State Tournament Preview: Regions 13-16

<p>The 16 region champions are locked in for the 2020 KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament, which will open at various sites on Monday, Nov. 2.</p> <p>A look at the champions from regions 13-16 follows. </p> <p><strong>Corbin (Region 13):</strong> A fixture in the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament, Corbin has captured four straight Region 13 titles. Corbin outlasted Whitley County 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-10, 25-20) in the 2020 13th Region title match. Senior middle hitter Morgan Stacy leads Region 13 powerhouse Corbin. Stacy is the 2020 KVCA Region 13 Player of the Year. Along with Stacy, Corbin (14-5) features junior outside hitter/setter Emma Krutsinger, junior outside hitter Chloe Adams, senior right side/setter Cara Whitus, sophomore defensive specialist Emma Ashurst, senior right side Hannah Baker and junior libero/setter Isley Walker. Corbin will face Henry Clay in the first round of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament on Monday, Nov. 2. </p> <p><strong>Wolfe County (Region 14):</strong> Determined Wolfe County shut out Knott County Central 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-20) in the 2020 14th Region Volleyball Tournament title match. Wolfe County captured the region championship after knocking off reigning champion Breathitt County in the 55th District title contest. Sophomore setter/defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id="68149" first="Ginger" last="Johnson"], senior defensive specialist/right side Elizabeth Stokes, senior middle hitter/outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="68095" first="Hailey" last="Stone"], junior defensive specialist/libero Averie Brownell and junior middle hitter/outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="68118" first="Kaylee" last="Elam"] are among the leaders for current 14th Region frontrunner Wolfe County, which will meet Notre Dame in the first round of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament on Monday, Nov. 2. </p> <p><strong>Paintsville (Region 15):</strong> Returning to the top of Region 15, Paintsville (19-2) outlasted rival Pikeville 3-2 (25-27, 25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 15-10) to punch its ticket for the 2020 KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament. Paintsville’s talent-heavy roster includes senior outside hitter Hadley Hardin, sophomore middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id="68151" first="Hailey" last="Little"], sophomore outside hitter Kara Ward, sophomore setter [player_tooltip player_id="106663" first="Bella" last="Blackburn"], sophomore middle hitter/outside hitter Blair Ratliff and junior defensive specialist/libero Mattie Ratliff. Paintsville will face Russell in the first round of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament on Monday, Nov. 2.</p> <p><strong>Russell (Region 16):</strong> Making its way back to the top of Region 16, Russell (19-2) blanked reigning champion Rowan County 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) to claim a title and advance to the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament. Russell features KVCA Region 16 Player of the Year McKenna Barfield, a senior middle hitter. Along with Barfield, Russell’s key players include junior libero Jenna Fitch, junior setter Emily Ruggles, junior outside hitter/middle hitter Christin Corey, junior middle hitter/outside hitter Mallory Allen, senior outside hitter/right side Jadyn Green, sophomore setter/outside hitter Tori Hester and junior setter [player_tooltip player_id="68121" first="Sadie" last="Hill"]. </p>