High school boys volleyball soars to new heights in Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Frederick Douglass High School has been known to have some great athletes in a variety of different sports over the years, but in 2025, another team has hit the scene in boys volleyball.
'It's really exciting, and our sport is growing really fast. We're the fastest-growing sport in America other than pickleball, and we're exploding,' Head Coach Caden Albert said. 'To get the college interest, you have to have it sanctioned at the high school level.'
Boys volleyball used to just be a club sport available at a small number of schools, but after years of lobbying, it became a KHSAA-sanctioned sport this spring. Now, more than 50 teams are participating across the Bluegrass State. Players like senior outside hitter Ashton Palmer said they can already feel the difference in the competition level because of the state's decision.
'Last year, I mean, we were just playing for fun, kind of, I guess. But like, it kind of had no, like, true meaning, but like, this year's kind of serious,' Palmer said. 'I'm actually glad that it is sanctioned now because, like other people that are coming after me, you know, they'll get a chance to go for that state tournament. So that'll be good for them.'
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For many on the team, volleyball wasn't on their radar at first, or it was just a secondary sport at best, until they gave it a chance. Now they're trying to convince their friends and classmates to play so they can set them up for a spike.
'Why not? If you don't have anything else to do during the season? Like, obviously if you're focusing on basketball or focusing on something during the season, maybe not,' senior outside hitter Mason Hyde said. 'If you're doing another sport, if you're athletic enough, I mean, it's such an easy sport to just get a hold of and be able to play just for fun.'
Despite the season coming to an end for Frederick Douglass in the regional tournament this month, the future looks bright for the Broncos as they hope to bring more players into the fold and become a dominant program within the city of Lexington.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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