Presenting 25 years of volleyball greatness

By Ron Brocato, Sports
Clarion Herald

On a chilly November night in 2013, St. Joseph’s Academy won a grueling five-game match against Mount Carmel for the Division I state volleyball championship.

The victory marked the 10th and last time the Baton Rouge school would reign supreme for at least the next decade.

Since that night, Division I volleyball has been ruled by teams from just two New Orleans Catholic schools whose student bodies consider a victory against the other a championship of its own.

Beginning in 2014, Mount Carmel took home six consecutive Division I championship trophies – three at the expense of St. Joseph Academy.

That streak ended in 2020 when Mount Carmel’s archrival, Dominican, became the alpha team in the state’s highest division by winning three D-I titles in-a-row.

And the 2022 win was the most satisfying. It came at Mount Carmel’s expense in the final match.

But Archdiocese of New Orleans schools have been dominant in this sport for decades because its schools have given rise to some of the most outstanding players in Louisiana.

Between the years 1997-2022 these outstanding athletes have led four other local Catholic schools to state championships in three other divisions.

Pope John Paul II has won five Division IV titles; Archbishop Hannan has two in Division III and one in Division IV; Cabrini claimed the 2019 Division II trophy and three runners-up awards in that span; and the Academy of the Sacred Heart was the 2020 titlist in Division IV.

Holzman top honoree

The most decorated player over the last 25 years has been Mount Carmel’s Ellie Holzman.

Holzman (2019) capped one of the most impressive prep volleyball careers in the state by being named the Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year. A three-time winner of the state player of the year award, Holzman, who is a member of the University of Illinois squad, led her team to state championships in all four years she played at Mount Carmel. The 6-foot-2 Holzman finished her senior season with 571 kills, 303 digs, 106 blocks and 30 aces as the Cubs finished 44-2. One of the best all-around players in the history of the state, she racked up 2,426 kills, 1,379 digs and 749 blocks for her career.

 

She joins two other former Cubs on the Clarion Herald’s 25-Year Elite Volleyball Team: Katie Kampen (2014)  ...
















and Kristen Nuss (2015). Both were chosen their Division I Outstanding Players after leading MCA to state titles.

Three honorees became high school coaches.

Jessica Helgeson, Dominican’s MVP in 2001, coached at De La Salle  before becoming a volleyball official.

Ashley Ruckert, a 2002 honoree, coached at Academy of the Sacred Heart before being named head coach at Archbishop Chapelle this year.

Kasey Laird, who led Cabrini to a championship in 2007, also coached the Crescents’ 2019 state titlists.

 

Danyele Gomez
Cabrini (2001)

 

Suzanne Haydel
Sacred Heart (2006)

 

Taylor Reuther
Dominican (2010)

 

Kai Williams
Cabrini (2019)

 

Kate Baker
Dominican (2020)


 

Rylee Morris
Abp. Hannan (2021)

Best of the Rest

Carrie Rauls, Acad. Sacred Heart (1997); Rebecca Rabb, Mt. Carmel (1998); Melissa Shreve, Mt. Carmel (1998); Christine Zimmer, Mt. Carmel (1999); Suzi Ruiz, Cabrini (1999); Celeste Laborde, Acad. Sacred Heart (2000); Lauren Leaumont, Mt. Carmel (2001); Jayne Duncan, Cabrini (2001); Katie Kelley, Abp. Chapelle (2002).

Lindsey Goodier, Acad. Sacred Heart (2003); Ashley Benoit, Dominican (2003); Rebecca Hrapmann, Cabrini (2004); Megan Wilderotter, Dominican (2004); Cara Bevinetto, Mt. Carmel (2004).

Lindsey Randazzo, Dominican (2004); Haley Reuther, Dominican (2006); Amares Genemaras, Mt. Carmel (2006); Caitlin Clarke, Mt. Carmel (2007).

Emily Pepperman, Mt. Carmel (2008); Brooke Becker, St. Charles Cath. (2008); Alexis Robichaux, Cabrini (2009); Hillary Hammant, Abp. Chapelle (2009); Kaylynn Genemaras, Mt. Carmel (2010); Mary Pursell, Dominican (2011); Jeanette Rimmer, Ursuline (2011); Emily Daigle, Dominican (2012); Brittany Deckwa, De La Salle (2012); Mary Grace Gitz, St. Scholastica (2012).

Lauren Barre, Ursuline (2013); Kyla Jones, Abp. Chapelle (2014); Christine Cutura, Pope John Paul II (2014); Allison Hartman, Pope John Paul II (2014); Rakell Spencer, Cabrini (2015); Ellie Silvia, Acad. Sacred Heart (2015); Jessica Lucio, St. Scholastica (2015); Macie Grubbs, Ursuline (2017); Camille Dedeaux, Pope John Paul II (2017).

Ansley Tullis, Pope John Paul II (2018); Allee Morris, Abp. Hannan (2018); Sofia Conaway, Mt. Carmel (2018); Kendall Battistella, Pope John Paul II (2019); Emily Meyer, Mt. Carmel (2019); Brooke Couret, Dominican (2020); Hailey Cabeceiras, Abp. Hannan (2021); Mia Brown, St. Charles Cath. (2022); Lindsey Wickersham, Mt. Carmel (2022).