Division IV Quarterfinals
Very much like in Division III, Division IV has a bit of the “Wild West” feel to it it like you wouldn’t be totally shocked no matter who are the last two teams standing on Saturday.
Top seed John Curtis looks strong winning 11 straight.
Defending Division IV State Champs Northlake Christian is also on fire with the longest current winning streak in the state at 12 straight.
You have the feeling like Newman, two years removed from winning it all could figure it out at any time.
And then there are teams remaining like No.2 LCA, No.6 Catholic High New Iberia, and No.8 Dunham all who moved from Division III to Division IV this season who you wouldn’t be surprised to go on a three-game win streak of their own this weekend.
Another “buckle your seatbelt” ride where the foreworks could start early.
No.1 John Curtis vs No.8 Dunham Thursday 9:00am
Opening up the tournament Thursday morning at 9:00am on Court 1 will be a match worth watching. The top-seed Patriots are as good as advertised. Makayla Morter is not only one of the top sophomores in the state, she’s one of the best players in the state. The power-hitting six-rotation outside hitter can terminate with the best of them. With a dynamic setter, a powerful middle, and a returning All-State libero John Curtis is loaded.
Dunham hasn’t been as consistent as they would like during the season, but they too possess young firepower led by sophomore setter Katie McDonald who already has registered 2,000 career assists. The Tigers enter the tournament fresh off a five-set battle against last season’s D4 Runner-Up Notre Dame winning the fifth set 16-14.
Let’s just say this is one is worth getting to the Cajundome early for.
Coach’s Comments
John Curtis
“We ended the season on a good note picking up four solid wins and securing the No.1 seed. We will use this momentum into the playoffs. We have a strong DIV bracket” Alyx Carter
Stats
John Curtis
Makayla Morter 416 kills/323 digs/51 blocks/62 aces
Ina Smith 257 kills/79 blocks/202 digs
Alyzia Cola-Grayson 806 assists/257 digs/50 aces/69 kills
Marissa Taix 431 digs/54 aces
No.4 Newman vs No.5 Calvary Baptist Thursday 9:00am
This one has a “pick’em” feel to it. And a lot depends on which Newman team shows up Thursday morning on Court 3. Two years removed from winning a state championship the Greenies just haven’t seemed to have hit their stride yet this season. Big hitters are there with Beahm, Lambert, and Young. And so far so good in the playoffs for Newman who have cruised into Lafayette without breaking a sweat in two matches.
As for Calvary Baptist, they will once again carry the torch for northwest Louisiana. can they become the first from their area to advance to the state semifinals? Well let’s just say they have some big time confidence based on an early season meeting with Newman that Calvary Baptist won back in September at the Ruston Tournament 26-24, 25-20.
Coach’s Comments:
Newman
“As we approach the quarterfinal round of the State Championship Tournament, we’re excited for the opportunity and focused on our goals. Our next opponent, Calvary Baptist, is a seasoned squad—battle-tested with some solid wins this season. Everyone who is left in our deep division has earned their spot and will bring their best to the court. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’ll be fun! We’re ready for some great volleyball this week!” Colleen Loerzel
Stats
Newman
Caroline Beahm 254 kills/59 aces/85 digsTay Young 276 killsJesse Lambert 176 kills/259 digs/52 acesCatherine Lapeyre 924 assists/215 digs
Kingsland LeBourgeois 449 digs
No.3 Northlake Christian vs No.6 Catholic N.I. Thursday 4:20pm
Maybe the “match on paper” of the day in Division IV. The defending champs are finally healthy and that means trouble for everyone else. Abby Bailey had her coming out party at the Cajundome last season and the big-hitting Southeastern signee rode that all the way to a state championship and Division IV Player of the Year honors. She’s at it again with what is unofficially a state-high in kills with 567.
It’s been over a month since NLC has lost a game, and along the way they have defeated three teams Slidell, Northshore, and Dutchtown) that are still playing this weekend at the Cajundome.
As for CHNI, all they did last year is make the state semifinals. In Division THREE!!! Gary Westcott’s team is a lot like Newman this year where they just haven’t seemed to figure it all out yet. Is this the weekend that they do? With seniors like outside hitter Saniya Raheem and setter Reese Molbert anything is possible.
Coach’s Comments:
Northlake Christian
“We are excited to head back to the quarterfinals. The team feels like they are united and working well together. We definitely have recovered from the rough start to our season, but I think that’s what has us where we are. The girls overcoming adversity all season long to where they understand that all they need to do is just play and enjoy the game they love. The coaching staff has been encouraging the girls to just play their game, be there for each other and do what they do best, fight hard. One of my favorite things about coaching this group is their love for each other first, then the game. They work hard and do not give up on easily.
