Top-Seeded Country Day defeats No. 2 Westminster Christian to win 10th-consecutive DV Volleyball title

by: Travis Connelley // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Heading into Saturday’s Division V State Volleyball Championship, the Country Day Cajuns were seeking their 10th-consecutive title and 15th in the last 16 years. 

Mission accomplished. 

The top-seeded Cajuns roared back, erasing 1-0 and 2-1 set deficits to pick up a five-set victory topping the No. 2-seeded Westminster Christian Crusaders 23-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-11, 15-7.
The Cajuns and the Crusaders engaged in a back-and-forth battle early on in the opening set. Westminster scored five consecutive points to take a 16-11 lead. Cajuns roared back scoring on eight of the next 12 possessions to pull within one at 20-19. 

Both teams went toe-to-toe down the stretch of the first set. With the score tied at 22, Country Day jumped ahead by one following a kill by Jane Gambel, but Westminster had the last laugh, scoring three consecutive points to take the first set 25-23. 

In the early stages of the second set, with the score tied at 3, Country Day went on a run. The Cajuns scored seven consecutive points to jump ahead. Later in the set, a 5-0 Country Day run gave the Cajuns an 18-9 advantage. Country Day used that momentum and rode out a 25-13 win in the second set. 

The momentum swung back over to the Crusaders’ side in the third set after yet another back-and-forth tussle ended with a 25-21 Westminster win. 

In the fourth set, the Crusaders carried over that momentum into the early stages, taking a 6-1 lead. But the Cajuns stormed back scoring the next six points. Later in the set, a 7-0 run helped keep the momentum on the Cajuns’ side before they closed the set and drew even at two apiece following a 6-0 run. 

With another state title in their sights, the Cajuns jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fifth set. Even though the Crusaders went on a run of their own to draw even at five, Country Day got into a rhythm once again getting three-consecutive kills from Jade Washington to regain the lead. 

“Once you get the lead in the fifth set, it is hard to come back,” said Westminster head coach Leon Keith.

The Cajuns scored the last five points to win and add yet another trophy to the case. 

After the match, Country Day head coach Julie Ibieta gave high praise to her team and gave plenty of credit to their opponents. 

“I cannot be more proud of this group. I thought that Westminster played a great match. I’m sure for the fans it was exciting but for a coach it was stressful,” said a relieved Ibieta. 

Senior Lia Beverly won the Most Outstanding Player award after the senior co-led the Cajuns in kills with 16 matching sophomore Jade Washington. Even though Beverly received an individual award she said it was all about the team effort. 

“I was just proud of all of us together, she said. “All of us from the beginning, when we started, we were going to have a lot of hustle, a lot of talk and we were just going to go after it. We just kept fighting and I cannot be more proud that in my last high school game to go out like that with these girls.”

In addition to her 16 kills, Washington also had three and a half blocks, one ace, and 13 digs. 

Bethany Stoute led the Crusaders with 10 kills and six blocks while Kristian Thomas had 21 digs and two assists.