Volleyball: Country Day remains unbeaten with solid win over Fontainebleau

Area Prep Volleyball Report for Tuesday, Sept. 18

The quest for a fourth straight Division V state championship and a ninth in 10 seasons appears well on course for Country Day. It is hard to see anyone beating the powerful Cajuns.

Country Day remained unbeaten, taking down Division I Fontainebleau 25-15, 25-11, 25-17 in Old Metairie Monday.

Kelsey Dinvaut led the way with 10 kills, Kamryn Thomas had eight kills and Ashlyn Barwick had 38 assists for the Cajuns. Jouret Curtis led Fontainebleau with six kills.

In 10 matches, the Cajuns have lost just three sets. Most notably, Country Day won in five sets over five-time defending Division 1 state champion Mount Carmel Academy on Sept. 5. Country Day has wins over other Division I teams in St. Amant, Zachary, East Ascension and Dutchtown.

Country Day head coach Julie Ibieta cannot hide her enthusiasm about this year’s team.

“This team is a very experienced team with seven seniors with a lot of returning players in key positions,” Ibieta said. “They really came focused this year. They are playing at a really high level early and becoming really comfortable with our different lineups and looks. It’s been fun to coach them thus far this year. It’s easy to coach a group when they are so focused.”

Having coached so many championship teams, how does the 2019 version of the Cajuns compare?

“This is one of the best teams we’ve had,” Ibieta said. “It is one of the biggest teams physically we’ve had. We have a great Libero, we play very good defense and have a senior center. This is clearly one of our best teams.”

Country Day will face a group of very good teams moving forward, including Archbishop Hannan, Academy of Our Lady, Vandebilt Catholic, Mandeville, Dominican, John Curtis Christian, Pope John Paul II and Cabrini, among others. The matchup with Cabrini (4-0) to end the regular season on Oct. 30 looms as a battle of two of the best, if not the two best teams in the area and state.

“We want to challenge ourselves every week and play the best teams in the state,” Ibieta said. “We are capable of playing with anybody. The competition makes you better. It’s fun for these kids. They like to be challenged. They like to play on the road. They are very competitive bunch.”

The Cajuns return to action Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at De La Salle while the Bulldogs (6-4) will open District 5-1 play today at home against Hammond at 5:30 p.m.

Area Prep Volleyball Results from Monday, Sept. 17

Abramson Sci Academy over Morris Jeff Community 25-23, 25-22, 25-18

Country Day over Fontainebleau 25-15 ,25-11, 25-17

Crescent City Christian over Covenant Christian 25-17, 24-26, 25-18, 25-15

John Curtis over Dunham 26-24, 25-19, 11-25, 26-24

Donaldsonville over Port Allen 25-18, 25-14, 25-14

Warren Easton over St. Mary’s 25-21, 25-17, 25-22

First Baptist Christian over Lutheran 25-8, 25-4, 25-10

Ben Franklin over St. Scholastica 25-13, 25-10, 25-15

Loranger over Franklinton 25-22, 27-25, 25-22

Lusher over St. Katharine Drexel 17-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-12

Parkview Baptist over East St. John 25-19, 25-6, 25-13

Pine over Varnado 25-2, 25-16, 25-12

Area Prep Volleyball Schedule for Tuesday, Sept. 17

Academy of Our Lady at Central Lafourche, 4 p.m.

Archbishop Chapelle at John Curtis Christian, 5:30 p.m.

Belle Chasse at Chalmette, 5:30 p.m.

Bogalusa at Franklinton, 4:30 p.m.

Carver at Grace King, 4:30 p.m.

Christ Episcopal at Pearl River, 5:30 p.m.

Cohen at McDonogh 35, 4:30 p.m.

Covington at Ponchatoula, 4:30 p.m.

Helen Cox at J.F. Kennedy, 4 p.m.

Destrehan at South Lafourche, 5 p.m.

Dominican at Central Catholic, 4:30 p.m.

Douglass at Landry-Walker, 4:30 p.m.

Dutchtown at Lakeshore, 4:30 p.m.

Warren Easton at Karr, 4:30 p.m.

Ecole Classique at Haynes, 4:30 p.m.

First Baptist Christian at Pine, 4:30 p.m.

Ben Franklin at St. Katharine Drexel, 5:30 p.m.

Hammond at Fontainebleau, 5:30 p.m.

Higgins at Covenant Christian, 4:30 p.m.

M.L. King Charter at Einstein Charter, 4:30 p.m.

McGehee at De La Salle, 5:30 p.m.

Northshore at Mandeville, 4:30 p.m.

Ridgewood at Kenner Discovery, 4 p.m.

Riverside Academy at St. Thomas Aquinas, 4:30 p.m.

Slidell at St. Scholastica, 4 p.m.

South Terrebonne at Hahnville, 5 p.m.

Springfield at Salmen, 4:30 p.m.

St. Helena at Independence, 4:30 p.m.

St. Martin’s Episcopal at Academy of Sacred Heart (NO), 5:30 p.m.

St. Mary’s Academy at B.T. Washington, 4:30 p.m.

Patrick Taylor at East Jefferson, 4 p.m.

Thibodaux at St. Charles Catholic, 4:30 p.m.

Vandebilt Catholic at Cabrini, 5:30 p.m.

West St. John at John Ehret, 4:30 p.m.

Sophie B. Wright at Morris Jeff Community, 4:30 p.m.