Brand-Spanking New: Prairieville Sweeps Past LRC in School’s First Athletic Event

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

The brand-new $118 million Prairieville High School opened in August to rave reviews and the school’s first varsity sport followed suit.

Led by freshman hitter Kate Perniciaro and setter Haley Sears, the Lady Hurricanes made their debut a smashing success with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-18 victory Tuesday over fellow first-year program Lafayette Renaissance Charter.

“I’m not a super emotional person,” Prairieville volleyball coach Chandra Ewen said. “I’m feeling all kinds of emotions right now. We keep talking to them about building a legacy and in 10 years I want them to come back and say, ‘This is what we did. This is what we built for you. To be able to build with a win …
whether it’s our only or whether we get 10 more … it helps them start their legacy.”

Ascension Parish’s newest high school became a topic of discussion in 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 65-acre tract was completed over the summer and the school, which drew students from its standard attendance zone, also blossomed with students from neighboring parish schools such as Dutchtown, East Ascension, and St. Amant.

The volleyball team was selected at the end of May and began practicing a week later with an eye on Tuesday’s season opener.

The Lady Hurricanes didn’t disappoint a hearty crowd, including their boisterous student section, with a straight-sets the victory that featured differing methods that resulted in jubilant embrace afterward.

“I think it’s exciting, but it also can be nerve-racking starting new,” Perniciaro said. “Nobody knew what was going on. We figured it out as we went. That’s also helped us a lot because we know how to develop and learn quickly. It’s exciting to come to this new school with new facilities, get these new tools, and get
these great new coaches and great teammates. We’ll be able to develop together for a very long time.

“It made me happy to be able to win in three,” Perniciaro said. “I know it made my teammates happy and it was really cool to have our whole student section here supporting us, and then coming over and congratulating us.”

Lafayette Renaissance was in a similar situation, playing its first varsity match under first-year coach Falen Clark. The Tigers had two seniors on their 14-player roster.

“I was looking forward to seeing how they accepted the challenges and worked through the challenges themselves,” Clark said. “We’ve been learning together. I’m very proud of them. They looked really good and I’m anxious to see what they look like as they progress.”

Sears led Prairieville’s offense with 16 assists and earned the praise of her coach.

“Haley did a good job of running the floor,” said Ewen, who spent three years at St. Amant and 13 seasons at Ascension Catholic. “We’ve been pushing her to tell our hitters what to do and she
really put that on her back tonight. I thought she controlled the floor for us.”

Perniciaro put together an impressive .409 attacking percentage with 12 kills and four digs. Kadlin Ersrud had seven digs and three service aces, Olivia Smith added two blocks, and Kensley McLean has five digs and three aces.

“I know a lot of girls were nervous, I play club volleyball, so it wasn’t that hard for me,” Perniciaro said. “It took a bit of adjusting to hearing everybody yelling, but it was really exciting
once we got our nerves out. We worked really well as a unit, and I felt like we really connected tonight.”

The teams were tied four times in the opening set when the tandem of Sears and Perniciaro helped Prairieville outscore LRC 11-5 after clinging to a 14-12 lead.

Sears fed Perniciaro for consecutive kills and a 22-16 lead during a stretch where McLean served five points, and the Hurricanes clinched the set on a hitting error.

“I would love to think there was significance,” Ewen said of her team’s first-set win. “We had to keep reminding them we had to play three and not two. I’m not even sure that registered. Obviously, if you win that first one, they can breathe a little bit easier and settle into their shoes a little bit.”

LRC opened a 13-8 lead in the second set on the serving of Sereyon Caldwell until McLean’s tip at the net. McLean was the catalyst in Prairieville’s 10-0 surge, delivering a pair of aces, and Sears spotted Smith for a shot that rolled over the net and a 14-13 lead.

McLean served the Hurricanes to a 19-14 lead, a margin that featured a solo block from Smith and consecutive four-hit violations against LRC. The Tigers were guilty of back-to-back attacking errors and Perniciaro, off an assist from Sears, scored off a tip, and Ersrud had two straight aces to close out the set with four straight points.

“We’re learning about finishing,” Clark said. “I was grateful they were able to organize them in rotations and serve-receive. As these girls grow, the more dangerous they are.”

The final set was tied twice when Prairieville grabbed the lead at 7-6 on a service error. LRC remained within two points until the Hurricanes opened a 24-14 cushion that was fueled by Perniciaro’s four service points and capped by McLean’s tip on a a ball that Sears kept alive.

Prairieville shook off consecutive errors to pick up the final point of the match on Alexis Falcon’s dink shot.

“They’re not the same kids,” Ewen said of her team that began in June. “They’ve really bought into anything we’ve asked of them. They’ve come from various backgrounds like no experience, to little club (team) to no middle school. To see the growth, you can’t explain it.”