MURFREESBORO -- South Greene remains alive in the TSSAA State Volleyball Tournament, rolling past Crockett County on Wednesday afternoon in an elimination game after losing in their first-round contest.

The Lady Rebels will play today at 2:30 p.m. against the loser of a morning contest between Christ Presbyterian Academy and Chattanooga Christian. The winner advances to another elimination game at 5:30, while the loser heads back home.

After getting blitzed in three straight games by Red Bank (25-11, 25-14, 25-12), Coach Amy Hawk was glad to see her Rebels respond later in the day. They dominated Crockett County 25-17, 25-19, 25-15.

"We didn't want to come down here and lose two straight, so I'm happy for the girls," Hawk said. "We obviously played with much more confidence against Crockett County."

That confidence was not there against Red Bank of Chattanooga, a perennial state power and a team that competed for the Class AAA championship last year but moved down to Class AA this season.

"They are a top notch volleyball team that has competed on a higher level for a number of years," Hawk said. "Crockett County was more like us; more like the teams that we have played against this year."

Passing the ball was a key in the victory, Hawk said.

"We passed the ball better and were able to get more hits," she said. "We had too many free balls against Red Bank, just trying to get the ball back in play. At the state tournament I think you have to be on the attack."

Shelby Hicks came up big in the win with a number of vicious kills, with senior setter Rechelle Dye giving her some perfect sets and senior Chelsea Renner playing good defense with her ability to come up with digs. Brandi Crum also played well at the net, Hawk said.

"And our freshmen (Maelyn Cutshaw and Javan Wilhoit) also played well," she said. "At one time we had three freshmen on the floor (Cutshaw, Wilhoit and Konnor Donahue)."

The Rebels took the lead for keeps at 8-7 in the first game on a service ace by Crum. Wilhoit served up three winners late to stake the Rebels to a 22-15 lead, and they put the Cavaliers away on a kill by Cutshaw at 25-17.

Just like the first game, the Rebels took over early in the second game, breaking a 6-6 tie to take the lead for keeps. Leading 13-11 after a kill by Jasmine Johnson got the Cavs close, Jenna Shaw took over at serve for South Greene and the Rebs went on a roll to score seven unanswered points.

Crockett got it back to 23-19 late, but the Rebels closed out game two with a comfortable 25-19 margin.

Hicks was effective at the net in the third game, and so was Cutshaw, as the Rebels shook free again at 5-5 and led the rest of the way. Renner's serving got the Rebs out front 17-10, and they coasted home with a 25-15 win to sweep the Cavs.

The Rebels had no answer for the imposing front line of Red Bank in the opening loss. It was a kill-fest as the Lady Lions effectively set the ball up to their big players, who knocked down the ball effortlessly to take a 25-11 win in the first game.

The Rebels played better in game two and held an 11-9 lead before the Lions took charge again, reeling off 12 straight points behind the spikes of Becca Paturalski, Ashley Reed and Courtney Lawson, to move to a 25-14 victory.

The Rebs never led in the third game as the Lions closed them out at 25-12.