by Malcolm Butler
Grit.
Despite falling in straight sets in its Division I playoff game Wednesday night, that is what the No. 16 seeded Ruston High Lady Bearcat volleyball team displayed against No. 17 seed East Ascension.
Ruston (23-14), which had not lost a home match all season, looked a little shell shocked in the opening set against the much-bigger East Ascension (24-20) squad.
The Lady Bearcats found themselves trailing 21-3 right out of the gate. The matchup appeared to be a mismatch.
But then Head coach Mandy Cauley’s squad dug deep and made it competitive.
Ruston finished the opening set on a 12-4 run to fall 25-15 and then held four-point leads mid-way through both the second and third sets before falling 25-15, 25-19 and 25-23.
“I felt like our underclassmen were a little bit intimidated early, as to be expected,” said Cauley. “I could see that on their face pregame. It happens. This is a playoff game, and it carries a lot of weight, and East Ascension was big. That is intimidating.
“Once we got our footing we tried to play faster. I was telling them to run everything fast. Quick, quick, quick. We were trying to keep our middles involved. I do not think we did that as much as I would have liked, but our serve-receive was a little shaky … and that is usually when we get our middles involved. We tried to offset their size with our speed.”
It almost worked.
Behind the play of a number of Lady Bearcats led by Harper Cauley who finished with 11 kills and 13 digs on the night, Ruston played toe-to-toe with Spartans for the remainder of the match.
“I wasn’t disappointed with our team, just the outcome,” said Cauley. “It’s not what we wanted. But I thought we battled valiantly.”
In the second set of the night, Ruston took a 17-13 lead before East Ascension called a timeout. However, the Spartans came out of the break and turned to junior Courtney Grayson. Grayson, who led EA with 21 kills on the night, scored seven of the next eight points for the Spartans on kills as East Ascension used a 9-1 run to take a 22-18 lead.
“That would have been my game plan too,” said Cauley in reference to the utilization of Grayson. “She is a great player, and you just have to tip your hat when there is a player like that on the other side of the court. We were trying to serve strategically to keep it away from her, but they just had an answer for everything we did.”
The final two points of the set were scored on attack errors by the Lady Bearcats as EA grabbed a 2-0 lead in sets.
“You just tip your hat and say that it was a great match on both sides of the court,” said Cauley. “They outsized us and outexperienced us a little bit.”
Down 2-0 and postseason life on the line, Ruston came out strong in the final set. Sophomore Ava Crowe recorded two kills and senior Katelyn Rollins registered two service aces as the Lady Bearcats took an early 8-2 lead.
Both Rollins and Laia Canovas had multiple times in the match where their ability to serve and keep EA off balance allowed the Lady Bearcats to go on scoring runs.
“I didn’t discuss pregame with Laia not jump serving, but she has been struggling with the hamstring and the ankle,” said Cauley. “I really thought her standing serve has been more consistent and she made that choice on her own. That just shows her volleyball IQ. She is a competitor, and she wanted to win.
“They both did a really great job. Katelyn is like the silent assassin. She is really an under-recognized asset that we have. She doesn’t get the recognition she deserves, but she is one of those players that will do whatever I ask, whenever I ask.”
East Ascension once again began to make a run and climb back into the set. After the Spartans closed the advantage to 8-7, Harper Cauley recorded a kill followed by a kill from teammate Riley Atwood to make it 10-8 Ruston.
The Spartans tied the set at 11-11 before Harper Cauley and Baylor Cauley each registered kills to keep Ruston in front 13-12. The Lady Bearcats led 19-17 following a kill by Harper Cauley and again at 21-19 following an attack error by the Spartans.
However, four straight points by EA allowed the Spartans to lead 23-21 before Ruston tied it at 23-23 on a kill by Baylor Cauley.
Ruston saw its season come to a close following an attack error and then a kill by East Ascension to end the third and final set at 25-23.
Baylor Cauley added five kills while Crowe recorded four. Atwood, Crowe and Jane Ramsey each totaled two blocks apiece. White led Ruston with 16 digs.
It was the final game for five Lady Bearcat seniors as Rilee Atwood, Harper Cauley, Ellie Koonce, Katelyn Rollins, and Mariah White played their final game in a Ruston uniform.
“Our seniors laid it all out on the line,” said Cauley. “They have really set the standard for the underclassmen of what it looks like to give all you have. To not be complacent. To be gritty and hungry. It’s up to them to carry that torch into next season.”
East Ascension advances to face the No. 1 seed Slidell, a 3-0 winner over Airline in its first round match.
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