Prep Sports Report: Notre Dame wins five-set battle against Assumption in volleyball showdown

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

After getting off to a shaky start, Notre Dame’s volleyball team won a five-set battle against Louisville Assumption, 3-2, in a late-season showdown between the state’s top two teams on Tuesday in Park Hills.

In the latest Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association poll, Notre Dame was No. 1 and Assumption was No. 2. The Pandas moved into the top spot last week after their 2-0 victory over the Rockets during the Asics Challenge tournament in Chicago.

Assumption cruised to a 25-15 win in the first set of Tuesday’s match. The next three sets went down to the wire with Notre Dame winning the second and fourth ones 25-22 and 25-23. Assumption won the third set, 25-23.

With the score tied, 14-14, in the tiebreaker set, Notre Dame got the final two points on a violation by Assumption and block at the net to win the match between the perennial powers. Last year, the Pandas lost to Assumption, 3-1, in the state tournament final.

Notre Dame senior libero Julia Grace received the most valuable player award from St. Elizabeth Healthcare for her defensive play in Tuesday’s match. The Pandas needed the victory after a 3-2 loss to Ursuline Academy of Cincinnati last Thursday snapped their 15-match winning streak.

Notre Dame has a 25-3 record going into their final regular season match against Conner on Wednesday. Assumption (25-8) has a 2-3 record against Northern Kentucky teams this season. The Rockets also lost to Ryle and beat St. Henry and Beechwood in earlier matches.

The state volleyball playoffs begin next week with district tournaments. Notre Dame has won the 9th Region championship four of the last five years.

CovCath, Beechwood cross country runners win races at NKAC Championships

Covington Catholic had two runners among the top three finishers in the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Championships boys cross country race on Saturday and won the Division I team title by a 47-point margin at Idlewild Park in Boone County.

The winning runner was CovCath senior Will Sheets in a time of 15:03. The next three finishers were Cooper junior Paul Van Laningham (15:13), CovCath junior Joe Mayer (15:40) and Conner senior Nathan Hopper (15:43).

Villa Madonna took the Division II boys team title. The leading runners in that division were Brossart senior Griffin Hill (16:17) and Villa Madonna senior Ethan Martin (16:25). They placed seventh and 10th overall in the boys race.

In the girls meet, the top two finishers were Beechwood junior Lily Parke (18:27) and Ryle senior Allison Kopser (18:31). Conference team titles went to Villa Madonna in Division II and Campbell County in Division I.

Campbell County senior Olivia Holbrook (18:42) and her freshman teammate Lila Dunlevy (19:00) finished third and fourth in the girls race. Villa Madonna’s lead runner was eighth-grader Ryan Bennett (20:19), who placed 13th overall.

Cross country region championship meets are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 when local teams will compete in three classes. Last year’s state champion teams included CovCath in Class 2A boys, Beechwood in Class 1A girls and Brossart in Class 1A boys.

Walton-Verona soccer player breaks team record with game-winning goal

Walton-Verona soccer player Campbell Christy set a team record in dramatic fashion on Monday when she scored the go-ahead goal late in the second half of the Bearcats’ 2-1 victory over Spencer County in the 8th Region tournament.

Christy became the all-time leading goal scorer in her team’s history with the game-winner. She now has 119 total goals, which is also the most recorded by a Northern Kentucky girls soccer player in state records posted on the khsaa.org website.

Christy has 45 goals and nine assists for 99 points this season. The Thomas More University recruit ranks seventh in goals and ninth in points in the current statewide statistics.

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