LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — In what very well could be a preview of the 13th Region volleyball final, Corbin outlasted South Laurel Thursday night in five sets, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-13.

“We’re big rivals and both teams are going to play their hardest,” South Laurel coach Fawn Greer said. “I think both teams are pretty equal.”

South Laurel (3-1) was its own worst enemy in the fifth set, giving Corbin (5-0) six points on serves.

“Those net serves,” Greer said. “You’re giving a point to the other team. When you give them six points on serves alone it’s tough.”

Throughout all five sets, both teams gave it their all, diving to keep a point alive, and battling for every point at the net. It was there that saw some of the best action with South’s Taylor Arthur, C.J. Johnson and Alyson Croley battling Corbin’s Vanessa Wiseman, Chelsea Brock and Catie Tucker.

“I think their blocking was really good tonight,” Greer said. “We’re going to work more on blocking, transitioning to the blocks on the outside. We’re not closing the gaps.”

The largest lead either team could manage in the fifth set was three, when South Laurel led early, 3-0. There were eight ties and eight lead changes.

An ace by Josey Mounce tied the set at 11-11. South would then go up 13-11 on another Mounce ace. On the next point, Mounce made a great diving save to keep it alive, but the Lady Cards let the ball drop, giving Corbin the point and the serve.

Brianna Shrout started things with an ace and ended things the same way. Her first ace tied the match, 13-13. The Lady Cards then couldn’t get the ball over in the allotted three tries on the next point, followed by the game-winning ace.

The first set was close early, tied 8-8 before Wiseman took over. A block of Johnson, followed by a points, put Corbin up, 12-8 before Hannah Norris sent her next serve into the net. The Lady Redhounds also struggled throughout the match with serves.

South battled back, and when Tara Deaton took over, she was able to get them the lead with an ace at 14-13. But her next serve sailed wide.

The set would be tied one more time, 15-15, before Corbin and Wiseman took control. Her kill tied the set, then she took over serving, recording two aces and a kill from the back line for an 18-15 lead. Corbin took the set, 25-18.

South Laurel would grab control of the second set and never let up. By the time Corbin reached double digits, South Laurel was up, 17-10. The Lady Redhounds did manage to pull back to within four, 24-20, but a bad serve by Norris gave South the set, 25-20.

Now it was Corbin’s turn to seize control early, racing out to an 8-2 lead in set three. But three points by Arthur, and an ace from Mounce, cut that lead to 8-6.

Both teams continued battling back and forth. The set was tied at 10-10 before Corbin took a 14-10 lead. South would come back and tie the match 15-15 on a point from Johnson. Once Corbin got the serve back, it controlled the rest of the set for the 25-21 win and a 2-1 lead.

Set four, like the previous three, was another titanic battle. South took the lead on a set by Deaton and a kill from Arthur to make it 9-8. Then the two teams traded net serves before Deaton set Johnson for a kill to make it 11-9.

South pulled out to an 18-15 lead thanks to a point from Arthur, then when Amy Cummins took over serving, South reeled off three straight points to make it 21-16 before a Wiseman kill gave Corbin the serve.

But the Lady Cards held off Corbin down the stretch, pulling away for the 25-21 win, tying the match, 2-2, and setting up the thrilling third set.

South Laurel will host North Laurel Tuesday.

sports@sentinel-echo.com