Big Visions: Central Volleyball Sweeps Determined Captain Shreve In What They Hope Will Be Long Playoff Run

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

The topic of an extended stay in the state playoffs was a discussion Central High’s volleyball team had earlier in the day.

The Lady Wildcats are enjoying their highest seed (No. 7) in eight years and had the opportunity to host the first two rounds of the state playoffs with an eye on achieving more. 

A year after being bounced in the first round of the playoffs, Central successfully took its first step in the postseason – 25-22, 25-18, 25-9 – and fended off a determined effort Wednesday from No. 26 Captain Shreve in a Division I matchup at Central High.

“I think we can,” Central junior middle blocker Addison Guy said of her team’s ability to make a deep run in this year’s playoffs. “I’m so excited and pumped. We talked today that after this game we want the next game and keep going. We’re not giving up. We know we can make it.”

Central (22-7) extended its win streak to four matches and has now won six of its last seven. The Wildcats, who last reached the state quarterfinals in 2015, host No. 10 Archbishop Chapelle in Saturday’s regional at 10:30 a.m.

“We are seeded higher than we normally are,” Central coach Michele LeBouef said. “This seventh seed is a good thing for us. It’s a big deal for us, it’s exciting. I think that puts a little pressure on us that we’re not used to. Now you have to perform, you have to make sure you’re that seventh seed when the reality is to just keep playing. Just continue to do the things that got us here.”

LeBouef was extremely complimentary of Captain Shreve (21-11), the District 1-1 runner-up, which had its four-match win streak snapped.

“All of the kudos to them,” she said. “They played hard in that first set. They scared us. They gave us a little scare; I’m not going to lie. I was on the bench going, ‘OK we’ve got to rock and roll, we’ve got to move forward.’ I think we just decided we were comfortable, and it made more sense on our side.”

The third and deciding set was the polar opposite of the first two sets which were both-and-forth battles.

Three consecutive errors from Captain Shreve opened the door for Central to step through and open a 5-4 lead on Guy’s service. 

The Wildcats reeled off five straight points with the last four coming on Talbot’s service to make it 10-5. Talbot had an ace and set up Madison Eastwood’s kill followed by consecutive errors from the Gators.

Errors continued to mount for Captain Shreve with a service error and attacking error that resulted in a 12-5 lead and led to a timeout.

“I feel like Central served a lot tougher between the second and third set,” Captain Shreve coach Lindsay Bruce, whose 12-member roster is comprised of 10 seniors. “It was hard for our girls to maintain that level of play throughout the whole time. 

“They were hungry, and the hustle was there in the first and second sets,” Bruce said. “Some of that, we just couldn’t maintain. The mental woes were a little harder to fight through and our belief in ourselves kind of went down a little bit. The confidence in ourselves kind of went down a little bit on top of trying to maintain the same level of play.”

Strong serving from Lexie Guercio and Ella Saccaro increased Central’s lead to 16-6 after a solo block from Lori Morris and consecutive service aces from Saccaro, who added nine digs in the match.

Talbot fed Guy on a kill and a 17-7 lead and Guy added a solo block. Talbot then assisted Eastwood on consecutive kills that provided Central with a 20-8 advantage with Addie Lee serving.

Talbot picked up a solo block, Lee added an ace before Captain Shreve committed three more errors to seal the match.

“The third set was kind of a release to us,” said Talbot, who had 28 assists and eight digs. “We were so neck and neck. They were a really good team that came out and played their heart out and we played hard. I felt it came easier for us in the third set. That’s because it finally started clicking for us. We started getting every single point. They tried to come back but we stopped them.”

Guy, who hit a team-best .474, was in perfect rhythm with Talbot in the first set with seven of her team-high 11 kills. Her second straight kill resulted in an early 4-0 lead when Captain Shreve responded behind setter Madi Hicks and outside hitter Tia Taylor for a 7-7 deadlock.

It was the only time the set was tied but the Gators showed the ability to rally from deficits of six and five points, respectively, and climbed to within a point (20-19) of Central. 

Offsetting errors kept a one-point difference when Central gradually distanced itself when Talbot fed Morris (6 kills) for a kill and Lee added one of her eight kills off a block.

Talbot also assisted Eastwood and Guy with kills that closed out the hard-fought set.

“They’re scrappy, they’re feisty,” LeBouef said of Captain Shreve. “That was a really fun team. She (Bruce) was telling me they had 10 seniors, and you can tell. They’re super confident and consistent and they came at you really hard.”

Guy served four points, including a pair of aces, and Talbot added a kill on a short return and assisted Morris for a kill and a 12-5 lead.

Behind Meagan Hill’s five service points and two kills from Taylor, the Gators closed to within 14-12.

“They did everything that I could have asked them to do,” Bruce said. “I couldn’t have asked more from them. Some things just didn’t go in our favor. I think we showed that we can compete with the top teams in the state. We may have been ranked 26th. I feel like we were able to hold our own.”

Central kept Captain Shreve at arm’s length, opening a 22-15 lead on a kill from Guy, when Lee added a kill and one of her team’s six service aces in the set. The Wildcats, who received a team-high14 digs from Kynlee Rheams, broke the Gators’ service when Eastwood finished the set with a kill on an assist from Talbot.

“I think we were prepared,” Guy said. “I think that we played well. I think we played toward our competition. I think we could have played better. Overall, I think we did good.”

Central will play Archbishop Chapelle at home in the second round at 4:30 on Friday afternoon.