‘Victory is right there.’ LexCath among ranked hopefuls entering volleyball postseason.
With five 11th Region high school volleyball teams tightly bunched in the top 25 of the coaches’ poll, there’s no telling who might come out on top as postseason play begins Monday.
No. 11 Paul Laurence Dunbar (22-8; records through Wednesday’s matches), the two-time defending region champion, has been tested to the five-set limit against No. 10 Frederick Douglass (22-6), No. 13 Lexington Catholic (22-5) and No. 14 Great Crossing (21-12) this year. Each of those opponents were one set away from knocking off the Bulldogs.
Lexington Catholic even had a match point in their duel at Dunbar on Sept. 17.
The Knights came away with a loss, but they also came away with some confidence.
“They learned that they can do it. They can play with them,” Lexington Catholic coach Jeff Kaufmann said. “Dunbar has been a powerhouse for so many years, and we struggled to even take sets off of them in the past. … They realized that victory is right there. It’s just a matter of us being able to take it off the shelf and home with us.”
Dunbar has won six of the last seven 43rd District titles and still has key players who were part of their historic run to the 2022 state championship game — including seniors Isabela Haggard and Mya McDowell and junior Sadie Stuart. Great Crossing defeated Dunbar 2-0 in the Kentucky Challenge on Sept. 28. That’s the Bulldogs’ only loss to a region rival this season.
Under Kaufmann, Lexington Catholic has reached two straight 43rd District finals. Those runner-up finishes ended a 12-year drought of missing out on the 11th Region Tournament. Lexington Catholic hasn’t won a district title since it was in the old 40th District back in 2009.
Senior outside hitter Addie Lowe said her team is confident going into the postseason. The Knights’ best win came against No. 6 Ryle at the Thoroughbred Smash on Sept. 21. They’ve also beaten Great Crossing and split a pair of matches against No. 19 Franklin County.
“This team is just very competitive, and we all just love each other a lot,” Lowe said Tuesday after the Knights convincingly swept Scott County (25-9, 25-18, 25-19), “We have really good chemistry, and that really shows on the court.”
But Lexington Catholic can’t take anything for granted. The Knights begin play in Tuesday’s district semifinals against a Lafayette team that took them to five sets on Oct. 9. LexCath prevailed 25-27, 25-14, 25-14, 24-26, 15-9. Kaufmann knows what his team needs to do to accomplish their goals..
“What I think it’s going to take is consistency. Every team is going to have the ups and downs. I’ve talked all year about making the downs as quick as they can be,” Kaufmann said. “To win districts, we’re going to have to put together strings of points. We’ve called them turkeys all year long. It’s just like bowling: Get three in a row. If we can get three points in a row, that’s gonna kind of create some separation and gives you the momentum, gives you the confidence.”
In the 42nd District, Douglass will look to win its second straight title and will be favored to do so after sweeping three of their four district rivals during the regular season. Only last season’s district runner-up, Sayre, took a set off the Broncos in a 3-1 loss (25-22, 25-19, 22-25, 25-17) on Wednesday.
42nd District Tournament
At Scott County High School
MONDAY’S FIRST ROUND
7 p.m.: Bryan Station vs. Henry Clay
TUESDAY’S SEMIFINALS
6 p.m.: Frederick Douglass vs. Bryan Station-Henry Clay winner
8 p.m.: Scott County vs. Sayre
THURSDAY’S FINALS
7 p.m.: Championship game
43rd District Tournament
At Lexington Christian Academy
MONDAY’S FIRST ROUND
6:30 p.m.: Tates Creek vs. Lexington Christian
TUESDAY’S SEMIFINALS
6 p.m.: Lexington Catholic vs. Lafayette
8 p.m.: Paul Laurence Dunbar vs. Tates Creek-Lexington Christian winner
THURSDAY’S FINALS
6:30 p.m.: Championship game.
Coaches’ poll top 25
The Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association released its third regular-season poll on Oct. 8. First-place votes are noted in parentheses. 11th Region teams in bold.
1. Notre Dame (13)
2. Assumption (8)
3. Sacred Heart
4. St. Henry District
5. Manual
6. Ryle
7. Mercy
8. Central Hardin
9. McCracken County
10. Frederick Douglass
11. Paul Laurence Dunbar
12. Christian Academy-Louisville
13. Lexington Catholic
14. Great Crossing
15. North Oldham
16. Bowling Green
17. Ballard
18. Simon Kenton
19. Franklin County
20. Beechwood
21. Elizabethtown
22. Louisville Holy Cross
23. Oldham County
24. Taylor County
25. Greenwood
This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 10:45 AM.
