Berwick to face district foe E.D. White in Division III playoffs

Berwick High School head volleyball coach Heather Templet didn’t have to search for information on her first-round opponent in the Division III postseason as her team will face one today they have already played twice this season.
The third time, however, the Lady Panthers, the No. 19 seed, are hoping they can top E.D. White, the No. 14 seed, when the two squads meet in Thibodaux today.
Berwick and E.D. White competed in District 8-III this season. E.D. White beat Berwick in five games in Berwick in early October 3-2 (26-24, 25-19, 18-25, 19-25, 12-15) and 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-19) last week.
E.D. White finished district play as the runner up, while Berwick was fourth.
Berwick enters today’s contest with a 14-22 mark after playing a schedule that features some qualify volleyball teams this year, including St. Thomas More, Ascension Episcopal, McGehee and Assumption.
Berwick coach Heather Templet said she thought her team had an excellent season.
“We really fought,” she said. “I stepped up our schedule this year. It was a lot more challenging, and I thought the girls responded. We had a little adversity when Alyssa Gray went down getting hurt, and so I’ve been really proud of the girls. They’ve made adjustments. We’ve had some younger people step in and kind of fill her role.”
E.D. White enters today’s game with an 11-25 overall mark after playing a schedule that featured a who-who of Louisiana volleyball powers including Teurlings Catholic, St. Thomas More, Mount Carmel and Metairie Park Country Day.
“They’re a young ball club as well, and they’ve really grown throughout the year,” Templet said. “They had a couple of key players that we’re going to focus on tomorrow. Some good young players. Their outside hitters are really talented as well as their setters, so really for us it’s going to be able to serve-receive and pass and hopefully our offense can step up and come through.”
Including district opponents, the teams have seven common opponents this season.
The differences are E.D. White beat Terrebonne in their lone matchup and swept Morgan City.
Berwick took one of three contests against Terrebonne this year.