We know Catholic has some big hitters and are going to be a competitive opponent. We know it will be a good quarterfinal game and I am excited to watch how the girls perform. I’m confident in our players, when we play loose and have fun is when we are successful, it’s seems odd but it’s our thing. If we’re smiling and having a good time you know we will stay successful.” Lindsay Donovan
CHNI
“My goal this year was to play an extremely tough schedule being I had an experienced group of players coming back from our semi final loss last year in Div 3. Our regular season was filled with “ups and downs” that I was not happy with. We lacked the consistency to really have the kind of year that I expected. We were the epitome of the “tale of two teams”, one day, extremely good, the next, not very good at all.
I have a few players that are just so hard on themselves that they mentally take their selves out the game, which causes way too many errors to beat the really good teams.
We are very balanced offensively, being senior setter, Reese Molbert, does such a good job spreading the ball around to everyone. It seems like every match we have somebody else step up to be our offensive leader. Defensively, sophomore Amelie Trappey does a really good job being aggressive, along with senior Libero, Addison Delcambre.
We are looking forward to using the experience of playing all the powerhouse teams that we played this year to make a deep run this year. Honestly, I think anybody 1-9 could beat each other in Div 4, so it will not be easy.” Gary Westcott
Stats:
NLC
#1 Khloe Duncan- 308 Kills, 362 Digs, 44 Aces, 53 blocks
#2 Abby Bailey – 567 Kills, 547 Digs, 34 Aces, 83 blocks
#4 Avery Olver 15 kills, 179 Digs,188 assist, 32aces
#5 Abigail Willie -23 kills, 287 digs, 20 aces , 778 assist ,7 blocks
CHNI
Reese Molbert 928 assists/344 digs
Amelie Trappey 287 kills/326 digs
Saniya Raheem 131 kills (63 sets played)/143 digs
Addison Delcambre 426 digs
No.2 LCA vs No.7 Sacred Heart Thursday 10:50am
LCA head coach Bryan Barrett has been confident about his team’s chance all season in Division IV. And for good reason. A 34-5 regular season and two playoff blowout wins has LCA right where they want to be.
As for Sacred Heart, Jay Jay Juan is fresh off career win No.800. His team went 28-7 during the regular season but never registered that big “signature win.” Coach Juan has won six state titles in his career, so he knows how to win in the State Tournament. So maybe the 2020 Division IV State Champs capture the magic this weekend?
Coach’s Comments
LCA
“Looking forward to playing JJ. We have been friends since we met back when I was at Teurlings. High school ball changes from year to year and athletes come and go but JJ always puts out a well disciplined team with a high court IQ. I’m going to spend the coming days trying to prepare my athletes for a long grinding 3 day tournament and all the many combinations of competition in our division this year.” Bryan Barrett
Sacred Heart
-What are your thoughts on playing LCA in the quarterfinals?”’
“Lafayette Christian is a strong team, and this matchup is particularly meaningful for me. Bryan and I go back a long way, and this is the first time we’re facing off in the state tournament. The last time I coached against him, he was at Teurling Catholic with Terry Hebert, so this feels like a special moment in our coaching careers.
Bryan has built a complete team. They have only lost 5 games and have over 30 wins this season. One of the measuring points of a successful season.. They have a well-balanced offense, and their defense is solid. For us to have a shot at winning, we need to play tough defense, stay disciplined, and serve well to disrupt their offensive flow. I’m confident in our team’s ability, but we’ll need to execute the game plan. That is what we plan to do for the next three days.”
-What did it mean to reach career coaching win No.800?
Reaching career win No. 800 was more than just a number for me. It symbolizes the culmination of over 25 years of hard work, dedication, and, most importantly, the support I’ve received along the way. It’s a reminder of the incredible people who have been part of my journey—the players who have worked so hard, the coaches who’ve been alongside me, and the mentors who believed in me when I was just starting out.It’s also about the lessons I’ve learned and the relationships I’ve built throughout my career. It’s not just about the wins on the scoreboard; it’s about the growth of the athletes, the challenges we’ve overcome together, and the memories we’ve created. Each win represents the collective effort of a team, the trust of those who took a chance on me, and the values passed down from my family. Reaching 800 wins means I’ve had the privilege of doing something I love for over two decades, and I’m incredibly grateful for every moment of that journey.” Jay Jay Juan
Stats
LCA
Grace Alexander 323 kills/356 digs/68 aces
Riley Oliver 210 kills
Ariyanna Etienne 274 kills/57 blocks/51 aces
Amirie Jeanbatiste 432 digs
Sydney Williams 753 assists/284 digs
Sacred Heart
Eleanor Lowe 265 kills
Elizabeth Alford 261 kills/37 blocks
Caroline Balart 276 digs/827 assists/59 aces
Ellis Habetz 207 digs/63 aces