CCHS returns to state tournament after sweeping CHPC

After a one-year hiatus, Central Catholic’s volleyball team once again has punched its ticket to the state volleyball tournament at the Pontchartrain Center with Thursday’s 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-17) win against Catholic High-Pointe Coupee in Division V regional volleyball action in Morgan City.
No. 14 Central Catholic hit for a blistering 0.481 clip in the match with 43 kills and just six errors on 77 attempts.
Central Catholic coach Latashia Wise said she came into the match expecting a five-game match like the first time the teams met, and she said she was surprised her squad finished the job in three sets.
“I knew Pointe Coupee was going to come out and play well. I just think through not playing … we hadn’t played in two weeks, I think the girls (were) very anxious and they came out and they played tough from the beginning. The second set, we had a little serve-receive issues, which is to be expected. I’ve been saying all year we’re inconsistent sometimes but we got out of it. I was shocked that in a playoff of this caliber we came back from it, we fought and we got out of it to win the second set.”
With the win, the Lady Eagles advance to the Pontchartrain Center on Nov. 10 where they will face a familiar foe, District 6-V runner-up and No. 5 seed Houma Christian. Central Catholic beat Houma Christian two weeks ago in five sets to capture the District 6-V title.
On Thursday, Houma Christian knocked off No. 12 seed First Baptist Christian 3-0 (25-11, 26-24, 25-23).
While a time for the quarterfinal match has not been set, Wise said “it’s a good feeling” returning to the Pontchartrain after the Lady Eagles’ run of appearances ended last year with a regional round loss to eventual state runner-up Ascension Episcopal.
“It’s a great feeling, especially for these young girls to get that opportunity, to get that experience to go back to the Pontchartrain Center,” she said.
In game 1 of Thursday’s match, Central Catholic, ahead 16-13, pulled away with a 6-0 run that began with Catholic High of Pointe Coupee service error and included two kills by Hallie Autin before Emma Aucoin finished the run with an ace.
While No. 13 Catholic High broke the run with a kill by Maecie Vince to make the score 22-14, Central Catholic recorded the game’s last three points via kills by Yani Johnson and Sydney Williams and a Johnson block to conclude the set.
In game 2, things were close throughout much of the match, with either the set tied or Catholic High ahead.
Central Catholic tied the match for the final time at 18 on Taylor Picou’s kill and reeled off the next three points via an Autin kill, a Catholic High hitting error and a Central Catholic block for a 21-18 lead, prompting a Catholic High timeout.
While Catholic High cut its deficit to 22-20 on a Central Catholic hitting error, prompting Wise to call timeout, Central Catholic scored three of the game’s next five points, ending the set on Johnson’s kill just inside the back line for a 25-22 victory.
In game 3, Central Catholic took as much as an 11-3 lead after a Catholic High hitting error.
While Catholic High cut its deficit to as little as four on multiple occasions, the last on a kill by Brynne Babin for a 19-15 deficit, the Hornets never got any closer. Autin closed the match with a kill for the 25-17 win and a trip to the Pontchartrain Center.
Autin led Central Catholic in the match with 12 kills, 11 digs and one solo block. Other top contributors included Katie Hoffpauir, 16 assists and three digs; Picou, two kills, 11 assists and five digs; Johnson, 10 kills, four digs and three solo blocks; Quincee Wiggins, four kills and 12 digs; Emma Aucoin, three kills, one ace and seven digs; Sydney Williams, seven kills, two digs and one solo block; Brooke Lipari, one assist and eight digs; and Caroline Green, one dig and two solo blocks.