Local Catholic schools poised for volley playoffs

    Ursuline Academy and Cabrini are favored to successfully defend their state volleyball titles, while Mount Carmel and De La Salle want to take that final step to gold when the Louisiana High School Athletic Association stages its state championship tournament at the Pontchartrain Center Nov. 8-10.
    All are among the top two seeds in their respective divisions as the state playoffs make their first serves on Oct. 27.
    The tournament will once again be dominated by schools from the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas, the state’s volleyball hotbeds.
    The top entries in the four largest divisions entering the final week of regular season play include:
    ➤ Division I – No. 1 Mount Carmel (35-3) has beaten powers No. 5 St. Joseph (31-5) and St. Amant twice and has split with Fontainebleau.
       No. 2 Fontainebleau (34-4) has won 19 straight since Sept. 28.
       No. 3 St. Amant (24-4) handed Fontainebleau its last defeat, but lost to MCA twice.
       No. 4 Dominican (29-8) proved to be a title threat behind its excellent defense.
    ➤ Division II – In seeking its third title, Cabrini (27-9) has overcome early setbacks playing a competitive schedule.
       No. 2  Breaux Bridge (28-6) lost its last match to De La Salle and has few impressive wins.
       No. 3 St. Thomas More (23-9) lost eight of its first 15 matches and then won the next 17, including one over Cabrini.
       No. 4 St. Martinville (24-10) lost to St. Thomas More three times.
       No. 5 St. Scholastica (25-11) is unbeaten in its district and could be a spoiler to several of the top playoff entries.
    ➤ Division III – No. 1 Ursuline (25-7) has never shied away from tough competition,  and it has helped the Lions to rack up power points.
       All of No. 2 E.D. White’s  (24-9) losses were to top competition.
       No. 3 Teurlings Catholic (17-7) has two key area wins, but No. 4 Ben Franklin (31-8) has lost to Ursuline twice.
    ➤ Division IV – No. 1 Notre Dame (26-9) lost matches only to top competition.
       No. 2 De La Salle (24-8) is the school’s greatest girls’ team, but may have to get past No. 3 Newman (25-7), with which it split, to get a title shot.