Lady Leopards Fall in District Semifinals to Boardman in Five Sets – Volleyball

#15 Boardman 24-26-25-24-15, #16 Louisville 26-24-22-26-8

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The Louisville Leopards Varsity Volleyball team saw its season come to an end Tuesday night at Gilmour Academy, falling to the #15 seed Boardman Spartans in a five-set battle during their Division III Northeast 1 District Semifinal. The #16-seeded Leopards dropped the match 26-24, 24-26, 22-25, 26-24, 8-15 to finish the 2025 season with a 14-9 overall record.

Leopards Leaders

Mabel Kiko led the way for Louisville with 16 kills and 4 blocks, while Taylor McCully turned in a standout all-around effort with 12 kills, 21 digs, 5 blocks, and 12 service points. Kloey Rukavina added 14 kills, and Dakota Gross contributed 12 kills to balance the Leopard attack. Carlee Rhome set the tempo with 31 assists, 16 service points, and 2 aces, and Emma Kroah anchored the defense with a team-best 27 digs.

Match Recap

The two teams met earlier in the year when Louisville opened its season with a four-set win at Boardman, and Tuesday’s rematch proved to be every bit as intense—only this time the Spartans prevailed in a back-and-forth five-set duel.

Set 1 – Leopards Strike First (26–24)

After trailing 9–5 early, Louisville surged ahead with a 9–0 run behind the pinpoint serving of Rhome to take an 18–10 advantage. Boardman battled back to tie the set at 23–23 and again at 24–24 before Kiko closed it out with back-to-back kills, giving the Leopards the first set 26–24.

Set 2 – Spartans Rally (24–26)

Louisville jumped out to an early 4–1 lead before Boardman rallied to go up 6–5 in another tightly contested set. The two teams traded points throughout, with neither side leading by more than a few until the midway mark.

The turning point came at 15–14 when Emma Kroah made a full-extension dive past the team bench, crashing headfirst out of bounds in an attempt to save a ball. For a split second, the entire bench looked on with concern—until Kroah popped up laughing hysterically, raised her hands, and cheered at her teammates to show she was fine. Her energy instantly lifted the team and sparked a 4–0 Louisville run.

The surge included a remarkable kick save by Mabel Kiko on the front line that sent the ball straight back over the net and the Leopards eventually won that point. Behind three serves from Kroah, two kills by Kiko, and a furious spike by Dakota Gross, the Leopards suddenly led 18–15, forcing Boardman to call timeout.

The Spartans regrouped and responded out of the break with six straight points to retake control at 21–18. Louisville fought back to tie the frame at 24–24 behind another pulse-pounding kill by Gross, a combined block by McCully and Addie Johnston, and an overpowering spike by Rukavina.

That rally prompted another Boardman timeout and the Spartans responded by winning the final two points to tie the match up 1-1.

Set 3 – Boardman Takes the Edge (22–25)

Louisville used a 10–3 run to erase an early 7-2 deficit and take a 12–10 lead, but the Spartans slowly regained control. The Lady Leopards trailed 17–14 and 19–16 before rallying to take a 21-20 advantage.

However, Boardman closed strong again to win the set 25–22 and take a 2–1 lead in the match.

Set 4 – Leopards Fight Back (26–24)

Facing elimination, Louisville showed its trademark resilience. Down 20–16 late in the set, the Leopards responded with an 8–1 run to grab a 24–21 lead. Key moments included a solo block by  McCully to tie the score at 20, a Kiko kill to make it 23–21, and a Rukavina spike for set point. After Boardman tied the frame 24–24, a Spartan error and an ace from Rhome closed out the set 26–24 to force a decisive fifth frame.

Set 5 – Spartans Pull Away (8–15)

Boardman jumped ahead 2-0 before Louisville rallied for three straight points to briefly lead 3-2. The Spartans then went on an 8-0 run to seize control, never looking back as they clinched the set 15-8 and the match 3-2.

Lady Leopards Volleyball Postseason History

The Lady Leopards are now 16-17 all-time in neutral-site tournament matches since rally scoring was introduced in 2004 and hold a 23-22 overall postseason record in that span.

Including pre-rally scoring years, Louisville Volleyball is now 45-40 all-time in tournament play dating back to 1986.

Louisville is now 1-2 in the Division III tournament since the new seven division format was introduced last season.

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