Girls’ volleyball 2024: What to expect from yet another loaded city volleyball landscape

A few changes have hit the Lexington volleyball scene ahead of the 2024 season.

Four of the nine city teams begin the year with new, full-time head coaches. Several of Lexington’s best players — including reigning 11th Region Player of the Year, Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Delaney Gash (now at Akron) — have graduated and passed the baton to the next generation of upperclassmen leadership. This year will also see the first-ever KHSAA-sanctioned season of boys volleyball.

But don’t worry, many familiar names are back for more, and Lexington’s girls volleyball scene will begin the quest for 42nd and 43rd District and 11th Region titles when things officially kick off Aug. 19.

Three city teams — 2023 43rd District and 11th Region champion Dunbar (No. 4, receiving one first-place vote), 42nd District winner Frederick Douglass (No. 7) and Lexington Catholic (No. 21) — are ranked in the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association (KVCA) Preseason Top 25.

The following is an overview of Lexington’s girls volleyball scene, with teams listed based on their finish during the 2023 season. Player honors and statistics were also pulled from the 2023 season, and quotes come directly from the head coaches.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

KVCA preseason rank: No. 4.

Coach: Jenni Morgan (20th season).

Last season: 33-8. 43rd District champion. 11th Region champion.

Standing out: Bela Haggard, sr. setter/OPP, first-team all-city (250 kills/84 blocks/1,045 assists/406 digs/49 aces), committed to play at Marquette; Mya McDowell, sr. OH, second-team all-city (240 kills/13 blocks/13 assists/70 digs); Maggie Barnes, sr. DS/L, all-city honorable mention (18 assists/228 digs/25 aces); Brooke Pittmon, sr. OH/OPP, all-city honorable mention (50 kills/14 blocks/6 assists).

Coach says: “They get in the gym and they work hard. They are here for a purpose. They’re having fun. I’ve been very thrilled with the chemistry of the team across the board. It goes back to your senior leadership accepting the younger kids into the program, and guiding and leading. And there hasn’t been a whole lot of times where I have to become the vocal leader. They’re all doing it. They’re here, they want to get better. ... They know what Dunbar volleyball is, and they know what it takes.”

Notes: Two years removed from a KHSAA state runner-up finish, Dunbar looks to return to (and make a deep run in), the KHSAA state tournament after last season’s first-round exit to eventual semifinalist West Jessamine in three sets. The Bulldogs will again play a loaded schedule in preparation for the best of the best. ”We never take an easy schedule. ... I want to create a very successful program, and by doing that, you have to play the best, and you’ve got to watch how your team rises and falls in those types of occasions.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 20 vs. No. 12 Ryle; Aug. 27 vs. No. 11 DuPont Manual; Sept. 5 vs. No. 7 Frederick Douglass; Sept. 19 vs. No. 24 Great Crossing; Sept. 26 vs. No. 22 West Jessamine; Oct. 7 vs. No. 13 St. Henry; Oct. 12 vs. No. 3 Mercy.

Sayre

Coach: Leigh Nahra (seventh season).

Last season: 28-8.

Standing out: Brooke Barnsten, so. S (106 kills/25 blocks/855 assists/271 digs/42 aces), “she is expected to make another huge contribution as a setter and pin hitter this season”; Anna Mulliken, sr. captain L (80 assists/522 digs/53 aces), “leading her team in the right direction with her drive, determination, and hustle as she commands the back row”; Eli Powell, jr. S/OH (136 kills/14 blocks/22 assists/206 digs/74 aces); Phoebe Barlow, jr. S/DS, “(both Powell and Barlow) are expected to share setting responsibilities this season in addition to their roles from last season.”

Coach says: “Our team is comprised of a core group of dedicated, passionate, and competitive student-athletes. They are scrappy and enjoy being on the court together. Practices are productive and goal-oriented. We have big shoes to fill, but everyone is willing. I am excited to see this group grow and improve together.”

Notes: The Spartans posted the best record in program history last year, and earned an All “A” Classic region championship. Though the team has lost a few key contributors, including the team’s sole 2023 all-city selection, star outside hitter Reese Collins (now at Buffalo). “We hope to return to the All ‘A’ state tournament and make a run in our competitive district and region.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 28 vs. Henry Clay; Oct. 8 vs. Bryan Station; Oct. 16 vs. No. 7 Frederick Douglass; Oct. 18 vs. George Rogers Clark; Oct. 18 vs. Wolfe County.

