Lady Leopards Surf Past Green Wave to Reach District Championship – Volleyball

Louisville 25-25-25, Holy Name 21-18-22

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The No. 13 seed Louisville Leopards Volleyball Team continued its postseason run Tuesday evening with a straight-set victory over the No. 18 seed Holy Name Green Wave in the Division III Northeast 1 District Semifinal at Medina Highland High School.

Louisville defeated Holy Name 25-21, 25-18, 25-22 to advance to its first district championship match since 2020. The Lady Leopards have now won three straight matches and improved to 14-9 on the season.

Holy Name finishes its season at 6-16 as Louisville moves on to face No. 4 seed Medina Highland for the district title Thursday.

Rukavina Pounds 22 Kills in Sweep

Kloey Rukavina powered the Louisville attack with a match-high 22 kills in the three-set victory.

Setter Bailey Cole distributed 22 assists, while Ella Tillett controlled the net defensively with 5 blocks.

Louisville also received big performances in the back row. Aubrey Johnston recorded 21 digs, while Karis Miglich finished with 18 digs and 15 service points.

Leopards Take Control in Straight Sets

Louisville opened the match with a hard-fought 25-21 victory before making sure there would be no second-set letdown.

The Lady Leopards raced out to a 7-0 lead in the second set, immediately putting the Green Wave on its heels after capturing the opener. Louisville maintained control from there and pulled away for a 25-18 victory to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Holy Name battled to extend its season in the third, but Louisville held off the Green Wave 25-22 to complete the sweep and punch its ticket to the district final.

The victory extended Louisville’s winning streak to three matches and improved the Lady Leopards to 14-9.

Green Wave’s Tournament Run Ends in District Semifinal

Holy Name entered Tuesday’s match riding some postseason momentum.

The No. 18 seeded Green Wave upset No. 10 seed Bay Village Bay on the road in Thursday’s sectional final, winning 25-22, 20-25, 25-14, 25-23 to earn its spot opposite Louisville in the district semifinal.

The Lady Leopards received a sectional bye and advanced directly to Tuesday’s matchup.

Louisville’s sweep snapped Holy Name’s two-match winning streak and ended the Green Wave’s season at 6-16.

Louisville Advances to First District Final Since 2020

Tuesday’s victory sends Louisville back to a district championship match for the first time in six years.

The Lady Leopards last reached a district final in 2020, when Jackson defeated Louisville 25-14, 25-14, 25-16 in the Division I Northeast 2 championship on Halloween.

Louisville has been swept in each of its last three district championship appearances, all against Jackson in 2015, 2016, and 2020.

The program’s last district championship came in 2005, when the Lady Leopards produced a reverse sweep of Minerva in the Division II Canton South District Final. Louisville dropped the opening two sets 25-14, 26-24 before storming back to win 25-13, 25-12, 15-12.

Louisville is 4-4 all-time in district championship matches, capturing district titles in 1987, 2000, 2001, and 2005.

Louisville Postseason History

Tuesday’s victory improved Louisville to 46-40 in postseason matches in records dating back to 1986.

Since rally scoring was implemented in 2004, the Lady Leopards are now 24-22 in tournament play and 17-17 in postseason matches at neutral sites.

Louisville is also 2-2 in Division III tournament matches since moving into Division III under the current seven-division format.

Louisville to Face Highland for District Championship

In Tuesday’s other Division III Northeast 1 semifinal, No. 4 seed Medina Highland overwhelmed No. 35 Brush 25-2, 25-7, 25-14.

The Hornets have won five straight matches and improved to 18-6 on the season.

That sets up a Division III Northeast 1 District Championship between No. 13 Louisville and No. 4 Medina Highland on Thursday, October 29 at 5:00 PM at Girard High School.

Louisville will be seeking its first district championship since 2005 and its fifth district title in program history.

UP NEXT: The #13 seed Lady Leopards Volleyball Team will next take on the #4 seed Medina Highland Hornets in the DIII Northeast 1 District Championship Game on Thursday, October 29. Game time is set for 5:00 PM from Girard High School.

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