Winning a Region Title in any sport isn’t easy and especially if you are the favorite like say Bill Rineker’s Central Hardin Bruins. Coming into the 5th Region Volleyball Tournament, they had the best record (38-1), returned the most starters and had something else that champions usually have which is mental toughness.
More often that comes from experience and losing some big games along the way. In that aspect, you could say Central Hardin knew what that was like dropping the past two Region Finals to their District rival Elizabethtown. After winning the past three Region Championships from 2016-2017-2018, the Bruins graduated some talented and experienced vets in Emma Pike, Sarah Nichols, Tori Steele, Grace Lewis, Allie Simpson and Ella Lewis. Even though he had plenty of young and up and coming stars waiting in the wings, it was the Panthers who took advantage by finishing ahead of Central Hardin in back-to-back seasons.
Bart Catlett’s team had become mentally tough from the battles with Central Hardin and would prove it by taking the first six meetings between the two teams. Although most of the matches were close, it didn’t seem to mean much as moral victories mean little between these rivals. Players like Elizabeth Godfrey, Mary Hargan, Grace Filburn and Sydney Clark had suddenly emerged as the top dog and always seemed to have an edge in the close games.
Although Rineker’s team was beaten, he knew that his young team would eventually figure it out and players like Lindsey and Lauren Vest, Jenasys Mullin, Allie Blair, Addie Atcher and Kelsey Brangers had a huge upside in the next several years. They’d either figure it out or they wouldn’t.
Finally in the second meeting between the two teams in 2020, the Bruins finally won 3-0 and then took the District would Championship a little later on. It looked like Central Hardin were just hitting their stride and going into the Region Tournament things were looking up.
And just like that it changed again.
Both Central Hardin and Elizabethtown made it to the Championship game again and after the Bruins dropped Game One (25-22), they came back and took Game Two (25-20) before dropping Game Three (25-17). Trailing 2-games to one, Central Hardin came out swinging in Game Four and won it running away 25-13. With all the momentum on their side going into the Fifth and deciding match, the Bruins came out cold and lost 15-9.
While the Panthers celebrated their second straight Region Volleyball Title, the Bruins left the floor looking for answers.
Rineker would have a long offseason to correct their problems and returning six senior starters would help, but going into 2021 the goal wasn’t just to get back to the Final, but win it and make a deep run.
Boy! Did they EVER!!!!
To start out the new season, Central Hardin not only came out red hot, but they went an entire two months (or 24-games) without a loss. In fact, until their first loss to Cooper in the JCVIT Tournament in the first week of October, the Bruins only dropped six games out of the 24 sets they would play and in fact after their first loss on October 2nd, were only taken to 5-sets just twice out of 39-games. After going 12-0 in both the District and Region Tournament, the Region Championship game awaited and the Panthers were there to reclaim their prize once again at Central Hardin High School.
Elizabethtown, despite losing both regular season meetings and the District Final to the Bruins had gotten better as the season wore on despite graduating Godfrey, Filburn and Presley Payne and even though they lost the Final to the Bruins 3-0, all three games were close.
At this juncture, losing Game One of the Region Championship could be fatal early in an elimination match and the Bruins would show the everyone just how much they had matured as a team early. Although it seemed like a back and forth affair early, Elizabethtown appeared to seize control in the First set with a 20-14 lead. That’s when Central Hardin put together a push scoring 11-of-the next-12 point points thanks to several service aces and some great adjustments by the Bruins to pull away and win Game One 25-22.
Elizabethtown responded immediately and in a set in which it appeared they could do no wrong would get ahead early and continued to build on their lead to win Game Two, 25-13.
With a 1-1 tie, Elizabethtown had to feel as though they were still in it while Central Hardin felt fortunate to not be trailing 2-0 at this point. The Bruins showed that there was no hangover from their Game Two debacle and jumped ahead early. Central Hardin never surrendered the lead and went on to win 25-20.
Now with a 2-1 lead, Central Hardin would grab a quick lead, continued to build on it and although Elizabethtown cut it to two-points several times was never able to tie or seize the lead and would eventually lost, 25-22 in Game Four.
While the Bruins celebrated their first Region Trophy in over three years, Rineker handled it with a much more subdued attitude. After all, the Championship, which was his fifth with Central Hardin and the school’s tenth overall appeared to never be in doubt despite several close calls along the way.
It was just the latest in what has turned out to be a record setting season and some great performances by players like Alex Mackey (13-kills/4-blocks), Addie Atcher (16-Kills), Lauren Thompson (!0-Kills/18-Digs), Lindsey Vest (22-Assists), Makenna Cox (24-Assists), Lauren Vest (19-Digs) and Sam Nelson (11-Digs).
Obviously winning the Region and returning to the KHSAA State Tournament is just as important. Rineker had said before that going 38-1 hasn’t been done before here and the Region title was the cherry on top.
For Elizabethtown, their reigning Region Title ended that night, but they have enough talent coming back to make another run next year.
For Central Hardin, there is this Monday Night in Round One of the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen of Volleyball against McCracken County and another chance to add on to a memorable season.
