UPDATED WITH STORY: Central Catholic's Calais signs with Nicholls

Ava Claire Calais and her Central Catholic volleyball teammates were looking forward Wednesday to appearing in the LHSAA quarterfinals. Calais took a step beyond that.
On Wednesday, the day before making her third postseason appearance in Lafayette’s Cajundome, Calais signed a letter of intent to study and play volleyball at Nicholls State.
On a table set up for the signing in the Central Catholic gym, writing on a volleyball proclaimed Calais’ “1000+ assists.”
“She’s a great leader,” coach Sunni Blanchard said after the signing. “She does what I want her to do, and she does it perfectly.”
Calais started with the Eagles as a setter, and then became a libero, a sort of back-row defensive specialist.
“That’s your best passer,” Blanchard said. “She’s on the floor the whole time, so you have to expect to be really quick and get to everything.”
Calais, daughter of Kade and Sarah Soprano of Morgan City, said she likes the proximity of Nicholls to her home. She likes something else, too.
“I really like the people,” she said. “I like how their athletes are close as a team.”
Calais plans to study sports medicine at Nicholls.
“I’ve always wanted to work in sports or something like that,” she said. “And medicine is really interesting.”
Calais will join a very young Nicholls team. Thirteen of its players are freshmen or sophomores, and only one, middle blocker Jhalya Boldon, is a senior.
Nicholls is coached by Jonea Rima, who will be looking to young players next season to improve on this year’s 4-22 record.
Calais’ father Kade Soprano had this to say about his daughter in a Facebook message:
“Not only am I extremely proud of our daughter for this accomplishment — which is a great one because only a small percentage of high school athletes can actually compete at the D1 level — but I am even more proud of her for being a great role model for her peers.
“We frequently hear from her teachers, other superiors and also her peers that she is a positive influence on all because she works hard, is friendly, kind, doesn’t speak ill of people, doesn’t speak vulgar or participate in other unbecoming behaviors. She is a true leader.
“But I would be remiss if I would say that it’s all because of us or her and not give credit to God, who is at work in her.”