Photo courtesy or the Times Tribune Harlan's Taylor Cochran went up for a ball at the net during a loss to Corbin in the first round of the 13th Region Tournament at Lynn Camp on Monday.

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CHRIS PARSONS

The Times Tribune

Staff Writer

LYNN CAMP — The Corbin Lady Redhounds took the first step toward defending their 13th Region Championship from last year with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-13 and 25-4) win over Harlan Monday.

Despite the fact they were able to cruise to the win in straight set, Corbin coach Liberty Roberts said she was concerned with the way her team started the first set against the Lady Dragons.

“Sometimes the girls get it in their mind that they don’t have to play hard with certain opponents and that is something I’m really trying to get them to move past,” Roberts said. “They should play every game like they’re fighting for a point and they don’t yet.

“I think they picked it up in that last set,” she added. “I told them that we’ve got one practice between now and the championship game, if we make it, so we’ve got to pick it up.”

Harlan jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set, but the Lady Redhounds were able to restore order by tying things up at five apiece. From that point, Corbin used a 14-3 run to take a commanding 19-8 lead.

Harlan was able to trim the gap a few times, but the Lady Redhounds closed the set out for the 25-14 win.

The two teams traded points in the early stages of the second set, but Corbin was able to grab the momentum and eventually seal the 25-13 win.

The third set was one of the most dominant efforts the Lady Redhounds have put forth all season, sprinting out to a 16-0 lead before Harlan coach Tara Posey used a mass substitution, benching every starter for a bench player, to try and get back in the match.

The Lady Dragons were able to rally for a few points after the switch, but in the end, Corbin was too much as they closed things out for the 25-4 win.

“Like I said, we were able to get things together in the third set and play a little more like ourselves,” Roberts said. “That’s something we have to work on if we want to continue to get better.”

After arriving early to take in some of the first match between Jackson County and Knox Central, Roberts said she feels like her team will match up well against the Lady Generals when they meet in the semifinals Wednesday.

“We’ve played them this year and we know they are a good team,” she said. “They can play a few different ways and either way, our kids have to come out and play their best to get the win.”