'I can't even believe it': Kings stuns Ursuline in regional semifinal

The Kings Knights found themselves in an unfamiliar spot, in more ways than one.

The Knights had never played in a regional semifinal in school history. After two sets against Ursuline, they were down 2-0, also a foreign concept.

"(The message) was really just to go back to playing like ourselves and trusting each other and not letting the moment take over," senior Sydney Barrett said.

KHSAA state tournament:Here's how Notre Dame defeated Campbell County in 1st round of state volleyball tournament

But Kings, which relies heavily on its six seniors, got hungrier as the match went on. They pulled themselves out of the hole to come back and win the match in five sets.

"Surreal, I can't even believe it. Like, what just happened? That was such a good fight," senior Elise Marchal said.

How the Kings-Ursuline Academy match was won

Ursuline came out and commanded the first set, 25-15. Kings gained momentum in the second set but lost 25-22. Errors were the chink in the Knights' armor, as they committed 20 in the first two sets. Ursuline juniors Katie Gielas and Lindy Radaszewski combined for 18 kills in the early going. Radaszewski had three of her four aces in the first two sets.

But Kings dug deep. They raced out to a 19-8 lead in the third set. Ursuline used two separate 4-0 runs to get back within a point at 21-20 before Barrett gave the Knights a 25-21 win with one of her 15 kills.

The fourth set was another tightly-contested affair, but this time it was the Lions who fell victim to unforced errors. Thirteen mis-hits and a net violation allowed Kings to score six of the final nine points to win, 25-22, and even the match.

After falling behind 3-0 in the final set, the Knights opened up an 8-4 lead, causing Ursuline head coach Ali Butcher to use both timeouts. In a microcosm of Ursuline's season, they fought back. The Lions were 6-13 at one point and didn't want a reverse sweep to end the season.

"We just got back in the gym and just started training again, and just really focused on the things we've been trying to work on all season," Butcher said of the Lions' season.

Ursuline got five kills from three different players and tied the set at 12 after two Knights' attacking errors.

After Kings head coach Amanda Meadows burned a timeout, Barrett and Marchal stepped up one final time. A Barrett kill gave the Knights the lead for good. She also had the final dig of the match on a volley that ended with Marchal's team-high 18th kill. Final score: 15-13. Reverse sweep complete

"On that ball, I just went up. I found the right spot, and I didn't even know what happened. I just collapsed," Marchal said.

The final point was a euphoria the Knights' faithful had never felt before. The six players on the court fell to their knees as the bench rushed to celebrate. Meadows called it a "Praise God" moment.

"This team, we're an 'All the glory to God' kind of team,'' Meadows said. "It was definitely a weak-in-the-knees moment."

For Ursuline, Gielas led the way with 24 kills, including at least four in each of the final four sets.

The senior connection

The final volley saw touches from Barrett, Marchal and Abby Yoder, but the Kings seniors mean so much more to the team than wins and losses.

Along with Cate Freeman, Dakota Henry and Abby Trapp, the group has played together since grade school. They know it is their responsibility to set the expectations for next year's team.

"I've never seen such work ethic. I don't have to push these girls at practice. They push themselves," Meadows said.

History in West Chester

In making the regional tournament, Kings was already the first non-Girls Greater Catholic League team to appear in the bracket since Mason did in 2017. Now, it's the first non-GGCL school to appear in the regional final since 2012. Meadows credits the strength of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference for helping them get there.

"The strength of the ECC being so much better than it used to be has absolutely helped to prepare us for the postseason," Meadows said.

In the third set, Barrett broke the school record for single-season aces when she served up her 76th. She didn't even hear the announcement during the match; she just returned to the service line and recorded another ace.

"I heard people started cheering louder, so I assumed it happened, but I don't know. It didn't really faze me during the game," Barrett said.

Yoder also recorded her 3,000th career assist in the first set. She is now in the top 10 in state history for career assists.

Senior salute

Maya Brausch, Julia McWaters and Leah Wiley were part of two GGCL league championships and won a state title in 2022. In three years, they helped the Lions to a 56-25 record.

"I'm really proud of those three seniors," Butcher said.

Coming into the semifinal, Brausch had 782 career digs, 75 kills and 39 aces. Wiley, who played an increased role this year, had 127 kills, 51 blocks and 21 digs in three years. In limited action, McWaters had 43 digs, nine assists and seven aces.

Expect the Lions to contend for another GGCL title next year. This was a rebuilding year after they lost nine of last year's 15 team members.

What's next?

Kings will play the winner of Seton and St. Ursula at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Lakota West. The Saints and Bulldogs play at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, for the second spot in the regional final.

The Knights suffered their only loss this season to the Bulldogs on Aug. 28. They have since won 22 straight matches, including a five-set upset of top-ranked Seton on Sept. 30.

"We know a lot about both of them, not just from playing them but optimistically planning," Meadows said. "It's going to be another amazing match."