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Morgan City High School’s Sh’diamond Holly and Kennedy Hebert must have been anxious to go trick or treating.
The duo dominated Iowa High School in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s Division III state volleyball playoffs at Morgan City Tuesday. No. 9 Morgan City (21-15) dispatched No. 24 Iowa (16-19) 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-10) in about an hour.
Holly, a junior, led the Lady Tigers with 15 kills, while Hebert, a senior, had 11 kills.
“They played super, but I can’t say I expected them to do as well as they did at the net tonight,” Morgan City Coach Christy Theriot said. “But everyone played well. We had a couple errors but nothing that cost us.”
Holly and two solo blocks, while Hebert also contributed three assists, one ace, three digs and two solo blocks.
The win is Morgan City’s first volleyball playoff victory since sweeping Evangel 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-16) in the first round of the 2013 postseason.
Holly and Hebert had some big-time help setting up their kills Tuesday with Jolee Nini handing out 28 assists.
“Jolee (Nini), our setter, also had a super game,” Theriot said. “She has been playing very well for us.”
Nini added an ace to her stat line.
The Lady Tigers defeated Ursuline Academy 2-1 (23-25, 25-21, 15-12) at Dunham’s tournament last weekend. The win was an upset with Ursuline coming into the tourney ranked No.4 in the latest Division III power ranking.
“Ever since we beat Ursuline on Saturday, our confidence and play has sky rocked,” Theriot said. “I’m glad to see them playing that way and at the right time.”
As a team, Morgan City had 39 kills and 10 aces Tuesday.
Other top contributors were Haylie Crappell, four kills, one assist, two aces and four digs; Karmen Peterson, five kills; and Allie Vincent, one assist, four aces and four digs
Morgan City will continue postseason play Thursday when it travels to face District 8-III foe E.D. White in the second round in Thibodaux Thursday at 6 p.m.
“We know them very well, they’re in our district and they’re always really good,” the coach said.
E.D. White, which received a first-round bye, defeated Morgan City in the regular season, winning 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-14) Oct. 10 in Thibodaux and 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-16) in Morgan City Oct. 19.
The Cardinals finished second in District 8-III play behind Division III’s top seed, Vandebilt Catholic.
E.D. White enters Thursday’s matchup having lost its regular season finale to Assumption 2-1 (25-17, 17-25, 9-15) at Episcopal School of Acadiana’s Spooktacular last weekend. The Cardinals finished the tournament with a 2-3 mark.
While E.D. White is 18-20 this season, the Cardinals have faced a gauntlet of a schedule.
Morgan City enters Thursday’s contest having won three straight, including their final two games against Madison Prep and Westlake at Dunham’s tournament.
The Lady Tigers finished 2-2 at the tournament Saturday.
Morgan City is looking for its first state tournament appearance since the 2006 season when the squad finished as state runner-up in Division II.
Meanwhile, E.D. White, a state tournament regular, will be looking for a return trip to the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner after missing the event in 2016.
Additional reporting by Review Sports Editor Geoff Stoute

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld Energy Department decisions approving three projects to export liquefied natural gas, a boost for the Trump administration’s strategy to increase energy production and promote exports.

The Sierra Club was seeking to overturn approvals of export terminals in Maryland, Louisiana and Texas, saying the projects would increase air and water pollution and contribute to global warming.

The growth of LNG exports could be a plus for energy-dependent communities like St. Mary. Exports may increase demand and create new markets for domestic natural gas, the price of which plunged from near $13 in 2008 into the $2-$3 range as U.S. production has skyrocketed.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in a unanimous opinion that the Energy Department fulfilled its legal obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act and other laws. The court said its decision was similar to a ruling in August when it upheld approval of a separate export terminal in Texas.

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is natural gas chilled to liquid form for shipment on tanker ships.
Charlie Riedl, executive director of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, an advocacy group that promotes natural gas exports, said he hopes the decision “will put an end to the unnecessary and costly challenges by Sierra Club that delay LNG projects” across the country.

“The facts are clear and the court agrees: The regulatory review process for U.S. LNG projects provides a thorough review of both operational and environmental impacts before being approved,” Riedl said.

Exporting natural gas helps the U.S. economy and enhances geopolitical stability in countries that receive natural gas, such as Japan, China, South Korea and Argentina, Riedl said.

Nathan Matthews, a Sierra Club attorney, said expanding exports of gas produced by the drilling technique known as fracking inevitably increases air and water pollution.

Fracking involves pumping huge volumes of water, sand and chemicals underground to split open rocks to allow oil and gas to flow. Fracking has led to a boom in natural gas production but raised widespread concerns about possible groundwater contamination and even earthquakes.

Matthews said it was disappointing that the court declined to hold the Energy Department “accountable for doing a real analysis that takes the costs for American communities into account,” through increased pollution and emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana opened last year.

And Cheniere’s project in Corpus Christi, Texas, is due to open next year.

The projects, along with a fourth export terminal in Freeport, Texas, all were approved by the Obama administration.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Bernice Street annual Christmas lighting is 5:30- 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Free and public invited for puppet show, choir, Santa, and a special treat for children.

(Photo above)