St. X is developing a year to remember in the high school sports world when it comes to volleyball. With an undefeated record and multiple nationally ranked wins so far, the Tigers are truly showing their dominance in the sport.
Since volleyball became a club sport at St. X, they have been outstanding in the state of Kentucky. Multiple club championships have been put on the plaque in the Wills Gym. This past year, the Tigers completed their first-ever sanctioned state championship. This was a huge accomplishment for the program that has set the trajectory upwards for the future. The first-ever Kentucky state champions in men’s volleyball. It has a nice ring to it!
Many may be wondering why men’s volleyball did not become a sanctioned sport sooner in Kentucky. This has to be due to the lack of schools that offer this sport. To be a sanctioned sport in men’s volleyball requires 40 high schools to offer the sport to their school. In previous years, there had been less than 40 schools to offer this sport.
Women’s volleyball has always been popular in the state of Kentucky, with Assumption being ranked nationally consistently. Men’s volleyball had to work its way up. Smaller clubs like Fury helped to build up men’s volleyball in the state. There are now multiple different men’s volleyball clubs that Kentucky offers to develop skills. These clubs make the sport much more competitive in the state and, therefore, make it rise in popularity overall.
More high schools saw the value and rise in popularity of men’s volleyball in the state, and Kentucky was finally able to get over the 40 schools required. Some of the new schools may be inexperienced in the sport, but with time, Kentucky will be just as competitive as some of these other states.
St. X is a big part of this. The Tigers are the gold standard of volleyball in Kentucky and schools aspire to be on the same level. This has not been more evident this year. With multiple senior leaders to boast the roster, This may just be St. X’s most experienced volleyball team. The Tigers currently rank within the top five nationally.
While the team is experiencing success on a national level, Coach Mullin has his eyes set on another state championship.
“All season long I have told our guys that our ultimate goal is to win our last match, meaning to win the 2026 State Championship,” Mullin said. “Anything above and beyond winning a state championship is just icing on the cake. Team championships will always be our ultimate goal as long as I am coaching this team.”
Coach Mullin has had to develop the way he coaches each year. He has gone from the JV head coach to the Varsity head coach just in the last couple of years. This is definitely a change that requires differences in how he teaches players.
“My coaching style changes every year,” Mullin said. “Each year, in every sport, coaches take on a new group of players. Coaches have to adjust to the strengths and weaknesses of their players. I don’t think you can ever coach one team the exact same way as another. I am constantly adjusting my style to support what I feel helps our team achieve our goals. The basic structure of practice does not change, but what we emphasize each season is dictated by what our guys do well and what they need to do to improve. As far as getting us to a national level is concerned, that is a direct result of the ability and hard work of our team. We have a very talented group this year.”
With any team in Kentucky, the transition to being a sanctioned sport will come with its difficulties. There are an array of regulations that come from being sanctioned in volleyball. However, St. X has a different standard for the sport. The expectations remain for the Tigers.
“Transitioning to being a sanctioned sport has had some challenges,” Mullin said. “The KHSAA restricted the ball we can use; they limit the number of players we can have on our roster, and they limit the number of competitions we are allowed to schedule each year. This is normal to every sport, but when transitioning from having zero state oversight one season to having total state oversight the next season, some adjustments had to be made to how we operate. Our expectations are still to win every match we play and be the best team in the state of Kentucky. Those expectations have not changed.”
The stage has been set for the Tigers to have a historic season. With the hopeful continuation of this success being their second state championship. Coach Mullin has put the right pieces together when it comes to the talent he has retained, the experience from his players, and a game plan for the team to succeed. As St. X continues to reach new landmarks in men’s volleyball, so does men’s volleyball in Kentucky as a whole. Volleyball is making strides in recent years, and it is showing no signs of slowing down.
