Another high school volleyball season has come to an end, and it’s Assumption who won the state championship with a 3-0 victory over Mercy.
Shocker, right?
Twenty-two state titles in 28 years for Ron Kordes and the Rockets is a feat that will be hard to duplicate.
However, this new trophy came with some negative responses. Everything from the feeling that it’s “not fair” the team is so dominate to the fact that 2019 marks another year that a private school wins this championship. No public school has ever won the title. In fact, only two public schools have made it to the final game — Greenwood and Henry Clay.
It’s understandable to believe this isn’t fair for other schools that don’t have the Division I-talent of an Assumption or a Mercy. But the belief that these elite programs are bad for high school volleyball in Kentucky is out of bounds.
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Kordes has been coaching volleyball at Assumption since 1989 — more than 10 years before some schools even started programs, and he’s never left, while many schools have had a ridiculous amount of coaching turnover.
Assumption was not a volleyball powerhouse when Kordes got there. It was chasing Notre Dame and Mercy. Who’s to say a new school, maybe public, won’t emerge in the future? The Courier Journal has told stories of talented players at various schools. It can happen anywhere.
If not for Assumption, these others players and coaches wouldn’t have a standard to strive for.
Because of the Rockets, Kentucky volleyball is viewed on a national level. Colleges are well aware of the volleyball talent from this state.
Read more about Assumption volleyball at the Courier Journal.