Volleyball

Corbin experienced a first last week when the Lady Redhounds made history. First of all, they were the first team other than Rockcastle County to win the 13th Region Volleyball Tournament.
Secondly, they were the first team from the 13th region to ever win a game at the state tournament. Just think that could be a triva question some day.
But, as far as competing with the teams from Louisville, Northern Kentucky and even Lexington, our area of the state is far behind. Much like softball. Fast pitch softball is 10 years old and we (East Kentucky) are still trying to catch the teams from the Western part of the state.
It just seems we are farther behind in volleyball. However, it is mostly the priviate schools that are ruling the volleyball scene. In 28 years of state championship play, no public school as ever won the state title. And no public school has ever been to the finals.
Only five public schools have ever made the finals, Beechwood, Boone County, Campbell County, PRP and South OIdham. None out of the northern Kentucky or Jefferson County area.
I can go a little farther. The 45 public schools have a 58-183 record in state tournament play while the 16 private schools are 325-144.
What would it take to reach the level of the Louisville, Northern Kentucky areas? “We would have to start much younger with the proper skills. We would have to start in the primaries,” said Corbin coach Alecia Elwell. “We would have to have middle school feeder programs because all those schools already have middle school programs.”
Elwell made an excellent point saying. “They are not taking them as freshmen and teaching them how to play volleyball, they know that. They are improving their skills by the time they reach high school.”
Elwell hopes to see Corbin return to state next year with four returning stanters. “They now know what all of this feels like,” she said. “They know what it takes to get there.”