Destrehan traveled to face a tough Chapelle team for a round one road date in the Division I volleyball playoffs, where the Wildcats’ season came to a close.
Chapelle captured a 25-13, 25-9, 25-20 sweep of a Wildcats team that returned to the playoffs this season after a retooling campaign a season ago. No. 11 Chapelle (21-18) advanced to round two to face Northshore, where it won in a tough 5-game match to qualify for the state semifinals.
Destrehan, the No. 22 seed in Division I, had an upset on its mind and entered as a dangerous low seed for the Chipmunks. The Wildcats defeated Chapelle in a September 30 match at the CCA tournament, sweeping the best of three encounter.
This time, Chapelle shifted gears, said Destrehan head coach Adison Giambrone.
“The first time we saw a lot of deep cross balls … they showed something different, and we expected that,” Giambrone said. “They were really strong at the net and their middle blockers showed up real big. We played really well – we made some really awesome digs and played great defense. Offensively, it wasn’t the game we were hoping for and anticipating, but the effort was there.”
Hermione Shelton had seven kills for Destrehan. Khara Morton added five kills while Kamryn Boyne made four. Paris Richard made 13 digs.
For Chapelle, Haley Bellande made nine kills. Isabella McCann had eight and Ava Kirsch seven.
Despite the loss, the season was a strong one for Destrehan. The Ladycats doubled their win total of 11 from 2022 and highlighted the year with a 12-match winning streak that saw the team drop just one set throughout that run.
“That win streak was great for program morale,” said Giambrone. “The kids accomplished a lot this year. They worked hard in the classroom, on and off the court and had a great time together as friends. I’m very proud of them.”
The team will lose nine seniors going into next season, but Giambrone said there is excitement about a talented group of underclassmen who will be moving into expanded roles and moving up from JV.
“We also had two sophomores and two juniors get significant playing time. The freshman team really crushed it and the JV program also has us really excited. We’ve got some talented kids coming up that we know can help us,” she said.
Be the first to comment