The Christian County Lady Tigers didn’t need much improvement during the first two sets Monday night. The third set was a different story — and it gave Head Coach Zach Hardison’s team an opportunity to show what “OK. Get Better!” looks like in action.
The phrase is part of Christian County High School’s Eye of the Tiger mindset, alongside attacking challenges, choosing discipline and relentlessly pursuing growth. For the Lady Tigers, Monday’s District 8 matchup with Fort Campbell provided a perfect example: when something isn’t working, recognize it, make the adjustment and get better.
What was expected to be a showdown for first place in the district standings quickly tilted in Christian County’s direction. The Lady Tigers controlled the opening set from the start, rolling to a 25-7 victory.
Christian County was just as dominant in the second. The Lady Tigers jumped ahead 8-0 and never allowed Fort Campbell to find its rhythm, taking the set 25-12 and moving within one set of the sweep.
Then Fort Campbell challenged them.
The Lady Falcons came out strong in the third set and built an 8-3 advantage. After controlling nearly every part of the match to that point, Christian County suddenly had to play from behind.
The Lady Tigers’ response told the story.
Christian County worked its way back instead of allowing the early deficit to grow. The Lady Tigers pulled even at 13-13 and then took over, outscoring Fort Campbell 12-1 the rest of the way to win the set 25-14 and complete the 3-0 sweep.
It wasn’t about playing a perfect match. It was about recognizing when the match had changed, responding to the challenge and getting better.
Hardison said he was pleased with the way his team played, and the Lady Tigers received contributions throughout the lineup.
Madysen Taggart led the attack with 10 kills and a block, while Taylor Cantrell finished with seven kills, an ace and a block. Kiley Lambert and Carly Armstrong combined for nine kills and two blocks, giving Christian County multiple threats at the net.
Bailey Brown helped keep the offense moving with 23 assists while adding five aces and a block of her own.
With Monday’s victory, Christian County improved to 9-6 overall and remained unbeaten at 2-0 in District 8 play. More importantly, the Lady Tigers showed they could respond when a match stopped going according to plan.
That response will become increasingly important as the season continues. Christian County travels Thursday night to face defending Region 2 champion Henderson County, giving Hardison and his team another opportunity to measure themselves against one of the region’s top programs.
Monday night showed a Lady Tigers team capable of taking control from the opening serve. The third set showed something more — when the momentum shifted and they found themselves behind, they didn’t stay there.
They adjusted. They responded. They got better.
