Corbin High School Volleyball Coach Krystal Jones said this year’s Lady Redhounds are entering the season with a focus that extends beyond wins and losses.
“I try not to measure success of a season based on wins and losses,” said Jones. “When our girls leave this program, I’m far more concerned with the human they are than any stat they report or put up.”
Jones said chemistry and accountability have become priorities throughout the program.
“We’re competing here as one team, so that has been really fun to watch,” said Jones. “You can have the greatest players, but if you don’t have chemistry, it does not mean anything.”
Jones said players use accountability partners to encourage teammates to support one another.
“It’s tough love, but it prepares them for life,” said Jones.
This year’s roster includes seven seniors.
“This is a very special group,” said Jones. “This was my first group at the middle school, and they were in eighth grade.”
Jones said one thing that stands out about the senior class is the way its members have embraced the younger players.
“There is no age. There is no divide,” said Jones. “If we’re having warmups, you will see the seniors with the eighth graders, or you will see the seniors with the freshmen.”
Rather than relying on one or two standout players, Jones said this year’s roster features balanced players who are capable of stepping into different roles throughout the season.
“We have a mix of experienced players and younger players,” said Jones. “This year, we’re gonna focus on using all the tools in the box, and that may look different from every set, or every game. That’s part of volleyball, being adaptable to whoever you’re playing.”
Last year, Corbin finished 26-14 season, including 8-2 in district play. Corbin will face a challenging schedule again this year, but Jones believes this will prepare the Lady Redhounds for post-season.
“I wanna expose them to all speeds and levels of the game,” said Jones. “We want to finish strong. It’s going to be really fun to watch them play some really high-level teams in the state.”
Jones said she’s looking forward to seeing the team’s work pay off throughout the season.
“They’re all adaptable, and they’re all hungry to win,” said Jones.
