Henry Clay, Lafayette reach KHSAA’s first boys volleyball region championship
Henry Clay and Lafayette will contest the first KHSAA-sanctioned 7th Region boys volleyball tournament at Bryan Station High School on Monday after each team won convincing semifinal matches on the Northside on Thursday night.
The No. 3-ranked Blue Devils topped No. 9 Paul Laurence Dunbar in straight sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-21) in Thursday’s first semifinal to punch their ticket to the region finals and, later, the first boys volleyball state tournament to be run by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
In the second semifinal, No. 8 Lafayette took down No. 10 Tates Creek with a 3-1 victory (25-22, 23-25, 25-18, 25-20) to do the same.
Boys volleyball has grown from a ragtag club sport with barely eight teams five years ago to a 59-team league spread over eight regions across the state.
“It feels a lot more important,” Lafayette senior outside hitter Sanan Ahmad said of the difference from past years to this year. “There’s a lot more hype. It’s really fun.”
Lafayette outduels Tates Creek
Ahmad helped lead the Generals (16-9) over a tenacious Tates Creek (10-9) team that survived going down two sets to none against Western Hills the night before by rallying for a reverse sweep of the Wolverines (22-25, 23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 15-13).
After dropping the first set Thursday against Lafayette, the Commodores squared the match with a 25-23 set win in the second.
“We expected a hella-competition,” Ahmad said. “It was an amazing game, but we came out on top. We wanted it more. That’s what matters. Whoever wants something more wins every time.”
Ahmad scrambled to keep Lafayette’s match point alive. His one-arm swing running away from the net kept the ball in play and led to junior setter Jaiden Vanover ‘s block at the net to end the match.
“Over the past several years, including this year, we really grew as a team and connected very well,” Ahmad said. “I feel like we’re so much better than how we started.”
Lafayette coach Matt Stegman has been steadily building Lafayette’s program over the course of four club seasons and, now, this full-fledged KHSAA team.
“Some of these guys have been with us three, four years, and we’ve had success in the past,” Stegman said. “This year, we had a lot of guys play in different positions that they weren’t used to. We’ve had new guys at the varsity level getting used to the speed of the game, and so for them to adapt and really play at the level that they’re playing is just really fun, as a coach, to watch them play.”
Henry Clay sweeps Dunbar
Henry Clay senior McAllister Millar agreed with Lafayette’s Ahmad that KHSAA-sanctioned volleyball feels a lot more important.
“It’s been so much different. Now, we’re getting recognition. And not only that, but we have people showing up,” Millar said. “We have people coming out to just watch boys volleyball and see the sport develop. And I think it’s huge for these young guys to be able to get to play. And something that’s truly so new, but truly so special.”
Millar’s younger brother, 6-foot-6 outside hitter Gray Millar, scored Henry Clay’s final three points via kill to help the Blue Devils (19-7) sweep Dunbar (9-8).
“I thought as a team, we did amazing,” Gray Millar said. “We put in the effort and it showed.”
Henry Clay was tied for No. 3 in the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association’s last set of statewide rankings with Louisville’s DeSales and is the highest-ranked team outside of Louisville. St. Xavier and Trinity are Nos. 1 and 2.
But Henry Clay coach Luke Grupe said his team can’t take anything for granted in the postseason. The Blue Devils beat Lafayette in four sets (25-18, 25-20, 24-26, 25-15) in their regular season match on April 15.
“Everyone thinks we’re the top dogs, but we’ve got to prove it. You’ve got to earn it every time you hit the floor,” Grupe said. “And I’m proud that every time they hit the floor, they’re working to get better.”
More than a title on the line
Monday’s game has more than a region championship trophy on the line. The winner gets home-court advantage in next Wednesday’s first-round game of the state tournament. The runner-up will have to get on the bus for a long ride to face eastern Kentucky’s 8th Region champion.
“We definitely don’t want to go to eastern Kentucky. We looked at what it could be and it’s like two-and-a-half hours. So it’s important,” Grupe said. “But it’s not even just getting home-court advantage. You want that first region title. You want to put your name on that plaque to say ‘Hey, we won the first region title.’”
7th Region Boys Volleyball Tournament Championship
Who: Lafayette (16-9) vs. Henry Clay (19-7)
When: 6:30 p.m. Monday
Where: Bryan Station High School
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 7:20 AM.
