By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — It was an understandably heavy night for head coach Mandy Cauley on Monday.
First, it was Senior Night for five Lady Bearcats, who were suited up for their last regular season home match.
Second, her daughter, senior Harper Cauley, was advised by a doctor to not play while she recovers from an illness.
And third, longtime official Chris Stevens told Cauley pre-match that he would be retiring at the end of the 2024 season.
It was then, Cauley said, the dam broke.
“That ripped the bandaid off,” Cauley said after the match through tears. “I’m grateful for Chris, and I’m grateful for these seniors. I’ve known these girls a really long time through other sports, like softball and Upward Basketball. So watching them grow up has been one thing, but then, watching them come together as a team has been just another thing completely.
“I really think that all five of them have been so wonderful in their own ways. The way that they each lead is very different, and they each add something so valuable to this program. I’m just grateful that I got to be there coach.”
The positive, for sure, was a clean sweep of Loyola Prep from Shreveport, La., as Ruston won 25-14, 25-14 and 25-8.
Sophomore Ava Crowe led the team with eight kills, while sophomore Baylor Cauley finished with 28 assists and six aces on the night.
With Harper on the bench recovering, seniors Ellie Koonce and Rilee Atwood both saw increased time and made it count, combining for 12 kills between them (Atwood had eight, Koonce had four).
Junior Courtney Harris added three kills off the bench for the Lady Bearcats, as well.
“I really love the way Ellie and Courtney stepped up,” Cauley said. “I think the team did what they needed to do.”
The match was also the final one of the regular season for Ruston, as the No. 15 Lady Bearcats will await official seeding to be released on Sunday, Nov. 3. As long as they stay No. 16 or better, they’ll host a round one match in their home gym — where they did not lose one set the entire regular season.
“We’re going to focus now on getting ready for the playoffs,” Cauley said. “It’s going to be faster tempo and more powerful. We had to take care of business tonight, but we’ll really focus on playing a tougher, faster offense and tougher defense.”
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