By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
To ease the tension of competing in the 9th Region volleyball tournament, St. Henry coach Maureen Kaiser said she created a party-like atmosphere during practice sessions this week and reminded her players to have fun before each match.
That put the Crusaders in the right frame of mind for an intense regional final against six-time defending champion Notre Dame on Thursday night at Holmes High School.
The match went five sets and St. Henry won the last one, 20-18, on a block at the net by sophomore middle hitter Zoe Epplen to claim the regional title for the first time since 2010.
“I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Epplen said of scoring the point that decided the regional championship. “I’m so proud of our team and so happy for them, especially our seniors. That’s all they wanted this year and I’m so happy for them.”
St Henry had a 1-12 record against Notre Dame over the last seven years. Four of those losses came in regional finals and the last one was a regular-season match in September that went five sets.
The Crusaders put all that behind them with Thursday’s thrilling victory and look forward to representing the 9th Region in the state tournament that begins Friday, Nov. 3 at Valley High School in Louisville. They’ll take a 31-8 record into their first-round match against Corbin that day.
“It’s an indescribable feeling that I can’t put into words,” said Lexi Held, one of three seniors on the St. Henry roster. “I’ve dreamed of this moment every since I started playing at St. Henry. It feels so great to actually be going (to the state tournament).”
Notre Dame won a back-and-forth battle, 25-19, in the first set of Thursday’s match. St. Henry jumped ahead early in the next two sets and won by scores of 25-16 and 25-19. In the fourth set, Notre Dame took an early lead and ended up with a 25-17 win.
In the fifth set, the first team to reach 15 points with at least a two-point margin would win the match. The Crusaders were on the verge of doing that when a kill by junior Kayla Kluemper gave them a 14-9 lead, but Notre Dame ran off six straight points to keep it going.
“We had our backs to the wall,” said Notre Dame coach Buck McCourt, “and could’ve easily checked out and let St. Henry win that last set, but we fought back and made it interesting, that’s for sure.”
The Pandas took a one-point lead three times, but they couldn’t get the match point. Two kills by St. Henry senior Karli Fugate and one by Fohl kept their team in it.
After a Notre Dame serve into the net put St. Henry ahead, 19-18, Epplen scored the winning point for the Crusaders with her block at the net.
“I felt like they were going to utilize the middle (of the net) and I was right there,” Epplen said. “I knew it and when I was going up (for the block) everything just felt right.”
Epplen was named most valuable player on the regional all-tournament team. She had eight kills and four blocks during the five-set title match. St. Henry’s kill leaders were junior Maria Tobergte with 17 and Fohl with nine. They were both all-tournament selections along with junior setter Bridgett Bessler.
“It just meant so much to all of us that we really came together as team,” Fohl said. “It’s something we’ve kind of been working on all season and we came together and forced our way through that last game.”
After the victory, Kaiser said the first thing she did was hug the three seniors who have been mainstays on this year’s team. The coach is glad they’ll get to end their high school careers playing in the state tournament.
“I could not be more proud,” the coach said of her team’s performance in the regional final. “When we lost the first game, they came back on fire and kept it in game three. In game four, they lost it a little bit and then just re-grouped.”
9TH REGION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
St. Henry — Zoe Epplen (MVP), Maria Tobergte, Lexi Fohl, Bridgett Bessler. Notre Dame — Natalie Hardig, Abby Noll, Olivia Montelisciani. Beechwood — Julia Popova, Gabby Ogle. Highlands — Casey Dunn, Ava Hockney. Ryle — Faith Cobaugh. Cooper — Morgan Kelly. NewCath — Mikah Freppon. Dixie Heights — Irene Wogenstahl.