St. Thomas More battles to earn a fifth consecutive state title in win over St. Scholastica

by: Travis Connelley // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

LAFAYETTE — For St. Thomas More, the top-seeded Cougars felt right at home in Saturday’s Division II State Volleyball Championship match against No. 2 St. Scholastica. The Cougars were playing in their hometown and competing for another state title. 

And it was mission accomplished for the Cougars as they topped the Doves 25-14, 25-17, 22-25, 26-24 for their fifth-consecutive title and 10th in the last 14 years. 

“I am so excited. Credit to SSA, they played a great game, they put us on our heels and mix up the things that they were doing,” STM head coach Jessica Burke said. “Their coach is very smart, and they are a great team. But ultimately, we won today and I’m excited, and I can’t exactly express my joy in words.” 

STM became locked in a battle with the Doves early on, but quickly got into a groove and never looked back. A kill and a block from Mallory Franklin helped kick-start a 9-2 rally, which prompted a timeout by SSA. 

The break worked for the Doves, who scored the next three points, but the Cougars fired back with three points of their own. 

Another rally, which was partially made up by a couple of kills from Marvel Potier, helped STM begin to pull away as the Cougars claimed the first set.

SSA grabbed a 3-0 lead in the second set, but STM regained the upper hand, scoring six straight and nine of the next ten to take a 9-4 lead. 

Over the next several minutes of play, the teams traded scores; however, it was on a 2:1 ratio in favor of the Cougars. STM rode that momentum out for the remainder of the set to jump up 2-0. 

With their backs against the wall, the Doves began the third set with a new level of intensity. Key plays, including a pair of kills from Alexandra Liner, helped pace SSA. 

And even though STM retaliated, SSA stayed one step ahead. Big plays from the Dove front line, led by Thea Roppolo, proved vital as the Doves held on in the end to take the third set. 

Another close battled ensued in the early stages of the fourth set as both teams used balanced attacks in their favor. A pair of Franklin kills began a 6-3 rally, which put the Cougars up 12-9. 

But SSA found some magic once again and pulled back into the contest. Yet another close battle ensued over the next several minutes until the very end, when the Cougars had one final push to claim the match and the championship. 

Potier, who was named Most Outstanding Player, gave credit to her teammates for helping her achieve the honor. 

“I was extremely happy, but I couldn’t do it without all of my teammates,” she said. “I am definitely very thankful for all of them. They really did help me win that (award). It is really exciting.” 

Potier finished with a team-high 10 blocks. Morgan Dunn and Mallory Franklin paced the offense with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Eleanor Guidry also stood out with 39 digs on the evening. 

SSA head coach Lisa Cardinale reflected on the unfortunate loss but looked at it from a glass-is-half-full-perspective.

“Bringing up the positives, we made history as a school, never making it to the finals,” she said. “I had to ask, ‘What do we do, pregame?’ When you look at our team, we are going to be here next year. And that is how we can look at the positives.” 

Alexa Liner led the Doves with 12 kills and two blocks. Mia Casi also shone with 11 kills and 17 assists.