MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / September 19, 1999

LAPLACE – Riverside started off fast and controlled the middle of the second game in its match at St. Charles Catholic Tuesday afternoon. Butthe Lady Comets dominated the rest of the match, sweeping to a 15-3, 15- 5 victory over the Lady Rebels.

It was the second time St. Charles Catholic (7-4) defeated Riverside (3-4)this season. The Lady Comets came away with a 15-10, 15-13 victory overthe weekend at the H.L. Bourgeois tournament.Riverside jumped out to a 3-0 lead Tuesday behind a kill to the back line by Jennifer Smith and two Lady Comet errors. St. Charles Catholic cameright back on its next serve, going ahead 5-3 on a kill and ace by Amanda Helm and a kill by Cristin Clement.

The Lady Comets had another long rally after Marci Martin got the serve back with a kill. Two aces by Clement and a kill by Sarah Weber made it 8-3 before Riverside called a timeout. A lift against the Lady Rebels builtthe lead to 10-3.

Consecutive kills by Nicole Scontrino made it 14-3. After a Lady Rebeltimeout and two service breaks, the Lady Comets got game point on a lift call against the Lady Rebels.

The scoring was harder to come by in the second game with Cassie St.

Amant and Jennifer Guidry getting kills for the Lady Rebels and Clement getting three for the Lady Comets. St. Charles Catholic went ahead 4-0 ontwo lifts by the Lady Rebels, a dink by Martin and a kill by Clement.

After a dink by Amy Hymel gave the Lady Rebels their first point, the Lady Comets came back to make it 6-1 on two Riverside errors. Fourconsecutive errors by St. Charles Catholic helped the Lady Rebels rally towithin 6-5 before the Lady Comets used a timeout.

Two service breaks later, the Lady Comets began to pull away as three Riverside errors and an ace by Helm made it 10-5. On the Lady Comets nextserve, Martin delivered a cross-court kill to make it 13-6. A save byMartin and an ensuing Riverside error on the return brought the Lady Comets to match point which they got on a lift by the Lady Rebels.

Clement and Martin each had four kills for the Lady Comets with Clement adding two aces. Martin also had a block and six assists along with Weber.Amanda Helm had a game-high three aces. Scontrino had four digs and wasthe Lady Comets’ top defensive player.

Jennifer Keating was the Lady Rebels’ top defensive player with 10 digs.

Smith had three kills and a block with Brandi Falgoust adding four assists.

“We had our total game working,” St. Charles Catholic coach MichelleDearmitt said. “We had our offense and defense working. When we havefirst receive, we try to get the ball back and start attacking. The serveswere there and we passed well. That is key for us, no matter who weplay.”Riverside has been bitten by the injury bug in the early going. Falgoust, theteam’s starting setter, played her final game of the season against St.

Thomas Aquinas and will undergo surgery for a recurring shoulder injury.

“We had all our starters back but they are not all 100 percent,” Riverside coach Gina Centanni said.

For the first time in years, a playoff spot or district title was not on the line when the two teams met.

“It’s a regular game now,” Centanni said. “There is nothing on the line. Butit was still excellent competition. We looked like all-stars at first but weare struggling. We are still working on a lineup.”

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