LLOYD — After losing Thursday’s first game, Raceland coach Jason Clark was frustrated with his team. He ended the match with a smile on his face.

Raceland came back after losing the first game to take the next three and defeated district rival Greenup on Thursday (20-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-18).

After the first game, Clark let his team know his frustrations, especially star player Bre Grubb.

“After the first set he got on me and told me to be a leader, be who you are,” Grubb said. “My sister’s our back row libero and he was like ‘I have Grubb out there giving all that she’s got and the second one has to too.’

“It got in my head little bit, and I went out there and tried my hardest.”

Grubb responded with three aces and six kills in the next three games to help the Lady Rams’ front line against a Greenup County team that eliminated them in the 63rd District Tournament first round last season.

But Grubb wasn’t the only Raceland outside hitter making big plays. Junior Abby Brogan had 12 points come from her play, including seven kills against Greenup County’s tall players.

“Abby was a big part of our push in game 2 and a real big part of our push ingame 3,” Clark said. “I kept telling them to swing through it and if they block it they block it. We’re going to cover.

“We worked on that and worked on that in practice and I think we’re a pretty good cover team.”

Raceland (13-2) won 11 of its last 12, including a win over Ironton, where it lost the first set as well.

But Clark said the best thing about his team is when it comes down to it, they know how to win.

“These girls are battle-tested,” he said. “When you learn how to win, and you go into game 4 up 2-1, I got a good feeling these girls are going to close it out.”

After taking the first game, Greenup County could never make a stretch run to keep Raceland down. In fact, every time one team made a run, the other would match it.

Raceland made a six-point run in one game, and Greenup County came back to tie it. But it never seemed like Lady Musketeers could find a final push.

Greenup County (9-3) coach Lyndsey Thacker said her team just wasn’t connecting on their plays after that first game.

“We weren’t doing the basic fundamental things that we normally do,” Thacker said. “The team I watched tonight wasn’t the team I normally see. They were struggling with thier hits, their passing, their setting.”

Sophomore middle hitter Kymbria Williams made big strides for her team, getting 23 points from her play, including 11 kills, three aces and two blocks.

But while kills were big, her ability to just tap the ball over blockers was huge against Raceland.

Thacker believes that if she can gain more control, Williams will be able to take over a game in no time.

“She’s a phenomenal hitter when she’s relaxed,” Thacker said. “She doesn’t have a lot of composure yet. When she gets a clean set and a clean hit it’s phenomenal. But nerves get to her.

“But with time and experience that will change for her.”

Thacker’s entire team is young. Freshman Katlin Moore, who had six kills and an ace, and junior Cara Jorio (four kills and an ace) showed good play at the net with Williams.

“This team is young and trying to gain experience,” Thacker said. “It’s a district game, and our district is so tough to get out of. Every district point is so important.”

The four 63rd District teams — Raceland, Greenup County, Russell and Lewis County — have the top four win totals in the region.

They also all have losses from within the district.

“It’s unbelievable,” Clark said. “These are quality wins, but I also believe these are quality losses. Sometimes you can play equal or better teams, and if you lose you can learn from those mistakes.”

For Grubb, who has been playing varsity volleyball since sixth grade, she’s never seen the district have four possible region champions in it.

“Not this close,” she said. “It’s wide open, and whoever wants it the most on that night is going to get it.”