LIVT Recap: SHA wins crown; Ryle stuns Assumption

The stories of the second day began in the gold bracket quarterfinals.   The top two seeded teams in the Assumption Rockets and Mother McAuley Mighty Macs lost in that round and had to ultimately settle for a battle for a fifth place finish in the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament that took place at the Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy. The Ryle Raiders downed the Rockets, 2-0 (26-24, 25-22) and the St. Ursula Bulldogs rallied to beat the Mighty Macs, 2-0 (28-26, 25-21). The Bulldogs rallied down 24-19 in the first game to pull off the win. Assumption came into the tournament ranked sixth in the country in one poll and Mother McAuley was 19th.   Ryle became the first in-state school outside of Kentucky's Dominant Five (Notre Dame, St. Henry, Mercy, Sacred Heart) to beat the Rockets since Holy Cross (Louisville) won 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 16-25, 25-15, 15-13) on Aug. 21, 2003. Ryle (11-2) also came into the tournament undefeated.   The Raiders do not beat themselves. They had solid net play from the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='210710' first='Lucy' last='Trapp'], Rebecca Kramer, [player_tooltip player_id='253871' first='Karsyn' last='Griffin'] with [player_tooltip player_id='486910' first='Ria' last='Furuta'], Lucy Baker and [player_tooltip player_id='334217' first='Francesca' last='Hansel'] making nice first contacts to setter [player_tooltip player_id='212347' first='Morgan' last='Heater']. Eighth grader Layna Wilkinson made the final block and [player_tooltip player_id='535265' first='Rachel' last='King'] also had some big plays at the net.   Sacred Heart (22-4) won the tournament for the second in-season tournament win of the season. However, the Valkyries (pictured) had to survive a battle against DuPont Manual in the quarterfinals as well. They ultimately won 2-1 (15-25, 25-22, 25-20), but had to rally after dropping the first set of that game before beating Ryle, 2-0 (25-15, 25-16) in the gold semifinals and the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (Florida), 2-0 (25-17, 25-22) in the championship game.   St. Thomas jumped out to a 5-1 then 10-5 lead in the first game before Sacred Heart rallied. The Valkyrie defense has come a long way since the Bluegrass Games. Libero Charlotte Moyer leads the way there with [player_tooltip player_id='253864' first='Campbell' last='Miles'], Lydia Smith and Autiana Wilson also making solid first contacts.   That lets Sacred Heart setter and tournament most valuable player [player_tooltip player_id='477212' first='Sarah' last='Kempf'] put solid balls in position to put balls down. [player_tooltip player_id='172949' first='Bridget' last='Egan'] was especially big in the second game against St. Thomas Aquinas. The likes of [player_tooltip player_id='159351' first='Anna' last='Powell'], [player_tooltip player_id='159350' first='Elise' last='Hart'], Gracie Eybel and even Clara Crawford had big kills throughout the tournament. Eybel said the hitters have honed in on finding ways to split defenders.   St. Thomas Aquinas had to rally past St. Ursula, 2-1 (16-25, 25-21, 25-19) in the gold semifinals. Both teams have solid play and depth. The Raiders blocked better on the whole in this game. Mikayla Porter brings versatility to the Raiders as a setter and opposite hitter. They are loaded with hitters such as Zori Brown, Riley Gulla and Emmi Mehri.   St. Ursula (10-2) still finished third beating Ryle, 2-0 (25-11, 25-23) in the gold championship game. Assumption (15-1) beat Mother McAuley, 2-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-23) to take fifth. One can't say enough about junior libero [player_tooltip player_id='204230' first='Emma' last='Frietch'] and setter [player_tooltip player_id='152344' first='Emsley' last='Venard'] for the top-ranked team in Division II in Ohio. They are consistent along with senior outside [player_tooltip player_id='176096' first='Molly' last='Creech'] and 6-3 junior middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='227797' first='Gabby' last='Semona']. However, the likes of Penelope Bolinger, Maddie Cho and Lauren Dorger are also making big digs with [player_tooltip player_id='480820' first='Lola' last='Waleskowski'] and [player_tooltip player_id='152055' first='Nia' last='Jones'] giving opponents things to consider defensively.   The challenge for the teams that did not go 2-0 in pool play was finding ways to play strong for three games Saturday. St. Joseph Academy (Ohio) beat Mercy for the silver championship and Frederick Douglass beat St. Joseph Academy (Missouri) for the bronze crown.   All-Tournament Team   [player_tooltip player_id='477212' first='Sarah' last='Kempf'], Sacred Heart (MVP)   [player_tooltip player_id='159351' first='Anna' last='Powell'], Sacred Heart   [player_tooltip player_id='159350' first='Elise' last='Hart'], Sacred Heart   Zori Brown, St. Thomas Aquinas   Mikayla Porter, St. Thomas Aquinas   [player_tooltip player_id='176096' first='Molly' last='Creech'], St. Ursula   [player_tooltip player_id='152344' first='Emsley' last='Venard'], St. Ursula   [player_tooltip player_id='486910' first='Ria' last='Furuta'], Ryle   [player_tooltip player_id='210710' first='Lucy' last='Trapp'], Ryle   [player_tooltip player_id='172951' first='Bailey' last='Blair'], Assumption   Peyton Heatherly, Mother McAuley   [player_tooltip player_id='227800' first='Sydney' last='Borowy'], Magnificat   Ava Schrenger, DuPont Manual   Notable Performances    Kempf is consistently on target with her passes for the Valkyries. She is a solid all-around player. Kempf does a variety of sets including the cross-court ones that test the opposing team's slide blocking abilities. She finds good matchups for her teammates to take advantage of.     Egan has been unbelievably consistent all season and could not be stopped down the stretch of the championship game. She rises high above the net, sees the floor and puts a lot of power into balls trying to put them down. Egan credited the first contacts for being on point in the tournament.     Wilson comes in and hustles after balls. She has played a big part in Sacred Heart's improvements defensively throughout the season. She had some on-target serves in Sacred Heart's gold bracket semifinal win over Ryle.     Porter brings a lot of versatility to the Raiders. She had some big assists and kills throughout the tournament. Porter especially struck the ball hard from the right side.     Creech is a solid all-around player for the Bulldogs. When they need a big kill, Creech delivers. That includes hits from the back row. Her digging and serving also can not be overlooked. She brings the necessary senior leadership for St. Ursula.     Trapp's experience shows on the court and her teammates copy that. Trapp does not get rattled on the court. If one hit gets blocked, she comes back the next time and puts balls down. She is always rising up high and finding new angles to hit balls.     Legendary head coach Ron Kordes said to look out for Codey in the preseason and Codey has been on-point in the Assumption rotation. She is a reliable hitter and blocker and will only grow with the guidance of the coaching staff and her teammates.     Groomes does a great job adjusting to balls and trying to put her hitters in position to succeed. She uses her athletic ability to get in position all over the court.

