St. Henry's volleyball team rolled past Dixie Heights 3-0 in a 34th District match Sept. 10 at Holbrook Hall in Edgewood.

No set was close. The Crusaders won 25-10, 25-11 and 25-8, according to a post from the St. Henry Athletics account on X.

The result underlined the gap between the district's top two teams. St. Henry entered the season as the defending 34th District champion, while Dixie Heights was the district runner-up. The Crusaders opened 2026 ranked No. 13 in the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association (KVCA) preseason state poll and tied for No. 2 in the 9th Region, according to LINK nky's preseason rankings.

The sweep came nine days after St. Henry's signature win of the young season. On Sept. 1, the Crusaders rallied from two sets down to beat Notre Dame 3-2 (18-25, 24-26, 27-25, 25-20, 15-11), snapping the Pandas' 59-match winning streak against 9th Region opponents, as LINK nky reported. That streak had stood since Oct. 28, 2021. By the time of that upset, the KVCA state poll had moved St. Henry up to No. 6.

Head coach Maureen Kaiser's squad carried that energy into the Dixie Heights match. After the Notre Dame comeback, Kaiser told the Northern Kentucky Tribune on Sept. 3, "We had the momentum and that's what volleyball is, a game of momentum."

Kaiser also credited her young roster's ability to adjust during matches. After the five-set Notre Dame win, she told LINK nky the team controlled its passing and defensive game once the players identified opponents' weaknesses.

The Crusaders' roster skews young. Only two seniors hold spots in the regular rotation. Three juniors anchor the lineup: libero Kenadi Sieg, a KVCA second-team all-state pick last season who has committed to the University of Cincinnati; hitter and blocker Violet Main; and setter Madelyn Keipert.

St. Henry's record stood at 9-3 after the Notre Dame win. Individual statistics from the Dixie Heights match were not available.

The Crusaders face Sacred Heart on Sept. 11. St. Henry's Playing For A Purpose match against Holy Cross is set for Sept. 23 at Holbrook Hall, with proceeds benefiting T1D Warriors, an organization supporting people with Type 1 diabetes.