2020-21 Highlands Bowling Preview

The Highlands Bluebirds bowling teams enter their ninth seasons knowing it will be unlike the previous eight because of Coronavirus 2019 restrictions.

But the teams are determined not to take advantage of the time given on the lanes. The biggest adjustment is the team's home alley is Super Bowl Bellewood in Woodlawn after LaRu closed down in the spring. Bellewood may be bigger. But the teams have to share it with a couple other schools.

Highlands Volleyball Season Ends in Region Quarterfinals

Bluebirds Put Up Fight Against Lady Jaguars

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands juniors, from left, Lauren Buemi, CC Shick and Nicole Ossege line up in the region quarterfinal game against Cooper on Tuesday.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (13-8 overall) has not beaten three teams that consistently make the 9th Region Tournament since the current 9th Region alignment started in 2012.

Those three teams are Notre Dame, St. Henry and Cooper. Highlands drew the 33rd District runner-up Cooper Lady Jaguars (13-4) to open the 9th Region Tournament at Covington Holmes on Tuesday after winning a fourth straight 36th District Tournament on Thursday.

Highlands battled Cooper in a 3-1 loss. The Bluebirds took the first game, 25-22 and fought hard in the second in a 25-23 defeat. But Highlands could not keep up the face in the next two games losing 25-14 and 25-16.

"We've played them this season and that was super helpful for us because we had film," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "We didn't always get to scout and prepare as well as we did so we came into this match really prepared, really focused, as ready as you can be for weapons like that and I feel like we handled that really well in the first two sets. We also knew that we had to be at our very best. We didn't have a lot of room for errors and a lot of runs. Then you get a little later in the match, maybe some fatigue sets in. I think there was a little bit of a release that caught up with us."

Weekend Roundup: Schroeder Wins Region Cross Country Crown

Highlands Girls Soccer Loses on Penalty Kicks

Twitter Photo. Highlands senior Maggie Schroeder won the Class 2A, Region 4 meet Saturday in 18 minutes, 51.08 seconds.

Highlands senior Maggie Schroeder ran away for an individual Class 2A, Region 4 cross country championship at the Mason County Athletic Complex.

The senior and 2018 individual Class 2A state champion won the race in 18 minutes, 51.08 seconds. Scott freshman Maddie Strong took second in 19:21.57 out of 44 runners.

Both Highlands teams finished region runner-up. The Highlands girls missed out on the region crown by a point with 49 to Scott's 48. The Highlands boys scored the same amount. But Lexington Catholic won it with 36 points.

Highlands Volleyball Captures Fourth Straight District Crown

Bluebirds Best 'Breds in Five

The Final point in Game Five.

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior setter Maria Little (3) goes up for a set while Laura Winkler (14) and CC Shick (23) get in position.

When Highlands Bluebirds junior middle blocker/right side hitter CC Shick and Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds senior middle blocker Madison McCloskey wound up and followed through, the balls slammed to the ground more often that not.

It turned into a matter of which team made fewer mistakes, found them, the other hitters and made their supporters roar better in determining the 36th District champion at Dayton High on Thursday. Trailing 2-1 entering the fourth set, Highlands (13-7 overall) responded pulling out the fourth set (25-19) then the deciding fifth set (15-4) to beat the improved Thoroughbreds (15-10), 3-2 for a fourth straight district championship.

"I think this season (shortened because of Coronavirus 2019) has been a tough one for a lot of teams including us," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "We had to fight to just kind of figure out who we were as a team after losing (five seniors to graduation from last year) and clawing back against I think the best NC team we've seen in a few years. It was a hard fight. We were ready for it and we came out strong."

Highlands Volleyball Advances in District Tournament

Bluebirds Face NewCath for District Crown

Highlands sophomore outside hitter Emma Daly (9) goes up for the ball in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (12-7 overall) had won eight straight district semifinal games entering Wednesday and did not let the hosts end that streak.

The Bluebirds added to the streak with 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-10) win over the host Dayton Lady Devils (14-7). Highlands takes on Newport Central Catholic (15-9) at 6 p.m. in the 36th District championship Thursday back at Dayton.

Highlands Soccer Has Mixed Results in Region Semifinals

Highlands Girls Face Dixie Heights in Region Championship

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Austin Frazier (middle) gets in position against Ryle in the 9th Region semifinals Monday.

The Highlands Bluebirds soccer teams faced undefeated 33rd District champion teams in the 9th Region semifinals on Monday.

The host team advanced in each case. Over at Tower Park, the Highlands girls soccer team (14-1-2 overall) shut out the Cooper Lady Jaguars (13-1-2), 3-0 to advance to the region championship for the third straight season. Over in Union, the Ryle Raiders (14-0-1) stayed unbeaten on the season with a 3-1 win over the Bluebirds (10-4-2) denying Highlands a fourth straight trip to the region championship game.

Highlands Saturday Sports Roundup

Highlands Soccer Teams Advance in Region Tournament

PHOTO: Matt Carothers. Highlands senior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger (0) congratulates freshman Laney Smith (1) after a goal earlier this season.

The Highlands Bluebirds soccer teams opened the 9th Region quarterfinals Saturday at Tower Park against the Covington Holy Cross Indians teams playing as consistent as they had been lately.

The Highlands girls (13-1-2 overall) started the afternoon continuing its offensive explosion of late shutting out Holy Cross (8-8-1), 7-0 before the Highlands boys (10-3-2) overtook the Indians (10-5-1), 2-0. That marked the 12th shutout for the Highlands girls including the last six games and the seventh for the Highlands boys including the last four games.