By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — Home, sweet home.
Having secured the No. 16 seed in the 2024 LHSAA playoffs, Ruston High (23-13) will now host No. 17 East Ascension (23-20) out of Gonzales, La., in the Main Gym tonight, where the Lady Bearcats have not lost a match all season long.
And Ruston High head coach knows how important it is to have that first match in front of the home crowd.
“It’s absolutely critical because we saw what effect that had in the Byrd match,” Cauley said. “It’s effective in keeping our spirits high, but also rattling the opponent. I’m hoping that we create a tough environment and create a home court advantage. The Cat Box is critical tonight.”
Cauley said over the weekend that she expected the Lady Spartans to have size and toughness with a good offensive system. For Ruston, it was important to spend the last few days getting healthy and holding productive practices in before tonight.
“We had two good days of practice,” Ruston High head coach Mandy Cauley said. “I feel like we’re in a good spot mentally and physically. We had some girls sick last week that are on the mend and back in practice. So that’s a good feeling. We’ve been competing well the last two days, so I hope they carry that energy over into tonight.”
Senior outside hitter Harper Cauley will return to the lineup for the Lady ‘Cats after missing Senior NIght last week due to illness.
First serve will be at 5 p.m. tonight. Admission will be $8, and tickets must be purchased on the GoFAN app.
The match will also be broadcast live on BearcatNationNetwork.com.
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