Ruston sweeps district foe NCHS

NATCHITOCHES – Calm in the chaos.

That was the game plan for the Ruston volleyball team entering the packed and rowdy gym at Natchitoches-Central High School Tuesday night — a gym in which the Lady Chiefs hadn’t lost since Oct. 28, 2021.

So much for history. Ruston swept its District 2-1 rivals in convincing fashion (25-17, 25-19, 25-23) thanks to big performances from seniors Hannah Rollins and Jade Smith, while the team played with a level of precision and steadiness head coach Amanda Cauley knew the Bearcats needed to come out on top and take the high-octane crowd out of the picture.

It’s the Bearcats’ first win over Natchitoches-Central since Oct. 28, 2021 — also the last regular season home loss for the Chiefs.

Ruston is now 15-6 overall and 2-0 in district play.

“So pleased. I’m so proud of the kids and the way they played,” Cauley said postgame. “They fought hard, and they didn’t stop fighting. Even when we got down or tied, we just played calm and composed. What we’ve been working on is staying calm in chaos, and I felt like we did a good job of that.”

Rollins led the Bearcats with 14 kills and 3 blocks while Smith ended with 9 kills and 2 blocks. Harper Cauley finished with 6 kills and 10 digs while Cala Wilson tallied 4 kills and 5 digs.

Freshman setter Baylor Cauley dished out 28 assists to go with a pair of service aces while senior Allie Richardson led the team with 17 digs and 3 service aces.

Ruston jumped out early in the first set and never looked back, leading 8-2 in the first 15 minutes of action. Before long, the Bearcats led 12- 6 and continued to roll with strong transition offense off sharp assists from Baylor to Smith and Rollins. NCHS made it interesting and cut the lead to 15-11, but that was as close as it would get as the Bearcats closed the set on a 10-6 run to take the frame 25-17.

Once Ruston went up 3-2, they never gave up the lead again. Rollins and Smith had three kills each in the first set.

Set two started a bit slow with the Chiefs opening on a 2-0 lead, but back-to-back booming kills from Smith tied the set up and kept the early points close with the teams trading blows at 8-8.

But after an error from NCHS gave Ruston a 9-8 lead, the Bearcats once again never relinquished control and kept its lead for the rest of the set. Ruston went on an 8-5 run before the Chiefs called a last-ditch timeout, but it was no use, as the Bearcats iced their second set win on a 6-2 run out of the break before claiming the set 25-19.

Set three was the most competitive of the night, with NCHS leading 3-0 out of the gates and eventually tied up at 5-5 with the Bearcats.

Ruston tried to pull away on a 3-0 run of its own for an 8-5 lead, but the Chiefs chipped away all set and maintained a two- to- three- point deficit in the heart of the frame. The persistence briefly paid off, with the home squad reclaiming the lead to go up 13-12 and eventually 17-16. But Ruston had one last punch to give, and it proved to be the difference.

After NCHS went up 17-16, the Bearcats pulled back ahead on a 5-2 run before closing the set and match with a 25-23 win.

“Our transition offense was so fast that they just couldn’t keep up,” Cauley said postgame. “I know they had a key player injured. I recognize that and I hate that that happened for her and it would have been a much different game had she played and their team fought hard. But we were faster.”

By the start of the third and final set, half of the NCHS student section had left and the crowd that remained had stretches without much to cheer for. One of the most electric home court advantages was kept out of the equation — just like Cauley and the Bearcats planned.

“That was our goal, to get it quiet,” Cauley said. “We did a good job. They (NCHS) won it last year. It was their turn at our house, and I was really proud of us to do it here.”

Ruston ( 15-6) faces Loyola Prep (4-11) tonight at 6 p.m. at the Ruston Sports Complex.