Thursday Highlands Results

Highlands Handles NewCath in 36th District Battle

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Rylee Kirschenbaum (12) follows through on a serve in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds (11-2 overall) found themselves in a challenge to play their fast-paced brand of volleyball and not down to the level of the opponent, even in the rivalry game.

Highlands senior setter Audrey Graves said the team was fired up before the game. But once the game started, the seniors made sure everyone stayed on an even keel. That propelled the Bluebirds to a sound 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-15) 36th District victory. NewCath (2-5) has lost five straight.

"It's always going to be an exciting game. On the court, (it was) about looking to each and being like, 'Hey, take a deep breath. We're good. Get this pass' really grounded everybody so that they could do the jobs that we needed to do," Graves said. "We do that anyway. Whether it's hand hugs or anything like is really helpful to keep your mind right."

Highlands Boys Soccer Wins Opener

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team posted a 4-0 shutout of the host Beechwood Tigers to open the season Wednesday in 9th Region play.

Wednesday Sports Briefs

Meyer Moves Into Sole Possession of Most Goals in School History with 65th of Career

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands junior forward Maria Wiefering (middle) makes a move in a recent game. Wiefering scored twice in the 10-0 win over Dayton.

Four days after perhaps their biggest win of the season, the Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team took the field at Tower Park wanting to wrap up a convincing top seed in the 36th District Tournament in a few weeks.

The Bluebirds (12-4 overall, 8-0 9th Region) did just that with a 10-0 win over the Dayton Lady Devils (2-8-1, 2-2 district) in one half. Highlands won all four district seed games by a combined 35-0.

Tuesday Sports Stories

Bluebird soccer, Highlands volleyball victorious

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands sophomore Alex Ford (4) makes a move in the 9th Region quarterfinals Tuesday. The Bluebirds beat the Beechwood Tigers, 4-0 move on in the tournament.

The hosts took shots from what seemed to be every angle using their quickness advantage.

But the Highlands Bluebirds soccer team (18-2-2 overall) just could not consistently put the ball past Beechwood Tiger junior goalkeeper Cameron O'Connell. O'Connell dove everywhere making 15 saves for a young Tiger program (9-11-3) making its first-ever appearance in the 9th Region quarterfinals. Even when Highlands put shots past O'Connell, they often flew high or wide.

Luckily for the Bluebirds, they scored more than enough goals to advance to the 9th Region quarterfinals in a 4-0 victory at Tower Park on Tuesday. That marked the first region tournament victory for Highlands since the Bluebirds won the region in 2013.