The stories of the second day began in the gold bracket quarterfinals.

The top two seeded teams in the Assumption Rockets and Mother McAuley Mighty Macs lost in that round and had to ultimately settle for a battle for a fifth place finish in the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament that took place at the Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy. The Ryle Raiders downed the Rockets, 2-0 (26-24, 25-22) and the St. Ursula Bulldogs rallied to beat the Mighty Macs, 2-0 (28-26, 25-21). The Bulldogs rallied down 24-19 in the first game to pull off the win. Assumption came into the tournament ranked sixth in the country in one poll and Mother McAuley was 19th.

Ryle became the first in-state school outside of Kentucky's Dominant Five (Notre Dame, St. Henry, Mercy, Sacred Heart) to beat the Rockets since Holy Cross (Louisville) won 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 16-25, 25-15, 15-13) on Aug. 21, 2003. Ryle (11-2) also came into the tournament undefeated.

The Raiders do not beat themselves. They had solid net play from the likes of Lucy Trapp Lucy Trapp 5'11" | OH Ryle | 2025 State KY , Rebecca Kramer, Karsyn Griffin Karsyn Griffin 5'9" | RS Ryle | 2025 State KY with Ria Furuta Ria Furuta 5'5" | DS/L Ryle | 2026 State KY , Lucy Baker and Francesca Hansel Francesca Hansel 5'5" | DS/L Ryle | 2027 State KY making nice first contacts to setter Morgan Heater Morgan Heater 6'0" | S/OH Ryle | 2026 State KY . Eighth grader Layna Wilkinson made the final block and Rachel King Rachel King 5'10" | MB R | 2027 KY also had some big plays at the net.

Sacred Heart (22-4) won the tournament for the second in-season tournament win of the season. However, the Valkyries (pictured) had to survive a battle against DuPont Manual in the quarterfinals as well. They ultimately won 2-1 (15-25, 25-22, 25-20), but had to rally after dropping the first set of that game before beating Ryle, 2-0 (25-15, 25-16) in the gold semifinals and the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (Florida), 2-0 (25-17, 25-22) in the championship game.

