Lafayette continues growing pains in first boys volleyball season with loss to East (Kansas City)
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In previous springs, Lafayette High School’s gym sat mostly quiet as outdoor sports took center stage. However, in 2025, that changed. The gym is now alive with many sounds and sights, as the Fighting Irish are in the midst of their inaugural MSHSAA-sanctioned boys volleyball season.
The program’s growing pains continued Tuesday evening, as visiting East (Kansas City) handed Lafayette its fourth straight loss, sweeping the match 25-17, 25-18, 25-8. The Bears improved to 4-3, while the Irish dropped to 3-9-1.
“We got a lot of guys that are competitive on this team, and sometimes they lose their patience because they want to see results right away,” head coach Gary Wilkinson said. “We have to remind them, ‘Hey, it’s your first year, you know, and they’re doing great,’ but they’re kids, so they can forget. It’s a process, and they just want to see results instantly. As far as this season’s been going, I mean, they post results. They’ve gotten better each set.”
Lafayette struck first, though it didn’t come easily. After what appeared to be the opening point on a Bryan Torres spike, East managed to keep the rally alive, eventually returning the ball until Michael Wright hammered home a kill to put the Irish on the board.
The opening set featured a back-and-forth battle early on. Down 7-6, Lafayette knotted the score as Camareo Goodwin Jr. dropped a well-placed shot into the upper left corner. Miscues began to pile up for Lafayette, and East seized momentum. The set ended when a serve from Tah Toh Shee was mishandled and sent out of bounds.
“I mean, as far as their IQ, their effort, their energy, their talking to each other, that’s something that still needs a lot of work on,” Wilkinson said. “They touch base on all those things, and again, like I said, it’s a new game to them, so we can only expect so much.”
The second set brought hope. Lafayette opened with a 4-0 run, energized by a lively bench and vocal fans. After East answered with a 5-0 run of its own, both teams traded points. Lafayette pulled ahead by three after Carl Marecheong flicked a backward bump over his head, catching the Bears off guard.
But that momentum didn’t last. East adjusted, began winning points at the net, and capitalized on another Lafayette net violation to seal the second set.
“It’s been kind of a repetitive scenario throughout the season. We put together two great sets and then, you know, we get our heads down, and we can’t seem to dig ourselves out of that hole,” Wilkinson said. “That’s what I’m trying to tell the kids, ‘Hey, we got to keep our heads up, we got to push through this because we’re right there,’ and when we figure it out, we’re going to be fine.”
The third set was all Bears, as they jumped out early and never looked back, running away with a dominant finish to move above the .500 mark. For Lafayette, the debut season remains one of trial and growth. But even in defeat, Wilkinson sees signs of a promising future.
“It’s a new sport, so you expect kids to just come out to see what it’s like, and we’re all here for fun, for sure, but we like to win, too,” Wilkinson said. “The kids, they’re bought in, and they do take it serious, that’s awesome. I think that’s just going to lead to more growth throughout this sport, and I can’t wait to see who it brings in.”
Lafayette returns to action Monday with a road trip to Central (Kansas City).
