The high school volleyball season is right around the corner, which means it’s time to release the 13th Region’s preseason top 10. Last season was interesting, to say the least, with Whitley County upending Corbin as the region champs. The big question is, can Corbin return the favor this season? Or will the Lady Colonels repeat? Or maybe, just maybe, someone else will unseat the Lady Colonels. It’s going to be interesting to see this fall.
1. Whitley County (25-15): The defending 13th Region champions graduated only two seniors from last season’s squad and look to be a major threat to repeat with a strong senior class returning, including 2022 13th Region Player of the Year, Marissa Douglas. Coach David Halcomb has done a fantastic job building the Lady Colonels into region contenders, and now they want to go even deeper than their Elite Eight run in the state tournament last season.
2. Corbin (21-11): The Lady Redhounds return the majority of their talent from last season after graduating only two seniors as well. Coach Vanessa Wiseman always has her team in the thick of things, and things won’t be any different this time around. Look for Corbin to be a major player in who will be crowned 13th Region champion this fall.
3. North Laurel (24-13): Coach James Hendrix did a fantastic job during his first year as Lady Jaguar coach, and I expect even bigger and better things to happen this season. North Laurel returns the bulk of its talent from last season’s 24-win team and could very well push Whitley County and Corbin for the 13th Region championship.
4. Bell County (24-10): Now, this is where things get a bit tricky. Six seniors graduated from last season’s squad, but I still believe the Lady Bobcats return enough talent to be considered the fourth-best team in the region. Gracie Jo Wilder returns and is regarded as one of the best players in the region, and the cupboard isn’t bare.
5. South Laurel (5-12): The Lady Cardinals turned in their worst season in program history, but I expect South Laurel to turn things around this fall. The Lady Cardinals return some talented players from a team that only won five games last season.
6. Pineville (11-16): Call me crazy, but I really like Pineville in this spot. Samantha and Jon North are putting something special together at Pineville, and don’t be surprised to see the Lady Mountain Lions make a lot of noise this season. A 51st District championship isn’t out of the question.
7. Knox Central (18-10): The Lady Panthers will try to repeat last season’s success, but a much-improved Pineville squad combined with the graduation of four seniors will make things tougher this season.
8. Harlan County (11-12): The Lady Black Bears hovered close to .500 the entire season last fall. I expect the same this season, but don’t be surprised if they pull off a big win or two as well.
9. Clay County (7-22): The Lady Tigers have taken some lumps the past few seasons, but I expect Clay County to have turned some things around this fall.
10. Barbourville (8-19): The Lady Tigers surprised some teams last season, and I expect them to surprise even more this fall. Keep an eye on this Lady Tiger bunch.
Best of the Rest:
11. Harlan (8-14): The Lady Green Dragons are pretty good and will look to compete for the 52nd District title this fall, along with putting together a deep postseason run.
12. Jackson County (13-17): The Lady Generals barely missed the top 10 this preseason, so keep an eye out on this team. They did graduate a lot of talent off last season’s squad.
13. Williamsburg (16-18): Graduation has hurt this team hard, but it won’t take the Lady Yellow Jackets long to make a move upward in the rankings.
14. Red Bird (8-17): The Lady Cardinals had a good season last fall and look to build on their recent success.
15. Middlesboro (1-18): The Lady Yellow Jackets’ lone win last season came against Lynn Camp. Middlesboro is hoping to be much-improved this season.
16. Oneida Baptist (1-20): The Lady Mountaineers are hoping to get back on track after a one-win season last fall.
17. Lynn Camp (0-21): The Lady Wildcats were one of the top teams in the region just a few years ago. It’s going to take some time, but they’re hoping to be more competitive this fall.
