‘Weird’ season has already made history. Henry Clay’s looking for more as playoffs begin.
In what has to be one of the most unusual and challenging high school volleyball seasons ever, Henry Clay’s Dale Grupe believes he has probably the most complete team he has put on the court in his 26 years of coaching.
As district tournaments get underway across the state this week, his No. 4 Blue Devils will put that to the test.
“It’s a pretty solid group of ladies, especially with everything going on,” Grupe said. “We knew coming in they were going to be a really big group of seniors, a really good group.”
Henry Clay comes into the postseason as the highest ranked public school program in the state, according to the most recent Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association poll, and it has already made history this year by becoming the first Blue Devils squad to defeat No. 5 Sacred Heart, one of the big four private school programs that have dominated the sport since it was first sanctioned for high school competition in 1979.
The win over the Valkyries on Oct. 8 was “definitely huge,” Grupe said. “Especially to do it at Sacred Heart. We’ve taken Sacred Heart a game or so every once in a while, but we’ve definitely never been in position to beat them.”
This year, the Blue Devils forced No. 1-ranked and three-time defending champion Assumption to five sets on Sept. 16 and had three match points that could have made even more history, but the Rockets rallied with five straight points to deny the upset on their home court.
Grupe notes that it has been a “weird” season for his team and others who have not been able to experience typical team activities — things like their lock-in, out-of-state tournaments and practices among all the players across all their teams. Even not being able to have a car wash fundraiser has been a downer. But through it all, Grupe says his players have remained positive.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” Abby Shadwick said after a midseason win over Frederick Douglass earlier this year. Shadwick is in her final season playing alongside sister Emma. “There’s a lot of seniors, so we’re just really trying to enjoy each other and enjoy what we can get out of these games.”
Saturday, the Blue Devils had lined up two final tune-up matches against a couple of the state’s other top programs ahead of this week’s postseason. But out of caution over the COVID-19 issues that have hit volleyball especially hard this month, it decided to cancel them.
One of those big four private school programs, eight-time state champion Notre Dame, was one the northern Kentucky teams to have its players quarantined because of COVID-19 in the last week. At this time, the Pandas are still scheduled to play in their district tournament, but a postseason quarantine could mean no postseason at all. Henry Clay tries to stay masked up not only on the sidelines, but also in the game in order to try to remain as safe as possible, Grupe said.
No public school has ever won a state volleyball title. Henry Clay is one of only two public school teams to even make a state finals appearance and is the only one to win a set there when they did it in 2016 against Sacred Heart.
The Blue Devils hope their regular-season success will carry over. But first, Henry Clay must navigate the 42nd District and 11th Region tournaments, tasks it does not take lightly. Teams including No. 9 Paul Laurence Dunbar, No. 16 Tates Creek and No. 23 Lafayette have their own designs on keeping the Blue Devils from defending the 11th Region title and its corresponding spot in the state tournament.
“I think we feel pretty good about where we are,” Grupe said. “I think we totally respect everybody in the district and region, but they know if they come out really ready to play, they like their chances.”
42nd District Tournament
At Frederick Douglass
Monday’s play-in game
Scott County (4-9) vs. Sayre (14-4), 6 p.m.
Tuesday’s semifinals
Henry Clay vs. Scott County-Sayre winner, 6 p.m.
Wednesday’s semifinals
Bryan Station (9-9) vs. Frederick Douglass (7-6), 6 p.m.
Thursday’s finals
Championship, 6 p.m.
43rd District Tournament
At Paul Laurence Dunbar
Monday’s play-in game
Lexington Catholic (6-7) vs. Lexington Christian (3-10), 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s semifinals
Lafayette (17-3) vs. Tates Creek (13-3), 5:30 p.m.
Paul Laurence Dunbar (11-6) vs. Lexington Catholic-LCA winner, 8 p.m.
Wednesday’s finals
Championship, 5:30 p.m.
This story was originally published October 18, 2020 at 3:33 PM.
