RHS sweeps Chiefs while recognizing six seniors
From left, Ruston volleyball seniors Hannah Rollins, Shelby Freeman, Gabby Sterling, Cala Wilson, Allie Richardson, and Jade Smith were honored before the Bearcats’ sweep over West Ouachita Thursday. Photo by Darrell James
Ruston volleyball (26-9) swept West Ouachita (25-15, 25-6, 25-10) and honored six seniors Thursday at the Sports Complex, capping off its regular season home finale with a clean victory.
“I thought the girls executed,” Ruston head coach Amanda Cauley said. “Sometimes we can play down to the level of the competition, and I didn’t think we did that tonight. I thought we did a great job of playing our game and that to me shows where we’ve grown mentally.”
Ruston began the first set with two kills from Jade Smith to build an early lead, never looking back as Harper Cauley and Smith each had at least 4 kills in the frame to outmatch the Chiefs. After going up 10-5, Ruston looked to be coasting its way towards a strong start with a 7-2 run to pull ahead 17- 7. West Ouachita did its best to get back in it, matching Ruston 8-8 the rest of the way, but it wasn’t enough as the Bearcats took the set 25-15.
West Ouachita put up little resistance in the second set after going down 8-3 early, with Ruston’s big attackers showing out on the outside. Shelby Freeman racked up 3 kills in the set, adding another offensive threat to the usual forces of Hannah Rollins, Smith, and Harper. Ruston closed the set on a 13-3 run to win 25-6. Katelyn Rollins had multiple aces in the frame.
For the third and final set, the Bearcats grabbed a 10-3 lead thanks to effective serves from Allie Richardson with the senior tallying 3 aces in the set. Ruston stayed in front, eventually leading 17-7 before winning the set 25-10 and securing the match.
Hannah Rollins led the team with 10 kills, 4 blocks and 2 aces, while fellow senior Jade Smith ended with 7 kills and 2 blocks. Harper Cauley racked up 9 kills, 12 digs, 2 blocks and 2 aces. Allie Richardson put up 3 aces and 18 digs, while fellow senior Shelby Freeman added 5 kills. Katelyn Rollins had 4 aces and 9 digs as well. Baylor Cauley tallied 28 assists, 7 digs, 1 block, and 3 kills. Cala Wilson had 2 blocks and 2 kills.
Cauley was happy to see a large amount of community support at the match to honor Smith, Rollins, Freeman, Richardson, Wilson, and senior manager Gabby Sterling.
“First of all, they’ve been great to me coming in and stepping in for Coach ( Lucie) Hunt,” Cauley said. “They didn’t question me; they didn’t question my decisions and or something. They just were like, ‘OK, we’re going to listen and buy in.’ And I can’t express how much I appreciate their buy-in, and it’s paid off because what they’ve done for each other and for the team is phenomenal. They’re in a really good spot and they’ve stayed consistent all season.
“Our highs haven’t been too high, and our lows haven’t been too low, and that’s what we were aiming for to be a more consistent program. I’m proud of how they’ve grown and how they’ve come together, how they’ve dug deep and had some hard conversations at times,” she continued. “It’s just a testament to their belief in each other and the love they have for each other. I think they really enjoy playing together.”
Cauley also highlighted the assistance of Sterling and the love that goes both ways between her and the team.
“Gabby’s been phenomenal, and the girls love her,” Cauley said. “She loves the girls, she loves the program and she’s really close with all the coaching staff.”
Ruston will now await its playoff pairings, with the official brackets set to be announced Monday. With a top-six seed heading into the weekend, the Bearcats have put themselves in position to host a first-round playoff match.