Lexington Catholic

KVCA preseason rank: No. 21.

Coach: Jeff Kaufmann (third season).

Last season: 25-11.

Standing out: Addie Lowe, sr. OH, first-team all-city (478 kills/31 blocks/16 assists/227 digs/57 aces), “she will be this team’s anchor and go-to hitter. ... She is a great all-round player and is ready to take on the leadership role for the Knights”; Miller Duncan, so. MH, all-city honorable mention, “she led the Knights in aces last year, so her serve is not a fun one to stand across from.”

Coach says: “I am really excited about this year’s team. Even though we graduated six senior starters from our 25-11 team last year, we have been developing these ‘newcomers’ for several years to be ready for this season to come along. ... What I’m seeing from this group of girls is the fact that they’ve recognized early on how much developing a team culture and family atmosphere is important.”

Notes: Kaufmann expects several players from last season’s impressive junior varsity roster to take on new responsibilities for the Knights. Sophomore setter Charlotte Hall, junior pin hitters Payton Avilez and Ella Blackburn and junior defensive specialists Ella Rose Gentry, Maddy Warner and Finley Quinn, “will move into big time varsity roles this year. The time has come for them to step up and show the region what they’ve got.”

Schedule highlights: Sept. 3 vs. No. 24 Great Crossing; Sept. 5 vs. No. 22 West Jessamine; Sept. 9 vs. No. 7 Frederick Douglass; Sept. 17 vs. No. 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Frederick Douglass

KVCA preseason rank: No. 7.

Coach: Nick Griffin (first full season).

Last season: 24-13. 42nd District champion.

Standing out: Addison Jarvis, sr. OH, 42nd District MVP, first-team all-city (373 kills/28 blocks/158 digs/36 aces), “one of the top outside hitters in the state. She’s a six-rotation player that can really do it all”; Ava Simonsen, jr. L, second-team all-city (10 blocks/59 assists/312 digs/45 aces, “her length allows her to cover a ton of ground defensively and in serve receive. Her competitiveness is relentless”; Brooke Turner, sr. MH, second-team all-city (128 kills/55 blocks/40 digs/24 aces), “can attack anywhere along the net. ... Her experience will be leaned on this season”; Marley Seay, sr. OH, all-city honorable mention (185 kills, 15 blocks, 59 digs), “an underrated athlete that really came into her own the second half of the high school season.”

Coach says: “We are very upperclassmen-driven. Every (starting) player right now that’s on our varsity is either a junior or a senior, so it is a beautiful thing from an experience standpoint. ... We’ve got a really tough schedule to prove that we’ve got the talent to back it up, so leaning on them and allowing them to showcase what they’ve got. Because Douglass has always had the talent, but just trying to piece it all together ... I think the seniors are really hungry for that.”

Notes: Frederick Douglass returns five starters from last season, which included a 42nd District championship over Sayre and an 11th Region Tournament loss to Great Crossing. This is the first full season as leader of the Broncos for longtime volleyball coach Nick Griffin, who took over the program midseason in an interim capacity last year. ”I think (we’re) just building the trust between (players and staff) because last year was kind of us flying by the seat of our pants.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 20 vs. No. 24 Great Crossing; Aug. 29 vs. No. 19 North Oldham; Sept. 5 vs. No. 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar; Sept. 9 vs. No. 21 Lexington Catholic; Sept. 17 vs. No. 22 West Jessamine; Oct. 16 vs. Sayre.

Bryan Station

Coach: Jonnalyn Shimko (first season).

Last season: 19-16.

Standing out: Cam Owens, jr. OH, first-team all-city (436 kills/29 blocks/62 assists/202 digs/48 aces), “she simply has a presence when she is out on the floor with her vertical and athleticism. She has played on varsity since seventh grade and we are depending on her to help guide our girls this year”; Beatriz Moreira, sr. MH (151 kills/54 blocks/25 digs/11 aces), “a powerful middle who can tool balls at the net. She has the ability to block and defend at the net which can cause problems for other teams”; Micah Robinson, jr. MB/RS, second-team all-city (301 kills/36 blocks/16 assists/199 digs/35 aces), “she has the ability to attack at the net as a middle and outside attacker. She does a great job defending at the net with her vertical”; Urijah Holman-Allen, so. MB/OH (108 kills/32 blocks/40 digs), “she has had much success as a pin hitter and also has an outstanding vertical. She is quick and will be a great addition to the varsity starting lineup this year.”

