This year, the Highlands High School varsity volleyball team had a knockout season with wins, triumphs, school spirit, and more.

October 21st marked the start of the 36th District Tournament, and Highlands High School was favored to win their second championship in a row. On Tuesday October 22nd, the Bluebirds went up against the Bellevue High School Tigers at Bellevue’s court. They won in a 3-set match (scores 25-3 Highlands, 25-12 Highlands, and 25-11 Highlands) and got to advance to the Finals against the Newport Central Catholic (NCC) Thoroughbreads.

The Bluebirds faced off against the Thoroghbreads on Wednesday, October 23rd, at Bellevue Highschool. They used the momentum from the semi-finals to blow the Thoroughbreads out of the water with another 3-set win (scores 25-11 Highlands, 25-13 Highlands, and 25-9 Highlands). This allowed the Bluebirds to grasp their 2nd District Tournament Championship.

Seniors Audrey Graces and Ava Hockney were honored and added to the All Tournament Team for their outstanding achievements in the tournament.

Despite the win, the Bluebirds know that they aren’t always perfect and there is always room for improvement. “I think we could improve on our defense,” Senior Casey Dunn explained, “Even though we have very strong defenders I think our strategy could improve.”

The Bluebirds had a 5 day rest period before their first match in the 9th Regional Tournament. On Sunday, October 27th, the Bluebirds battled the Dixie Heights High School Colonels at Boone County High School. This was the fourth time the Bluebirds met the Colonels this season, and, unfortunately, the colonels won 2 out of the 3 previous matches.

The Bluebirds didn’t let that stop them though, and they won with a 5-set victory. Senior Ava Hockney performed the winning kill during the tie-breaking game and allowed for the Bluebirds to advance to the next round of the regional tournament

Unfortunately, this is where the Bluebirds journey ended. On Tuesday October 29th, the Bluebirds went up against the Notre Dame High School Pandas at Boone County High School. The Pandas won with a 3-set victory (scores were 25-15 Notre Dame, 25-17 Notre Dame, and 25-8 Notre Dame), and, in turn, took the Bluebirds out of the tournament.

The Bluebirds didn’t let this tear them down, though. Senior Audrey Graves was proud of what her team had accomplished. “That has been one of the best seasons Highlands has seen in a very long time. the leadership that Katelynn Dallee has brought to this program has really shown this past season,” Graves explained.

This sudden end to the season marks the last game of some high school careers as well as the start for others. The volleyball season is over, but be sure to look out for Beefcake in the spring and next years season.