St. Thomas jumped out to a 5-1 then 10-5 lead in the first game before Sacred Heart rallied. The Valkyrie defense has come a long way since the Bluegrass Games. Libero Charlotte Moyer leads the way there with Campbell Miles Campbell Miles 5'5" | DS/L Sacred Heart | 2026 State KY , Lydia Smith and Autiana Wilson also making solid first contacts.

That lets Sacred Heart setter and tournament most valuable player Sarah Kempf Sarah Kempf 5'11" | S Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY put solid balls in position to put balls down. Bridget Egan Bridget Egan 6'0" | OH Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY was especially big in the second game against St. Thomas Aquinas. The likes of Anna Powell Anna Powell 6'1" | OH Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY , Elise Hart Elise Hart 6'1" | MB Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY , Gracie Eybel and even Clara Crawford had big kills throughout the tournament. Eybel said the hitters have honed in on finding ways to split defenders.

St. Thomas Aquinas had to rally past St. Ursula, 2-1 (16-25, 25-21, 25-19) in the gold semifinals. Both teams have solid play and depth. The Raiders blocked better on the whole in this game. Mikayla Porter brings versatility to the Raiders as a setter and opposite hitter. They are loaded with hitters such as Zori Brown, Riley Gulla and Emmi Mehri.

St. Ursula (10-2) still finished third beating Ryle, 2-0 (25-11, 25-23) in the gold championship game. Assumption (15-1) beat Mother McAuley, 2-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-23) to take fifth. One can't say enough about junior libero Emma Frietch Emma Frietch 5'6" | DS/L St. Ursula-Cincinnati | 2026 State #43 Nation OH and setter Emsley Venard Emsley Venard 6'0" | S St. Ursula-Cincinnati | 2025 State OH for the top-ranked team in Division II in Ohio. They are consistent along with senior outside Molly Creech Molly Creech 5'10" | OH St. Ursula-Cincinnati | 2025 State OH and 6-3 junior middle blocker Gabby Semona Gabby Semona 6'3" | MB St. Ursula-Cincinnati | 2026 State OH . However, the likes of Penelope Bolinger, Maddie Cho and Lauren Dorger are also making big digs with Lola Waleskowski Lola Waleskowski 6'1" | OH/RS St. Ursula-Cincinnati | 2027 State OH and Nia Jones Nia Jones 6'0" | MB SUA (Cincinnati) | 2025 State OH giving opponents things to consider defensively.

The challenge for the teams that did not go 2-0 in pool play was finding ways to play strong for three games Saturday. St. Joseph Academy (Ohio) beat Mercy for the silver championship and Frederick Douglass beat St. Joseph Academy (Missouri) for the bronze crown.

All-Tournament Team

Sarah Kempf Sarah Kempf 5'11" | S Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY , Sacred Heart (MVP)

Anna Powell Anna Powell 6'1" | OH Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY , Sacred Heart

Elise Hart Elise Hart 6'1" | MB Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY , Sacred Heart

Zori Brown, St. Thomas Aquinas

Mikayla Porter, St. Thomas Aquinas

Molly Creech Molly Creech 5'10" | OH St. Ursula-Cincinnati | 2025 State OH , St. Ursula

Emsley Venard Emsley Venard 6'0" | S St. Ursula-Cincinnati | 2025 State OH , St. Ursula

Ria Furuta Ria Furuta 5'5" | DS/L Ryle | 2026 State KY , Ryle

Lucy Trapp Lucy Trapp 5'11" | OH Ryle | 2025 State KY , Ryle

Bailey Blair Bailey Blair 6'0" | MB Assumption | 2025 State #191 Nation KY , Assumption

Peyton Heatherly, Mother McAuley

Sydney Borowy Sydney Borowy 6'0" | OH Magnificat | 2026 State OH , Magnificat

Ava Schrenger, DuPont Manual

Notable Performances

Sarah Kempf

HEIGHT 5'11"

POS S

CLASS 2025

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Sarah Kempf

State: Kentucky

School: Sacred Heart

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Highlights

Bridget Egan

KY #28

OH #12

HEIGHT 6'0"

POS OH

CLASS 2025

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Bridget Egan

State: Kentucky

School: Sacred Heart

Club: Adidas Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA)

Egan has been unbelievably consistent all season and could not be stopped down the stretch of the championship game. She rises high above the net, sees the floor and puts a lot of power into balls trying to put them down. Egan credited the first contacts for being on point in the tournament.