Coach says: “This year the team has set a goal to win district and contend in regionals. We have often fallen short but hope to be in the fight here in a few months. The team is excited and they are diligently working on skills outside of practice.”

Notes: The Defenders’ 2023 season ended with a 42nd District Tournament loss to eventual runner-up Sayre, and the program turned the page to a new era. Bryan Station elevated Shimko from assistant coach to lead the Defenders after longtime head coach Hilary Mckenzie moved away. ”I already have (had) a relationship with the team for the past few years. So stepping into this new role is a challenge, but I will be depending on my older girls for support with the players.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 20 vs. No. 21 Lexington Catholic; Aug. 28 vs. No. 24 Great Crossing; Aug. 29 vs. No. 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar; Sept. 5 vs. George Rogers Clark; Oct. 8 vs. Sayre; Oct. 10 vs. No. 7 Frederick Douglass; Oct. 17 vs. Lafayette.

Lafayette

Coach: Taylor La Mantia (first season).

Last season: 20-15.

Standing out: Elise Trimble, jr. S, first-team all-city (123 kills/44 blocks/806 assists/254 digs/68 aces), “she pushes her hitters and runs a very efficient offense. She will surely put some points on the board for us with her serving and strategic setter attacks”; Madelyn Blakey, sr. RS, second-team all-city (176 kills/70 blocks/20 digs), committed to play at Holy Cross, “a lefty right side with a huge block. She is calm, cool, and collected on the court with an arsenal of shots in her hitting toolbox”; Audrey Gossett, so. OH, second-team all-city (242 kills/57 digs), “a varsity returner who will make a big difference for us on the outside this year. Training in the offseason at KIVA, she loves a fast-tempo ball to the pin and is smart at the net”; Emma Pittman, sr. L/DS, second-team all-city (94 assists/399 digs/26 aces); Emma Sorensen, sr. L/DS, has not played high school volleyball since her freshman season, committed to play at Samford, “(both Pittman and Sorensen) are going to be imperative to us being able to run a fast offense this season. Their phenomenal defense and serve receive will keep us in system. These two will run through a wall for their teammates!”

Coach says: “Basically my whole lineup and starting roster, essentially, for varsity is returners, so it’s been really cool. I feel like I’ve been able to push them really hard in practices, and you can tell they’re ready for the season. ... They’re used to each other. They know each other really well, they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and so I think they’re able to really lean on each other, especially in tough times.”

Notes: First-year Generals head coach La Mantia may be new to Lafayette, but she’s no stranger to Kentucky high school volleyball. La Mantia spent last season as East Jessamine’s head coach, and served as an assistant under Jenni Morgan at Paul Laurence Dunbar during the Bulldogs’ 2022 KHSAA state runner-up campaign.

Schedule highlights: Sept. 10 vs. No. 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar; Sept. 12 vs. No. 15 Franklin County; Sept. 19 vs. Woodford County; Sept. 25 vs. No. 7 Frederick Douglass; Oct. 9 vs. No. 21 Lexington Catholic.

Tates Creek

Coach: Morgan Contino (fifth season).

Last season: 16-18.

Standing out: Desiree Kinnon, jr. MB/OH/RS, first-team all-city (202 kills/70 blocks/29 digs/28 aces), “heavy arm swing and strong blocking presence, has several years of varsity experience under her belt, wills her team to success”; LeAnn Knapp, so. MH, all-city honorable mention (119 kills/42 digs), “young all-around player with many skills, smart and crafty hitter, versatile player, strong defensive and serve receive presence, always remains calm”; Stella Myers, jr. S/OP (37 kills/848 assists/170 digs/54 aces), “good volleyball IQ and court awareness, has a great drive to succeed and improve, distributes the ball well, can be offensive when needed, has experience as a varsity setter”; Harper Lipsett, so. OH (44 kills/26 digs), “up-and-coming player with a great work ethic, can hit a variety of shots, good feel for the game.”

