Coming into Thursday night's 7th Regional Championship, the Male Bulldogs knew they'd already been counted out. To the fans, experts and critics, Sacred Heart had already punched its ticket to the state tournament and facing Male was just a formality.
"We knew that this was going to be a challenge," Male outside hitter Chloe Osborne said. "Everyone last night was saying that Assumption vs Sacred Heart was the final but no, this was the final. We brought way more to the table and gave it our all."
Despite being overlooked, the Bulldogs didn't buy into playing the underdog roleandnearly shocked the world, taking Sacred Heart five sets before falling 3-2 in the regional title game (25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-11) at Seneca High School.
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With the loss, Male's season ends at 20-18 ... a record that you couldsay is very deceptive of the Bulldogs' talent.
"We heard a lot of stuff," Male coach Craig Bossmeyer said. "Things like the statechampionship was on Tuesday night but we had different plans."
Records aside, nothing associated with the past mattered to the Bulldogs on Thursday. Male couldn't care less that Sacred Heart looked like a state champion frontrunner in its regional semifinal win two nights earlier.
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Male wasn't bothered by the fact that a Jefferson County Public School hadn't made it to the volleyball state tournament since Butler did it in 2002.
And Male certainly wasn't concerned that Sacred Heart is considered by many to be the best team in the state.
The Bulldogs' refusal to be intimidated by the Valkyries was an important reason why Male was able to stay in— and at times control— the game. Osborne and Memphis-commit Madison Rice-Locket terrorized the Valkyries on the outside using powerful strikes and rhythm-breaking taps to keep Sacred Heart off balanced.
"Once we stepped on the floor and showed them what we could do and showed them how powerful we could, doing everything we could to win, it was really big for us," Rice-Locket said. "It shows that we've got a little chip on our shoulders.
If anyone embraced that chip the most among Male's roster, it was senior Alexis Carr. All night long, Carr was the type of player you love to play with and hate to play against. Whether it was sacrificing her body for a save, or going up high for a block, there was a wave of energy every time she checked into the game.
With Carr, Savannah Jolly and All-Region selection Emily Surbaugh playing relentless in the middle, Sacred Heart struggled with Male's unpredictability in long rallies. When Rice-Locket and Carr were out rising star Taylor McBride would carry the team.
The matchup was a true yin vs yang kind of outing. Sacred Heart at times seemed passive, but level headed. The Valkyries didn't panic after dropping the second set and ultimately their cool confidence down the stretch may have been what pulled the win out.
Male was smart to use the chip on its shoulder. After losing set one, Male knew that going down 2-0 would mean curtains soon. Treating every point like a match point, and playing to the emotion and momentum of the game, never allowed Sacred Heart to find therhythm its known for.
"They'resupposed to be No. 1," Carr said. "I just really want to let y'all know we went five with the No. 1 team in the state. They not messing with us but y'all weren't ready for Male."
Male made Seneca's gymnasium shake to its core after winning set two. At that point, the Bulldogs were more than just a formality, they were formidable.
With every, block, kill and dig the momentum shifted. No team could go on more than a 3-point run and the sets never were separated by more than five. Sacred Heart's Kayla Bryant and Julia McNeley went at Osborne and Rice-Locket like prizefighters. Neither team refused to break.
Whenset five began, it was tough to see who would make it to 15 first. Sacred Heart had started fast all night, but Male would find ways to knot things up. Once again the Valkyries and Bulldogs went back and forth.
Down by three and facing set point, Male wasn't prepared to have its season killed by Sacred Heart. Rice-Locket rose off the ground and came down hard on the ball just like she had all night. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, her power carried the ball just a smidge too far.
As Sacred Heart stormed the court, you could see the emotion start to leak from the Bulldogs. Male's eight-playersenior class led by Rice-Locket, Osborne and Carr were one of the best to come through Male's halls.
"They left a legacy on the program," Bossmeyer said. "We used to be OK with maybe being the best public school in the city and that was never a part of our plans. We wanted to go out there and compete."
Male knew coming in that upsetting the Valkyries would have been the toughest feat they'd accomplish all season. They knew they were counted out and doubted. The Bulldogs didn't come for a moral victory, but going out in five against the bestwon them the respect they were looking for.
FollowCourier Journalreporter J.L. Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for more updates on Louisville prep sports.
