Acadiana Well Represented in State Volleyball Playoffs
The LHSAA volleyball playoffs begin today with bi-district round action, and the Acadiana region is well represented in this year's brackets.
In all, 27 teams from the area are competing for state championships in this year's tournament. First-round games will take place today and tomorrow, while second-round games are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The playoffs culminate with the LHSAA State Volleyball Tournament at the Cajundome next week. Quarterfinal matchups will be played on Thursday, November 11. Semifinal matches will take place on Friday, November 12. The five state championships matches will be played on Saturday, November 13.
Here are some of the major storylines to watch during this year's playoffs.
In Division I, most of the schools in the Lafayette/Lake Charles district (known in other sports as District 3-5A) are in the bottom half of the bracket. Sulphur and Comeaux will face each other in opening round action. Should the winner of that match advance to the quarterfinals, they could possibly face either Acadiana, who hosts Baton Rouge in the bi-district round, or Barbe, who plays at Terrebonne in the first round. Lafayette and New Iberia could potentially meet in the second round. Should that happen, the winner of that match could possibly face district rival Sam Houston in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Southside is the only member of the district in the top half of the bracket. They host Chalmette on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
In Division II, Acadiana's two volleyball dynasties are on a collision course to meet in the state championship game. St. Thomas More is the top seed in the bracket, while Teurlings is the number-two entry. Teurlings has won eight straight state titles. STM had won six of seven state titles in Division II before Teurlings moved into the classification from Division III. Last year, Teurlings beat STM in the Division II championship game. The year before that, the Rebels bounced the Cougars in the state semifinals. That said, STM gained a measure of revenge against Teurlings this season. The Cougars beat the Rebels in the second-to-last week of the regular season to help secure its top-seed in the division.
Division IV could also see an all-Acadiana state championship match. Ascension Episcopal is the top seed in that bracket, while Notre Dame is the #2 seed. Lafayette Christian Academy is also a strong contender for the state title in that bracket. LCA is ranked at fifth in the bracket. In the bottom half of the bracket, Catholic High-New Iberia is the six seed.
In Division V, two-seed Westminster, three-seed Episcopal School of Acadiana, and five-seed Academy of the Sacred Heart are all in the bottom half of the bracket. Westminster could face ASH in the state quarterfinals, while either of those teams could meet Westminster in the semifinals.
Division III features two all-Acadiana first-round contests. Rayne faces North Vermilion, and Berwick faces Crowley. In all, 10 Acadiana teams compose the Division III bracket, with fifth-seed Iota leading the way.
Here are all of the Acadiana first-round pairings:
DIVISION I
28. Chalmette at 5. Southside
19. Comeaux at 14. Sulphur
22. Baton Rouge at 11. Acadiana
18. Hahnville at 15. Lafayette
31. New Iberia at 2. St. Joseph's Academy
DIVISION II
32. McKinley at 1. St. Thomas More
17. Cecilia at 16. George Washington Carver
28. Breaux Bridge at 5. Belle Chasse
31. Edna Carr at 2. Teurlings
DIVISION III
32. David Thibodaux at Archbishop Hannan
24. Lusher Charter at 9. Morgan City
28. Livonia at 5. Iota
21. St. Martinville at 12. West Feliciana
22. Eunice at 11. Haynes Academy
27. North Vermilion at 6. Rayne
23. Crowley at 10. Berwick
18. Pearl River at 15. Church Point
DIVISION IV
32. Pine at 1. Ascension Episcopal
17. McDonough 35 at 16. Patterson
25. Franklin at 8. Academy of the Sacred Heart-New Orleans
28. Port Allen at 5. Lafayette Christian Academy
22. West St. Mary at 11. Pope John Paul II
27. Sarah T. Reed at 6. Catholic High-New Iberia
18. Delcambre at 15. Loyola Prep
31. De La Salle at 2. Notre Dame
DIVISION V
25. False River at 8. Highland Baptist
20. Centerville at 13. Riverside Academy
30. Evangel at 3. Episcopal School of Acadiana
19. Catholic-Point Coupée at 14. Northside Christian (Crowley)
22. St. Edmund at 11. Central Private
26. First Baptist Christian at 7. Academy of the Sacred Heart-Grand Coteau
31. Covenant Christian at 2. Westminster Christian Academy
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