Westminster downs Central Catholic in volleyball semifinal

LAFAYETTE -- Central Catholic made a mid-match run Friday for a shot at a state Division V volleyball title. The Eagles fell short, but not without a fight.

Division second seed Westminster Christian beat No. 3 Central Catholic in a 3-1 match in Friday’s semifinal at the Cajundome. The scores were 25-21, 25-11, 22-25 and 25-15 for Westminster, which will play Country Day of Metairie at 9 a.m. Saturday for the divisional state championship.

Division V, composed of small schools, is displaying a lot of power at the net.

For Westminster, Abigail Cunningham hammered home 27 kills in Friday’s game with Central Catholic, powering her team to 25-21 and 25-11 victories in the first two games.

But Central Catholic brought some power of its own. Bri-yannah Johnson, coming off an 11-kill performance in the quarterfinal, helped build a wall as the third game began after two Central Catholic losses.

“We put up some blocks against [Cunningham] ...,” said Central Catholic coach Sunni Blanchard.

“We fought hard.”

Hitter Johnson and libero Emily Lipari have provided stability for the Eagles.

“They’re great leaders,” Blanchard said, “and they keep everyone calmed down.”

A pair of Johnson kills pushed the Eagles to a 9-3 lead in the third game. Westminster fought back to within two at 23-22, but Central Catholic got two of the last three points, the last on a hit by Johnson.

Cunningham reasserted herself in the fourth game. With an 18-13 lead, she rolled off four straight kills and then scored the final two points with a kill and a dink.

For Central Catholic, Madison Simmons added punch to the attack with 11 kills. Ava Calais, who had 37 assists in the quarterfinal, came back with 32 Friday.

Natalie Sloane had eight blocks Friday, and Johnson added five more. Madison Landry served two aces, and Calais notched one.

Lipari led the Eagles with 14 digs, and Landry had 12.

In Thursday’s quarterfinal, Central Catholic beat Ascension Catholic 31-29, 26-24, 25-23.

The stats for Central Catholic:

Kills: Johnson 11, Simmons eight.

Blocks: Addison Grizzaffi five, Sloane four.

Aces: Calais two, Emily Lipari one, which was a game-winner.

Digs: Lipari 24, Simmons 10.

For Westminster, Ada Horton had 49 assists and Caroline Lalonde had 38 digs.

Blanchard’s first year as Central Catholic’s head volleyball coach paired her and assistant Heather Irwin with returning players who reached the Louisiana quarterfinals in 2021. They went 19-12 this year and were district champions.

“They’re awesome,” Blanchard said. “They’re very bold and supportive. They’re great learners and great listeners.

“It’s been a great group of girls.”

Metairie Park Country Day went on to beat Westminster for the state title Saturday, 24-26, 25-20, 25-16, 20-25, 15-7.