Experienced junior class highlights Berwick volleyball

A large junior class featuring experience highlights the 2015 edition of the Berwick High School volleyball team.
Berwick has nine juniors on its varsity squad this year, and multiple players saw a lot of playing time a year ago on a squad that finished 21-16 and advanced to the regional round of the Division III playoffs before falling at Rayne.
“The best thing with those (then) sophomores is they started last year, so they’ll be starting again this year,” Berwick coach Heather Templet said.
Among those now-juniors returning with experience and set to be playing varsity this year include Sydney Aucoin, Mary Jordan Melancon, Rosalyn Gros and Jordan Lipari, Templet said. A few others also received playing time and will help out this season.
The juniors will be joined by the squad’s two seniors, Ashton Morales and Madeleine Hover, to comprise the Lady Panthers upperclassmen in 2015.
Berwick lost just three seniors from its 2014 squad, Abigail Askew, Rennen DeLatte and Hannah Carpenter. Carpenter was a first-team All-District 6-III libero, while Askew was a second-team all-district middle hitter.
Morales, a first-team all-district selection for the Lady Panthers at middle hitter/setter, will again see time at both positions.
Melancon also will be setting and will play right-side hitter for the Lady Panthers.
Meanwhile, Aucoin will move from left-side hitter to the middle hitter spot to replace Askew.
As for the other spots on the court, Templet said early this month that she has others battling for the spots.
“It’s really good competition, so it’s going to take me a little while to decide,” Templet said.
However, that competition is a good thing. “The girls are pushing each other,” Templet said.
Among the highlights of Berwick High School’s nondistrict schedule this season include a match at St. John of Plaquemine, a Division V semifinalist a year ago, to open the season, while in late September, Berwick will travel to face Assumption, the 2014 Division II state runner-up.
Near the end of October, Berwick will travel to face Newman, the Division IV state runner-up a year ago.
“I have a pretty heavy schedule,” Templet said. “I think there’s a lot of teams that are going to challenge us, but I think we’ll be ready for that. We’re there. We’re now to the point that we can challenge some of these teams.”
Berwick’s schedule also will feature the Assumption Tournament, the Terrebonne Tournament and trips to Baton Rouge to the Woodlawn tournament and Episcopal of Baton Rouge’s tournament.
“Baton Rouge is real heavy on the bigger class teams, the 4A, 5A teams, so we’re going to get to see a lot of people,” Templet said. “The Woodlawn Tournament actually draws people from all over the state. … So it’s just going to be getting a different look at people besides the people you see every day.”
In District 6-III play, Berwick retains E.D. White and Morgan City. While Patterson and Lutcher are gone, Vandebilt Catholic and Franklin join the group.
“You go from one hard district to another hard district, basically,” Templet said. “Just swap out people based on mileage. You still have the same competition.”
E.D. White was a Division III semifinalist a year ago, while Vandebilt Catholic moves down from Division II where it made the regional round of the postseason.