By Brendan Connelly
NKyTribune sports reporter
St. Henry defeated Notre Dame 3-1 on Thursday night at Conner High School to win the 9th regional title. The two teams entered the final with nearly identical records, but St. Henry won the lone regular season meeting on Sep. 24. For the Crusaders, the win is their first since capturing back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
“I knew Notre Dame wasn’t going to roll over. But it was a hell of a game, hell of a match, great atmosphere,” St. Henry head coach Maureen Kaiser said.
The match began with a slew of errors, by the Pandas, giving St. Henry an early 4-2 lead. An unrelenting Crusader front line led by Taylor Preston and Alivia Skidmore stretched the Crusader lead to 16-12 before Notre Dame rallied to tie the match at 16. The first set featured multiple swings in momentum, but the Crusaders were able to land the final punch, finishing the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-22.
“I’ve got an excellent setter, Cora Taylor,” Kaiser said. “She runs that offense, she reads their defense, and those girls definitely rely on her leadership.”
The Crusaders used the momentum that carried them to a first set win to take an early 6-2 lead in the second stanza. The set was punctuated by a lengthy rally that the Pandas ultimately won, but saw St. Henry libero Abby Schaefer register four digs in the sequence.
“We tell her every game, ‘Any ball you can touch, get your hands on it.’ She reads well and her court awareness is magnificent,” Kaiser said.
Similar to the first set, the Crusaders stretched their lead, this time to a score of 18-12. Notre Dame battled mightily, but St. Henry kept them at arm’s length to win the set in wire-to-wire fashion, 25-21.
In the third set, both teams were competitive early with a total of five ties and as many lead changes. Notre Dame faced a 9-7 deficit before rattling off six straight points. This time it was the Pandas who dominated on the front line, stretching their lead to 18-11 behind multiple kills and blocks, as well as errors by the Crusaders. Notre Dame finished the set on an extended 18-7 run to win 25-16.
Just like the third set, the final stanza was competitive early but St. Henry seized momentum by scoring seven straight points, leading to a 16-8 advantage. Slowly but surely, Notre Dame battled to get within four points at 20-16. Ultimately, the Crusaders were able to capture the match and the championship on a kill by tournament MVP Taylor Preston. Before the final set, Kaiser told her team the same thing she’s told them all year.
“It’s time.”
Peyton Mast, Riley McCloskey, and Kamden Schrand were named to the all-tournament team for Notre Dame. Outstanding performers for St. Henry included Skidmore, Schaefer, and Cora Taylor. The Crusaders move on to host the first round of the state tournament and will face the winner of the 14th region on Monday, Nov. 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Brendan Connelly is a student at Northern Kentucky University and the Mike Farrell intern at the NKyTribune.
