Often times in sports, they say it’s a game of inches — and on Saturday night in the KHSAA state volleyball final, those inches played a major part.
Meeting for the ninth time with a title on the line, Notre Dame Academy and Assumption added another unforgettable chapter to their storied rivalry. This one ended in heartbreak for the Pandas and triumph for the Rockets, as Assumption survived three championship points and edged out a five-set classic, 3–2 (19–25, 25–22, 25–19, 20–25, 17–15) at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.
At 16-15 Assumption in the fifth set, a whistle stopped play in the middle of a point and after discussion, the point was awarded to Assumption giving them the championship.
“They made the call and the official pointed to the wrong side,” Notre Dame co-head coach Hannah Colvin said. “So she thought it was Assumption it was called for four hits and they called four hits on us. It was miscommunication based on how the official stepped. It was still a late call, in my opinion. But again, obviously it wasn’t getting overruled. So I think overall, for both teams, no team wants to win on that kind of point and no team wants to lose on that kind of call. In my opinion, it was a really, really late call, and even Ron (Kordes) came up to us after and said, ‘No one wants to end a championship like that.’ And I respect that. It’s not how we wanted to end it either. They made the call.”
The official call was Notre Dame had not cleared the net on a third hit attempt and after play had carried on for a few seconds, the whistle blew and halted action.
Notre Dame, seeking its first state crown over Assumption since 1988 and 11th as a program, had the top-ranked team in Kentucky — and No. 9 nationally — pushed to the brink. The Pandas opened the night with a comeback first-set win, erasing a 16–12 deficit. After Assumption claimed the next two sets, Notre Dame answered with a controlled, composed fourth set to force a decisive fifth. The Pandas were motivated to take down the team that ended their season the past two years, last year in the semis in a five-setter and a year before in the title game. Assumption had beat them in straight sets just three weeks prior.
“A few of the adjustments we made were switching to rotational defense on the outside,” Colvin said. “Having Teagan Kondik play back row and be an option, because she was a powerhouse all weekend. So we just knew when Assumption started to go on runs we had to make changes and we had to make them quick.”
PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
The final set had all the chaos and momentum swings worthy of a championship match. It even included a scoreboard malfunction at the early part of the set when the Pandas took a 2-1 edge.
The No. 1 team and now three-time defending champions were the ones with the nerves in the decider. Five errors and a service miscue put Assumption in an 11–7 hole as the Pandas kept attacking.
A Teagan Kondik kill delivered championship point at 14–12. Notre Dame held match point again at 14–13, and once more at 15–14, an Audrey Dyas kill attempt just inches from hitting the floor.
“What can you do?,” Dyas said. “God has a plan, and it just wasn’t that for us today and that’s fine. I feel like he knows what’s best for us and now I’m leaving here with my cup so full because of this amazing group of people.”
Each time, Assumption — aiming for its 25th state title and third straight — refused to budge.
“These girls just don’t quit,” Assumption coach Ron Kordes said. “Somebody’s watching over us I guess.”
Then came the controversy on the game’s final point.
“You hate to see it end on a call like that,” Kordes said. “I’m not going to get into officiating, but the determination was whether it was touched with a block or not into the net. So when she hit that, they ended up calling four hits on us. I think it must have been a down official calling four hits, and they got it turned around the other way, which they did a few times. And I really don’t want to get into all that, but essentially, she made the right call, but for the wrong team. I think he (the down official) could have put his hand on the wrong side of the net. You almost feel guilty. I mean they played their ass off. We just beat them 3-0 two weeks ago, and they played their ass off. And, I mean, anybody could win that match, but the way it ended, my heart goes out to them.”
For Notre Dame, the 32–8 season ends a few inches short of history, the program still chasing that breakthrough against the Rockets for the first time since 1988. They’ll graduate a decorated senior class of four that includes, Dyas, Grace Portwood, Lizzy Larkins and Katie Zwick.
“I told the girls after the game that I would rather feel this way 10 more times, to have another game with this team,” Dyas said. “You can look at the scores of the sets. That is the best volleyball game, probably in the country right now. We fought so hard and to go to their place in regular season and get swept, and then come out here and give them that much of a fight. I am so proud, and it didn’t end how we wanted it to end, but I would do it again for another game with this team. I am so proud of them, and I know that wearing Notre Dame on my chest is playing for something bigger than myself, and they proved it to me this year, and I am just I’m so blessed to have a group like them.”
All four are going on to play at the next level, Dyas at Toledo, Portwood at University of Indianapolis and Zwick and Larkins teaming up at Ohio Dominican.
Assumption finishes 40-4 and their 25th state title in program history.
ROCKETS 3, PANDAS 2
ASSUMPTION — 19-25-25-20-17 — 3
NOTRE DAME — 25-22-19-25-15 — 2
Game Stats
Kills: Assumption 61, Notre Dame 58
Aces: Assumption 7, Notre Dame 4
Errors: Assumption 37, Notre Dame 39
Service Errors: Assumption 11, Notre Dame 6
Assists: Assumption 58, Notre Dame 58
Digs: Assumption 94, Notre Dame 91
Records: Assumption 40-4, Notre Dame 32-8