By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Get ready for the rematch.
The Beechwood and Notre Dame volleyball teams that finished the regular season ranked among the top five in the state coaches poll will face each other once again in the 35th District final at 7 p.m. Thursday at Holmes High School.
In their regular season match on Oct. 10, Beechwood (33-3) won a fifth-set tiebreaker to post its first-ever victory over Notre Dame (21-11), winner of the last four 9th Region champioinships.
Both teams won district semifinal matches by 3-0 scores on Tuesday to set up their rematch. They’ll both advance to next week’s 9th Region tournament and will be on different sides of that eight-team bracket.
A public school team has never won the 9th Region volleyball title since the current playoff format was established in 2003. That was also the last year that Beechwood made it to the region final.
The other district finalists that clinched 9th Region tournament berths are Ryle, Conner, St. Henry, Dixie Heights, Highlands and Newport Central Catholic.
Walton-Verona and Simon Kenton will advance to the 8th Region tournament as 32nd District finalists. Brossart and Calvary Christian earned 10th Region tournament berths by reaching the 37th District finals.
St. Henry snaps losing streak in boys soccer tournament
St. Henry won a first-round match in the 9th Region boys soccer tournament for the first time since 2017 on Tuesday when the visiting Crusaders edged two-time defending champion Covington Catholic, 2-1, in overtime.
St. Henry advances to the district semifinals and plays Newport Central Catholic at 6 p.m. Thursday at Tower Park in Ft. Thomas. This is only the third time in 15 years that CovCath has gone 0-1 in the eight-team region tournament.
In other first-round matches on Tuesday, NewCath defeated Cooper, 2-1, Ryle outscored Highlands, 4-0, and Beechwood got past Dixie Heights, 1-0.
Ryle (20-3-1) has not lost to a Northern Kentucky opponent this season and will play Beechwood in a region semifinal game at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Volleyball district tournaments
32ND DISTRICT AT WILLIAMSTOWN
Wednesday
Championship match: Walton-Verona vs. Simon Kenton, 6:30 p.m.
33RD DISTRICT AT CONNER
Thursday
Championship match: Conner vs. Ryle, 6 p.m.
34TH DISTRICT AT LUDLOW
Wednesday
Championship match: St. Henry vs. Dixie Heights, 6 p.m.
35TH DISTRICT AT HOLMES
Thursday
Championship match: Beechwood vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
36TH DISTRICT AT NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC
Wednesday
Championship match: Highlands vs. Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.
37TH DISTRICT AT SCOTT
Thursday
Championship match: Brossart vs. Calvary Christian, 6 p.m.
Girls soccer region tournaments
REGION 9 AT FT. THOMAS TOWER PARK
Wednesday
St. Henry vs. Ryle, 6 p.m.
Highlands vs. Notre Dame, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 4;30 p.m.
REGION 10 AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Wednesday
Brossart vs. Montgomery County, 6 p.m.
Scott vs. Harrison County, 8 p.m.
Thursday
Championship match, 7 p.m.
REGION 8 AT GRANT COUNTY
Wednesday
Woodford County vs. North Oldham, 6 p.m.
Simon Kenton vs. South Oldham, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 5 p. m.
Boys soccer region tournaments
REGION 9 AT FT. THOMAS TOWER PARK
Thursday
Newport Central Catholic vs. St. Henry, 6 p.m.
Ryle vs. Beechwood, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 1 p.m.
REGION 10 AT CAMPBELL COUNTY
Thursday
Campbell County vs. Montgomery County, 6 p.m.
Mason County vs. Brossart, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 2 p.m.
REGION 8 AT GRANT COUNTY
Thursday
Grant County vs. South Oldham, 6 p.m.
Simon Kenton vs. North Oldham, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 7 p.m.