Thursday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Down Holy Cross

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior setter Audrey Graves had 45 assists in the win at Covington Holy Cross on Thursday.

Entering the 9th Region match-up at the Covington Holy Cross Lady Indians, the Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team had lost just eight sets all season.

During the 14-2 start, Highlands won the swept through the best-of-three or best-of-two matches in the September Slam in 13 of their 14 wins. The only game the Bluebirds won where they lost a set came on Sept. 3 in a 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-7) win at Walton-Verona.

The All "A" State champion Lady Indians (19-4) pulled off the first set, 31-29. But the Bluebirds regrouped and won the next three by 25-18, 25-23, 25-11 scores to win the match. They have won five straight and are 8-1 against region opponents. Highlands is 2-0 against Holy Cross this year.

Highlands Girls Soccer Posts Convincing Win

Bluebirds Make Lead Stick

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands OZone student section has been coming out in full force this year.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team appears to have its swagger back.

The Bluebirds (10-1-5 overall) ventured to Dixie Heights on Wednesday and came away with a 3-0 victory. Highlands junior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger stopped four shots from the Lady Colonels (10-7-1) in the eighth shutout of the season for the Bluebirds.

"It was a very impressive game," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "We started clicking from the beginning, connecting passes and doing things that we really hadn't seen this year like switching from the back, finding a center mid(fielder) and getting (the ball) to the other side. The intensity just kind of grew and then we made sure we got that shutout."

Tuesday Highlands Roundup

Highlands Volleyball Records Huge Home Win over Ryle

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore CC Shick (left) gets in position. In the back, from left, are seniors Casey Dunn, Rylee Kirschenbaum and Brooke Biltz.

Russell Bridges Gym at Highlands High School has turned into an atmosphere of excitement in recent years in the fall.

The rise of the Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team has more than been a huge reason for it. The atmosphere has especially helped Highlands record huge wins over 9th Region opponents.

Highlands (14-2 overall) and Ryle (8-7) came into the match-up Tuesday tied for third in the latest Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association 9th Region poll. They are both ranked in the Top 25 as well at 12th for Ryle and 18th for Highlands.

For years, Ryle has been at the top of the region led by veteran Head Coach Tasha Lovins. Lovins has been at that position since 2002. The Lady Raiders have won 11 district championships and have only missed the region tournament once since Lovins became head coach. But like many teams, the Lady Raiders have not been able the region wall of St. Henry and Notre Dame.

Highlands figured some things out in the first set after not starting off strong and won it 27-25. The Bluebirds then took control to win the game, 3-0 winning the next two sets 25-16, 25-17. Highlands owns wins over Dixie Heights and has beaten two top-ranked region teams in Campbell County from the 10th Region and Pulaski Southwestern from the 12th Region.

Monday Highlands Results

Highlands Girls Soccer Ties East Central

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Kelsey Mathis (12) gets in position against East Central on Monday.

It was one of those games where the team scored in the first half and hoped to make it stand.

Sophomore forward Chloe Bramble put the Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer (9-1-5 overall) team up 1-0  just 12 minutes into the game. Bramble's team-high eighth goal of the season and the second assist from senior midfielder Natalie Ossege stood for a long time.

But the visiting East Central (from St. Leon, Indiana) Trojans tied the game with six minutes to go. Highlands could not answer so the teams settled for a tie.

Weekend Highlands Results

Highlands Comes Home from Indiana 0-1-1

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands boys soccer team finished 0-1-1 in the Evansville Reitz Memorial Tiger Invitational over the weekend.

The Highlands boys soccer team (9-4-3 overall) finished 0-1-1 in the Tiger Invitational at Evansville (Indiana) Reitz Memorial.

Highlands-Ryle Sidebar

Highlands Heads South for Final Non-District Game

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior Mason Schwalbach (4) celebrates after a defensive touchdown against Ryle on Friday.

The Highlands Bluebirds football team is about to finish non-district play with one final game Friday.

The Bluebirds will head to Danville to take on the undefeated Boyle County Rebels (5-0). The Rebels have outscored opponents, 265-42. That's the most points of any team in Class 4A. They have two NCAA Division I commits in Landen Bartleson (Notre Dame) and senior wide receiver/defensive back Reese Smith (West Virginia).

Highlands Thursday Round-Up

Bluebirds Win Third Straight

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highland Bluebirds volleyball team knocked off Bishop Brossart to move to 13-2 overall on Thursday.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (13-2 overall) handled the visiting Bishop Brossart Lady Mustangs (11-8), 3-0 (25-10. 25-14, 25-13) for its third straight win.

Highlands is 4-0 against its Campbell County rivals on the season. Bishop Brossart recently won the All "A" 10th Region title and went 3-3 in the All "A" State Tournament.