By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Holy Cross senior Julia Hunt and Ryle coach Tasha Tanner-Lovins reached career milestones in high school volleyball during the same week, according to posts on Twitter.
Hunt surpassed the 2,000 mark in career kills in a home court win against Scott on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3 middle hitter also has more than 500 blocks during her varsity career that began when she was an eighth-grader.
On Saturday, Lovins picked up her 500th victory in 22 seasons as Ryle’s head coach during a tournament in Louisville. The Raiders have had only one losing season during her tenure and 15 teams have finished with 21 or more victories.
Hunt, a University of Washington recruit, has 345 kills in 48 sets for a 7.19 average that leads the state. Holy Cross has a 16-2 record and won tournaments the last two weekends.
Ryle has played in the 9th Region tournament 19 consecutive years under Lovins. The Raiders made it to the region final in 2013, 2020 and 2022. They lost to Notre Dame in each of those championship matches.
Notre Dame has a 29-1 record against Ryle over the last 22 years. The Raiders’ only victory came during the 2021 regular season. Two weeks later, the teams met in the 9th Region semifinals and Notre Dame won the rematch.
Ryle is off to a 6-8 start this season. Two of the last three losses were to Louisville Sacred Heart and Lexington Dunbar, teams ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the last statewide coaches poll.
The Raiders will play No. 4 Notre Dame in the final week of the season. The Pandas (13-1) lost their first match to top-ranked Louisville Assumption on Saturday.
Sectional matches in All “A” Classic soccer set for this week
Sectional matches in the All “A” Classic boys and girls state soccer playoffs are scheduled this week with local teams facing off in two of them.
Brossart won 10th Region titles in both boys and girls soccer and will host sectional matches against the 9th Region champions. The girls team will play St. Henry at 7:30 p.m. Monday and the boys team will take on Newport Central Catholic at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Walton-Verona swept the 8th Region boys and girls soccer titles and will host sectional matches against the 7th Region champions on Wednesday. The girls match against Louisville Brown is set for 6 p.m. followed by the boys match against Louisville Collegiate at 8 p.m.
The sectional winners advance to the eight-team All “A” Classic boys and girls state tournaments scheduled for Sept 23-24 in Louisville.
St. Henry golf team loses tight battle for All “A” Classic state title
St. Henry placed second by one stroke in the All “A” Classic boys state golf tournament played last Saturday at Gibson Bay in Richmond.
Kentucky Country Day topped the team standings with a 311 total and St. Henry was runner-up at 312. Brossart placed 11th (350) total and Walton-Verona tied for 13th (359).
The medalist was Dec Lewko of Hancock County with a 4-under 68. The top local scorer was Ben Carter of St. Henry with a 74 that tied for sixth place. Caleb Eaglin of Newport Central Catholic tied for 18th with a 77.
Lexington Christian Academy won the All “A” Classic girls state tournament at University Club of Arlington with a 325 total. St, Henry placed fourth (423) and Brossart was sixth (445).
Madison Glisson of Ballard Memorial was girls medalist with a 68. Emma Laker of Brossart placed 10th (89) and Lexie McMillan of St. Henry was 14th (92).