When officials at Heritage Christian Academy made the tough decision a few years ago to become a member of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, there were those who wondered just how long it would take programs at the school to be competitive with some of the best programs in the region and contend for district and regional titles. The Lady Warrior volleyball team provided the first answer to that series of athletic questions Thursday night in the early stages of the school’s second full year as a full KHSAA member.
The Lady Warriors, who have been at the top of the list in the 2nd Region all season long, won the school’s first-ever KHSAA regional championship by getting past Union County in four sets Thursday night at Hopkinsville High School. The Lady Warriors have now won 24 matches this season, including 11 in a row as they head off to the school’s first state tournament appearance. Over the 11-match winning streak, HCA last lost only three sets with all three of those coming in the district and regional tournaments.
In the title match, the Lady Warriors were facing a Union County squad that was one of those pesky teams that just kept finding a way to get the ball back over the net and keep the point alive.
Behind the play of Mya Goodwin and Grace Conley, Heritage Christian took an early 7-4 lead in the opening set. The Bravettes battled back to take an 8-7 lead and it was game on. Katie Cansler, Allison Craft, and Makenzie McCarty sparked a 5-point run to put HCA up 12-8.
The Bravettes got some key plays from Dana Curry and Aubree Wedding as they worked their way back and tied the match at 19-19. The match would be tied at the next four points, 20-20, 21-21, 22-22, and 23-23. HCA was finally able to score two straight to end the set, the final point coming on a kill from freshman Grace Conley as the Lady Warriors took the set 25-23 and go up one set to none.
Conley and Mya Goodwin came out blazing hot to start the second set and the Lady Warriors threated to run off and leave the Bravettes, taking an early 9-2 lead. But give the Bravettes credit, as they did all night long, they just kept fighting and kept coming back at the Lady Warriors.
Behind the efforts of Serena Oba, Union County closed to within three, only to see the Lady Warriors push the lead back out to 19-11. The Bravettes simply had no answers for Mya Goodwin, who ended up with nine kills in the second. Still, Union fought on and outscored HCA 11 to 3 to even the score at 22-22.
However, when the Lady Warriors needed it, their senior leader came up huge. A kill by Goodwin, an ace from McCarty, and then another kill from Goodwin ended the set at 25-22 and the Lady Warriors were just a set away from their first regional championship.
Mya Goodwin opened the third with a kill and two aces and the Lady Warriors jumped out 6-2 and it looked as if a sweep were on its way. But again, all credit due to the Bravettes, they just would not go down that easy. Behind Serena Oba and Dana Curry, Union County came storming back and took a 12-11 lead. Cansler, Conley, and Goodwin kept Heritage Christian close in the third, but the Lady Warriors never got back to the lead. They tied the match on a few occasions, but never got the lead back. With the set tied 23-23, Serena Oba got back-to-back kills to give the Bravettes a 25-23 win and pulling them to within two sets to one for the match.
The fourth set went back and forth from the start, being tied at 5-5, 6-6, 8-8, 12-12, and 13-13. Step up to the plate Mya Goodwin. With two kills out of the next three points, she ignited a 9-2 run that put the Lady Warriors up 22-15 and finally took the wind out of the Union County sails.
Leading 22-18, Heritage laid claim to its title by scoring the last three points. The championship appropriately enough came on a service ace from the team’s only senior and the wild celebration was on as the student section stormed the floor.
Emotions were high with the championship, plenty of laughter, cheering, and tears of both joy and relief commemorating both the accomplishment and the years of building the program to the place where it could not only contend for, but win the regional championship.
Mya Goodwin was special in this one, finishing with 27 kills and seven service aces. Grace Conley played nothing like a freshman, adding 11 kills. Katie Canlser had 8 kills and an ace.
Makenzie McCarty continued her development in becoming one of the top setters in the region, ending the night with 28 assists. Hadlee Hayes added 14.
Heritage Christian now advances on to the volleyball state tournament and will host an opening round contest. The Lady Warriors will have a big challenge as they host the Bowling Green Lady Purples, with the match expected to be Monday at 7pm at HCA.
Bowling Green won the 4th Region title and is 33-6 on the season.
