By GEORGE MAHL

The prep volleyball season is set to begin soon and the following is a snapshot of what to expect from local teams:

Riverside Academy

The old saying “Two heads are better than one” is the way the Riverside Academy volleyball team is approaching its current coaching situation.

“Don’t call my assistant coach an assistant coach. I think she’s my co-coach,” said volleyball coach Jennifer Zeringue.

“I like it that way,” explained first year co-coach Adrienne Albares.

Like Albares, Zeringue is in her first year as coach for the Lady Rebels and is excited about the opportunity.

“I feel really good about this team this season. I’ve got a strong feeling that we’re going to do well,” Zeringue said.

The Lady Rebels will not be without leadership this season. Riverside returns three seniors, including standouts Chelsea Albares and Mindy Richards. Albares, who is the younger sister of Adrienne Albares, is coming off an MVP season. However, coach Albares thinks Richards is a player not to be overlooked.

“Mindy has a tremendous work ethic. Not only does she have a good work ethic, but she plays all other sports. That’s a good thing to have,” Adrienne Albares said.

One thing the Lady Rebels have not had a lot of is practice. Both coaches agreed a lack of practice time could be a factor in the early part of the season. With three seniors and two juniors on this year’s squad, Albares and Zeringue are aiming high for the 2002 season.

“We expect and believe that we’ll be in the state tournament this season,” Albares said. Zeringue continued, “We have both the talent and maturity to go a long way.”

St. Charles Catholic High School

The 2001 volleyball season for St. Charles Catholic was a season with highs and lows. The high point was the Lady Comets had a winning season. The low point was they got a bad draw in the first round of the playoffs, against Sacred Heart Academy, and ended up losing.

“I felt pretty good about last year’s squad,” said coach Michelle Dearmitt. “We got off to a slow start but felt more comfortable as the season went on.”

Dearmitt contributed the winning season to several freshmen and sophomores on the roster.

“I think young kids only will help you down the road,” Dearmitt said.

The Lady Comets, coming off a 21-17 season, return five starters and a sense of excitement.

“I’m not expecting a lot, but I’m expecting us to be the best,” said Dearmitt, who is entering her fifth season.

The head coach does not like to single out players because of situations that may come into play during the season.

“We all standout as a team with no star player. I don’t want our team to be in a position where we panic if a certain player gets hurt or if something happens,” Dearmitt said.

With an experienced roster intact, the Lady Comets should have good team chemistry this season.

“It’s definitely going to be a big help. The girls know the system, the style of the coach, and will be able to make modifications if they need to,” Dearmitt said.

The SCC volleyball squad has set three goals for itself this year.

“Our first goal is to win a game, then win district, then state,” Dearmitt said.

Destrehan High School

Usually, an 18-12 season will satisfy a head coach. This is not the case with Destrehan High School volleyball coach Calvin Ike.

“I was pleased that we made the playoffs (in 2001), but not pleased with the performance,” Ike said.

Even though the squad’s 18-12 record may not look spectacular, Destrehan was much better than its record indicated, according to Ike.

“There’s no doubt that we were better than what our record said. I think we were weak in setting positions and lacked some team leadership.” Ike said.

The Ladycats, who are returning four starters, are lacking a major element right now: practice.

Top players returning for the 2002 season include Atina Porter and Jessica Johnson. Porter, who Ike describes as a “team leader,” will likely be the focal point of the attack.

“She’s (Porter) going to be our go-to person this season. I think she has steadily improved and has a consistent work ethic,” Ike said. “She’s (Johnson) a very good all-around athlete.”

When asked to discuss his team’s offensive and defensive outlook for the upcoming season, Ike said, “As long as I have good setters we’re going to be solid. Defensively, we are working hard on a number of things.”

The eight-year coach continued by stressing the importance of teamwork. Ike said he needs his team to stick together and “fall in love with each other and lookout for one another.”

Pre-district schedule for the Ladycats includes a tournament at H.L. Bourgeois in which some solid teams will be involved.

Lutcher High School

When a team hits rock bottom one year, it can only go up the next year.

That is the way the Lutcher High School volleyball team is looking at the 2002 season.

“Last year just wasn’t a very good season for us. I thought we struggled a lot, but I don’t think we’re as bad as our record indicates,” said third-year coach Ricky LeBlanc.

Throughout the season, the bulldogs just could not get any breaks along the way, according to LeBlanc. However, things may be looking up this year. The Lady Bulldogs have six starters back and are envisioning a brighter season.

Lutcher has two tournaments scheduled before the regular district schedule begins. The Lady Bulldogs will travel to play Sept. 5-7 in the Assumption Tournament and they will play Sept. 12-14 in the H.L. Bourgeois Tournament.

“I think those two tournaments will see how we stack up against the rest of the district this year,” LeBlanc said.

Center, Lyndi Martin, middle blocker, Cary Roussel, and Jamie Duet return to the lineup. LeBlanc describes Roussel as quite a competitor. “Cary has such a will to win. That’s not to say all of the girls are not competitors, it’s just that Cary really gets into the games,” LeBlanc said.

Lauri Martin and Traci Martin are also two players that appear to have a lot of potential.

“We are not going to be a six-person rotation. We have got a good nucleus,” LeBlanc said.

For the first time in his coaching career LeBlanc recently held a team camp. Earlier in the year, Northwestern University players came down to LHS for a two-day camp to speak to the team about a variety of things. Some of Northwestern’s techniques were different than those of Lutcher’s but they did share a common goal. That goal is to win.

The favorites to win the district are likely to be E.D. White and St. Charles Catholic, LeBlanc said. E.D. White, which is located in Thibodaux, has four players coming back who were on the first or second team all-district.

When asked about the keys to a successful season, Leblanc laughed and replied, ” Pass, serve, and defense.”