Inside Kentucky’s Fiercest Volleyball Rivalry: Mercy vs. Assumption, the 40-Year Battle Defines Louisville

From packed gyms to family bragging rights to decades of state titles, players, coaches, and alumni explain why Mercy–Assumption isn’t just a rivalry — it’s the heartbeat of high school volleyball in Kentucky

Assumption’s Taylor McKenzie gets a shot over the net against Mercy in the third set in the first round of the KHSAA Girls State Volleyball Tournament. Monday on November 3, 2025 / Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mercy Academy coach Connie Hulsmeyer gathered her players around the well-illuminated gym floor early in practice and initiated a discussion about the next evening’s match against their super rival – Assumption. Hulsmeyer began with an expository talk on how the Jaguars could find effective ways to defeat the No. 1 team in the state. Be patient, attack the right side and so forth.

A Match That Feels Bigger Than the Schedule

The players listened and provided some feedback, but this highlighted match, specially marked on their schedule, must’ve been lingering in their minds.

“It's definitely a tough game for us,” said Mercy senior right side Allison O’Shea. “They’re such a great team. Their defense and their hitting are great. I think we've put up a great fight every single time we've played them.”

What Makes a True High School Rivalry?

What is a rivalry? No, this isn’t where I provide you a dictionary definition. A rivalry implies that undertones of animosity or tension exist. But that’s just a perception. What is a “real” rivalry? I argue it’s the one between Assumption High School's volleyball team and Mercy Academy's volleyball team.

“I try to express to my kids that one of the greatest privileges they have playing volleyball at Mercy is they get to be a part of that rivalry,” Hulsmeyer said. “That level of energy and excitement; not many people get to experience that type of rivalry at this level.”

The deeper roots of the rivalry underscore Hulsmeyer’s comments. For Indy Ignite libero and Mercy alum, Elena Scott, who was an All-American player at Louisville, it was a family rivalry.

“I have a big family, and one of my cousins played with me at Mercy,” Scott said. “And then I had two other cousins, or actually, four other ones, who played on Assumption. So we were always competing, and it was fun to play cousin-to-cousin matchups on the other side.”

A Legacy Built on Titles, Tradition, and Talent

The private Catholic schools located a few miles apart along Louisville’s busy Bardstown Road boast a strong sports tradition; volleyball is indisputably the pinnacle of their athletic programs.

Since 1979, Mercy has won seven state titles — the last time was in 2014 — and Assumption has earned 25. Head-to-head stats were a bit more difficult to come by. (High School Sports on SI placed a verbal request with KHSAA for that information, but didn’t receive a follow-up communication.)

Hulsmeyer has been involved with Mercy Volleyball since 2019, and its match record against Assumption from that year until this past November is 2-18. From 2001 through 2018, the head-to-head record is 40-11 in favor of the Assumption Rockets. Two notable seasons were in 2018 and 2014. In 2018, Assumption went 4-0 against the Jaguars, and in 2014, Mercy was 3-0 against the Rockets. The two programs have faced off in eight state title matches since 2001, the Rockets prevailing in all eight.

How the Rivalry Began — And Why It Still Endures

Assumption volleyball head coach Ron Kordes provides an insightful explanation of the genesis of the rivalry, which began nearly four decades ago. Kordes has led the Rockets for 37 seasons, beginning in 1989 when the program was a non-factor in Kentucky high school volleyball, understatedly overshadowed by Mercy and Notre Dame Academy. However, that didn’t last long.

“When I started that year, it was Mercy and Notre Dame everybody was chasing,” he said. “Mercy had won several state titles. Notre Dame obviously was the first one out of the gate when they sanctioned girls high school volleyball in the state. They were the initial target, and then Mercy jumped up in there.”

Assumption soon shifted the Mercy-Notre Dame paradigm that dominated high school volleyball, playing their way into the established two-team pattern.

“The first year I was here, we ended up playing Mercy in the (state) quarterfinals. They just beat us to death in the regular season,” Kordes explained. “So I don't think anybody thought we had a shot in the quarterfinals.”

The Rockets approached the match like they had nothing to lose, which they probably didn’t, and a rivalry was born.

“So we go out and upset them. And, for me personally, that's when it started. From then on, it's been one hell of a rivalry and a lot of fun.”

Alumni Spotlight: Why Former Stars Still Feel the Energy

Assumption alum, Anna DeBeer, an All-American player at Louisville who plays professionally for the Indy Ignite, said having Mercy on the schedule as opposed to not playing them made a huge difference in her high school volleyball experience.

Former Assumption player Anna DeBeer and Mercy Academy alum, Elena Scott, encourage each other on the court during a University of Louisville match in 2024. Once rivals, these two have played together for the past five years. / Chris Adams

“It definitely wouldn’t have been the same,” DeBeer said in an email. “That rivalry was something everyone looked forward to each season. It brought so much energy and excitement to the game. Playing in those matches made volleyball even more fun, not just for us as players but for the fans, too. The atmosphere, the build-up and the competition all made those moments unforgettable.”

She said each level of volleyball has its rivalries, and all are special, but the high school one comprises familiarity and childhood/adolescent bonds.

“The matches were always intense, emotional, and packed with fans, which really helped grow the game and made every season feel special…The Assumption–Mercy rivalry is unique because it’s so personal—many of us grew up playing against or with each other, and the local community is so invested.”

Scott underlines DeBeer’s sentiment, saying that the rivalry is something to aspire to.

“I think that having that rivalry is something that girls growing up could watch and look forward to, and look forward to themselves maybe playing in it one day,” she said.

What Today’s Seniors Say About the Rivalry

The current Mercy and Assumption seniors weighed in on the rivalry, offering their perspective on these yearly competitions. According to the Jaguar players, all of the matches during their time at Mercy have gone four to five sets.

These are some of the seniors’ comments.

“Yeah, it's definitely a really fun match to play because we're both really tough teams,” said Jaguar defensive specialist Reese Houston. “It’s going to be a long match regardless. It's never going to be a three-set game.”

“I would say rivals like Assumption, even Sacred Heart, they make the high school volleyball journey more fun,” said Mercy setter Addison Davis. “And I would say not a lot of schools in the state can say they have a rivalry like this. So it's very special that we get to play them.”

Mercy Academy volleyball warms up before practice Oct. 8, 2025. / Chris Adams

“I think Mercy has always been a competitive school for us because, you know, the environment. It's a hometown rivalry,” said Assumption libero Emily Keiran, an Auburn University commit, and the 2025 Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year. “So I think even if we have been winning, we still take into account that they are our rivals at the moment. Anything can happen with those kinds of games.”

The Future: Can Anyone Challenge Their Throne?

The storied rivalry is healthy and seems like it will be on steady footing for the foreseeable future, unless some upstart programs begin to usurp their dominance. But if that is a possibility, those programs are currently invisible.

The Assumption High School volleyball squad warms up Oct. 22, 2025. / Chris Adams

The draw and mystique around well-natured rivalries is something that can’t be overstated or cast aside.

“You know, obviously you want to beat your rival…that's what high school sports is all about,” Hulsmeyer commented. “It's the St. X-Trinity football game, it's the Mercy-Assumption volleyball game. That, to me, is why you participate in high school sports. These girls know each other, too. They're all friends for the most part, off the court, and sometimes that fuels the rivalry because you probably want to beat your friend more than you want to beat your enemy sometimes.”