Coach says: “I like our chances this year! Many will doubt us, as we are in a ‘rebuilding phase,’ but I believe in this team. ... Our group this year is young, but they don’t lack experience. ... I think what’s given me the most confidence is just their will to get better and their will to work together for team success.”

Notes: The Commodores graduated eight players in 2023, and that requires Contino and the returners to find the best fit for everybody during this new chapter. “I wouldn’t even call anything a challenge. I think it’s a unique opportunity, everybody has to basically fill a new role, and it’s kind of neat to see people accept roles that maybe were different from what they had in mind.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 21 vs. No. 7 Frederick Douglass; Aug. 27 vs. No. 21 Lexington Catholic; Sept. 7 vs. Boyle County; Sept. 12 vs. No. 22 West Jessamine; Sept. 17 vs. Woodford County; Oct. 17 vs. George Rogers Clark.

Lexington Christian

Coach: Christin O’Nan (first season).

Last season: 12-15.

Standing out: Reagan Martin, sr. OH, second-team all-city (276 kills/19 blocks/161 digs/36 aces), “very versatile and strong hitter. High-energy leader in the court. Well-rounded player, can pass and play defense as well”; Claire Roberts, sr. MH (66 kills/19 blocks/36 digs/42 aces), “a fast middle with a strong swing and big block, she is the loudest one in the court with big energy and fun to watch”; Sophia Gorshak, fr. L, “a star freshman libero, she moves quick and reacts fast in defense and will be under every hitter covering on block.”

Coach says: “This will be a strong senior class and tons of talent and big energy so we are projecting a strong season.”

Notes: LCA welcomed O’Nan, who spent part of her own high school career at LCA prior to graduating from Lafayette, as the program’s new head coach in July. A Lexington native who grew up on the south side of the city and played at Union College, O’Nan most recently was a coach with Lexington United Volleyball Club and an assistant coach at Garrard County High School. “Being a good teammate is my number one. First and foremost, we’re good teammates. We’re respectful players. We wear the cross on our shirts, and we’re going to come out and we’re going to lead that way. ... Number two is effort. Effort, effort, effort. ... They know that I want effort at all times. Those are two things we can control; we can control who we are, and we can control our effort. That’s how I’m managing this team.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 27 vs. Trinity Christian; Sept. 5 vs. Harrison County; Sept. 24 vs. Lafayette; Oct. 1 vs. No. 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar; Oct. 8 vs. Woodford County.

Henry Clay

Coach: Dale Grupe (30th season).

Last season: 11-26.

Standing out: Meredith Adkins, sr. DS, all-city honorable mention (21 assists/240 digs/33 aces), “experienced backcourt player with solid passing and defensive skills”; Katie Deep, sr. OH, all-city honorable mention (254 kills/26 blocks/18 assists/190 digs/36 aces), “solid all-around player with experience and a productive hitter”; Charlotte Young, jr. MB/RS, all-city honorable mention (79 kills/65 blocks/26 digs), “solid player at the net with blocking and hitting”; Mady Hayes, jr. S (300 assists/114 digs/28 aces); Emma Jane Hurley, jr. S (311 assists/75 digs/16 aces). “(Both Hayes and Hurley are) experienced and great with running our offense.”

Coach says: “I like our chances to keep getting better. We have struggled record-wise the past few years however have not backed off a very tough schedule and we feel we have a good chance this season to be a spoiler and to compete for district and region titles.”

Notes: One of the state’s most prolific volleyball coaches returns for another season with the Blue Devils in hopes of bringing Henry Clay closer to its winning culture and tradition. “This team is, so far, buying into that. They’re working hard in practices and they’re having more fun, and that’s what we want to do. At the end of the day, it’s just a game. We don’t want to stress out over this. We just want to play, have fun and we’ll let wins or losses take care of themselves.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 27 vs. George Rogers Clark; Sept. 3 vs. No. 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar; Sept. 10 vs. No. 7 Frederick Douglass; Sept. 24 vs. No. 21 Lexington Catholic; Oct. 10 vs. Woodford County; Oct. 15 vs. No. 22 West Jessamine; Oct. 17 vs. Trinity Christian.