenix, it was a great tournament to prepare us for this. Our losing streak did too, we’ve had a really tough schedule.”
The Crusaders played their best when it mattered most, closing out sets with strong finishing runs — 3-0 in the first, 5-0 in the third, and the final two points in the fourth and final set.
No team wants their season to end early or in defeat, and for Beechwood, it wasn’t the picture-perfect ending. But it was a season that built a foundation and strengthened the culture in Fort Mitchell.
The Tigers finished 33-6, earning milestones like a Class “A” State Championship, a third straight region tournament berth, and their first region semifinal appearance since 2017.
They’ll bring back 12 of their 16 players next season, including kills leader Isabel O’Brien — who reached her 1,000th career kill during the match — along with key starters Skylar Estep, Macy Armstrong, Rachel Lewandowski, and Teegan Becker.
The culture shift was driven by the team’s four seniors, Maggie Dawson, Kendale Lair, Isabel Bakker, and Piper Steinmetz.
“Our seniors created a really awesome culture here,” Long said. “They embraced everyone, from the top down to the seventh and eighth graders. They’re just great people, and I can only hope our kids continue to be like them as they grow. I feel bad for them, but they have so many things to hang their hats on this season.”
Now, St. Henry turns around quickly for another familiar challenge — a championship meeting with Notre Dame.
“We had a great game and need our rest, and then we’re back to it,” Kaiser said. “You never know with volleyball who’s going to show up, but I think we’ll be ready. I think they’ve proven to themselves they have what it takes. Notre Dame’s got some heavy arms, so we’re going to have to play more defense than we did tonight.”
More photos below, provided by Jenny Quinn:
Notre Dame 3, Ryle 0 (25-14, 25-10, 25-17)
Twenty years, and now 20 straight trips to the 9th Region volleyball championship for Notre Dame.
The Pandas made sure that streak continued with little trouble, sweeping a shorthanded Ryle team 3-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal in Union.
The Lady Raiders were without their star player and Winthrop commit, Morgan Heater, who tore her ACL during the regular season meeting with Notre Dame on Oct. 15. They were also missing Bridget Burns, who went down with an injury in the 33rd District semifinals against Boone County on Oct. 21.
That left Ryle adjusting quickly and turning to the next wave of players.
“The younger girls who’ve stepped up to take their places have been doing a great job since then,” Lady Raider head coach Tasha Tanner-Lovins said. “We went in with the same confidence. They’ve already beaten several teams as freshmen and sophomores — Conner, for example, in the district tournament. We told them, ‘You’ve got it. You may be young, but you have the confidence and the skill.’”
For Notre Dame, the absences altered the game plan slightly.
“Morgan actually got hurt during our match in the regular season, which was really sad. You never want to see another player go down any injury, especially with that kind of season-ending injury,” Notre Dame co-head coach Hannah Colvin said. “A lot of our girls are friends with her from club. We knew their outsides might look different, with a setter hitting outside, a position she’s not used to. It changed our game plan a bit in terms of where we were attacking and focusing our blocks.”
Notre Dame, now winners of 55 straight 9th Region matches, faced little resistance Tuesday. The Pandas trailed just once all night — down 3-1 early in the first set — before taking control. They built double-digit leads in all three sets and led by as many as 12 at one point.
With their height and balance at the net, Notre Dame was able to string together points quickly.
“Stopping the ball and slowing it down helps us run our offense faster,” junior and University of Cincinnati commit Teagan Kondik said. “It helps us score points and build confidence.”
And confidence, for a team that’s been here countless times, continues to be a major edge.
“It definitely eases the nerves and helps you play more confidently,” Kondik said. “Most of my teammates — especially the seniors — have won, the sophomores have too. Our team is playing great right now, and we’re super excited to be back.”
Notre Dame (28-7) is once again where it always seems to end up — in the 9th Region championship. The Pandas will look to claim their fifth straight region title and extend their dominant 9th Region streak.
For Ryle (22-14), it’s a bittersweet finish. The Lady Raiders lose just two seniors — Heater and libero Ria Furuta, who is committed to Miami (Ohio) — but return 18 players next season, setting the stage for another strong run.
More photos below, provided by Jenny Quinn:
