Starting this Monday, eight of the region’s best volleyball teams will converge at Calloway County High School, as they compete for the First Region championship. Following Thursday afternoon’s draw, the first round matchups are now set in stone.
Starting with the yearly favorites, the McCracken County Lady Mustangs look poised to make yet another run at a regional title. Since the program’s inception, the Lady Mustangs have won 12 straight titles, losing just a single set in that span. The Lady Mustangs earned their way into the tournament by sweeping the Second District tournament, knocking off CCA in the championship. Standing in between the Lady Mustangs and title No. 13 first will be the Carlisle County Lady Comets, who enter play in the region having fallen short in the First District tournament against Hickman County. Monday night will be the first meeting between the two since 2023’s edition of the tournament, with the Lady Mustangs earning the 3-0 victory.
“We don’t play a lot of teams around here very much, so there’s still some things that we don’t know about a lot of these teams. But, we’re eager to watch some film and learn about them,” McCracken County head coach Chancie Coleman said, looking ahead to the regional tournament. “These girls have the constant pressure on them of knowing that if they lose, it’s going to be a big deal. They know a target’s on their back, but rather than letting that pressure crush them, they thrive under it.”
Staying on that side of the bracket, perhaps the biggest test in the field for the Lady Mustangs lies in Marshall County, fresh off their Fourth District championship victory. The Lady Marshals head into the region, winners of each of their last six matches, with each win coming in a sweep. For head coach Paige Fletcher and her Lady Marshals, the key next week will be in sticking to what’s gotten them here.
“These girls put a lot of pressure on themselves to win the district every year, they’ve worked hard this year and really earned it,” Fletcher said, following the Lady Marshals’ sixth straight Fourth District championship victory. “We just need to keep this energy up. It’s all about staying consistent, and sticking to our style of volleyball.”The Lady Marshals’ first test in the tournament will come in the form of the Ballard Memorial Bombers, who have impressed in tournament play this season, having won the First Region All “A” Classic earlier in the season. In two previous meetings this season, though, the Lady Bombers would fall short against Marshal, falling 3-2 in August before being swept in September.
Looking to the other half of the bracket, it’ll be another Third vs. Fourth District clash, as the Graves County Lady Eagles take on the hosting Calloway County Lady Lakers. On their way towards their fourth straight district title, the Lady Eagles caught fire through the final stretch of the season, stringing together six straight wins, including victories over both Mayfield and Ballard in tournament action. The Lady Eagles also head into the matchup against the Lady Lakers with recent history on their sides, having taken down Calloway 2-1 earlier in the season.
Finally, rounding out the first round matchups, the First District champion Hickman County Lady Falcons take on the runners-up out of the Second District in the Community Christian Lady Warriors. While CCA had dominated the series in recent memory, the Lady Falcons flipped the script in the two meetings between the teams this year, winning both matches.
The First Region Tournament will kick off on Monday night, with games split across Calloway County’s main gym and auxiliary gym. Graves vs. Calloway and Marshall vs. Ballard will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the auxiliary and main gyms, respectively, while Hickman vs. CCA and McCracken vs. Carlisle are slated for a 7:20 p.m. start time.