Four area teams advance to state volleyball semifinals
Dunham, U-High, Hannan, and St. Michael won their Division IV, III, and II quarterfinal matches at the Cajundome on Thursday.
By Mariam Saleh ·
Four Baton Rouge area schools advanced to the state volleyball semifinals on Thursday after winning their quarterfinal matches at the Cajundome in Lafayette. The teams will return to the court on Friday to compete for a spot in the state final.
In Division IV, No. 2 Dunham defeated No. 10 Houma Christian in three sets. The Tigers took the first set 25-5. Houma Christian closed the gap in the second set to 20-17, but Dunham finished the set with five consecutive points to win it 25-17. Dunham won the third set 25-8 to end the match. The Tigers improved to a 31-6 record.
Kennedi Owens recorded eight kills and nine digs for Dunham. Katherine McDonald led the team with five aces and 24 assists. Bree Mills contributed seven kills and seven blocks. Coach Meagan Herrington said the team served aggressively in all three sets. Dunham plays No. 11 John Curtis at 10 a.m. Friday.
In Division III, No. 1 U-High beat Berwick in straight sets. The Cubs led the first set 14-8 and won it 25-13. U-High won the second set 25-13 and the third set 25-9. The team improved to a 27-3 record. Monet Temple led the team with 14 kills. Olivia Jefferson and Hailey Hurst each had seven kills. Grace Kiffin recorded 18 assists. U-High faces No. 4 Haynes at 11:50 a.m. Friday.
No. 2 Hannan defeated No. 7 Parkview Baptist in four sets. Parkview won the first set 25-22. Hannan won the second set 27-25 after the score was tied 12 times. Hannan took the third set 25-18 and the fourth set 25-13 to win the match. Parkview Baptist’s season ended with a 19-18 record. Marin Price recorded 24 kills for Parkview.
No. 3 Iota defeated No. 6 Lutcher in five sets. Lutcher won the first two sets 25-23 and 25-22. Iota won the third set 25-18 and the fourth set 27-25 to force a fifth set. Iota won the final set 15-7 to complete the comeback. Lutcher’s season ended with a 22-17 record. Neely Ruiz recorded 10 kills for Lutcher.
In Division II, No. 6 St. Michael swept No. 3 St. Scholastica in three sets. St. Michael trailed 10-6 in the first set but won it 25-22. In the second set, St. Scholastica led 23-14. St. Michael scored 11 straight points to tie the game at 24-24. Skylar Towner recorded four consecutive kills to help St. Michael win the set 27-25. St. Michael won the third set 25-17 to secure the victory. The Warriors improved to a 24-16 record.
Towner finished the match with 15 kills. Aliza Gary recorded 11 kills. Coach Latashia Wise-Jackson said the team often stops playing when it reaches 15 points in a set. St. Michael plays No. 10 Academy of Our Lady at 1:40 p.m. Friday.
