LHSAA/State Farm Volleyball State Tournament Playoffs move to semifinals

 

The LHSAA/State Farm State Volleyball Tournament got underway yesterday at the Pontchartrain
Center in Kenner featuring four St. Tammany teams, which advanced to the quarterfinal action.
In Division I, the No. 9 seeded Fontainebleau Lady Bulldogs, last year's state runner up, bowed out in the quarterfinals last night, falling to No. 1 seed St. Joseph's Academy. St. Joe's took the match, 25-16, 29-27, 25-8. St. Joseph's Academy now advances to the semifinals scheduled for this afternoon at 3:30, squaring
off with No. 5 seed St. Amant, which swept No. 4 seed East Ascension.
In Division II, Lakeshore's Lady Titans, the No. 2 seed, advanced downing No. 7 Sam Houston, in four games, 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, 26-24 in a tightly contested match. The 36-6 Lady Titans advance to this afternoon's semifinals and battle No. 6 Vandebilt Catholic, which defeated No. 3 Breaux Bridge. 
the No. 5 seed St. Scholastica Academy Doves kept alive, squeaking out a thrilling come-from-behind five-set match victory over No. 4 Ben Franklin. The Doves dropped the first two games, 20-25, 17-25 before mounting a ferocious comeback winning games three through five, 25-19, 25-19, 15-9. SSA's Maddie Morris delivered 16 kills, seven digs and two aces in a balanced attack. Jessica Lucio
contributed 15 kills and 11 digs, while Gabby Chaix cane through with 12 kills and two blocks. Emma Estapa converted 45 assists, while Madeline Luke added 13 digs and Natalie Helm played tough at the net with four blocks.
SSA, 26-15, advances to this afternoon's semifinal match, facing off with No. 1 seed St. Thomas More, which swept Cabrini to advance. The SSA-St. Thomas More match gets underway this afternoon at 1:40 on Court 1.
In Division IV quarterfinal action, the No. 5 seed Pope John Paul II Lady Jaguars' season came to a close as they were defeated by No. 4 Riverside Academy in four games. Riverside won in a spirited, tightly contested match, 26-24, 25-15, 23-25, 25-27. The Lady Jaguars coached by Earl Gervais and Danny Tullis failed to wilt under the pressure after dropping the first two games. PJP II's Christina Cutura topped the Lady Jags with 21 kills and two aces followed by her sister Marlena Cutura with 11 kills and 20  digs. Milayne Danna pulled up a team-high 21 digs and Allison Hartman added 11 kills. Bailee Maillet netted 47 assists.