MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / September 21, 1998

RESERVE – WCKW radio announcer John Shade recently told Riverside volleyball coach Gina Centanni that he would not shave again until the Lady Rebels lost a game.

If the Lady Rebels continue to play like they did Thursday afternoon against Hahnville, Shade might look like Rip Van Wrinkle by the time the streak is over.

Riverside won its fifth straight victory to open the season, defeating the Lady Tigers, 15-11, 15-4, in the Hahnville gym. Hahnville fell to 3-8 onthe season.

The varsity game followed the junior varsity game and while many teams take that time to practice, the Lady Rebels were busy taking notes.

“It helps,” Centanni said of the varsity watching the junior varsity play.

“The formations, the setups are usually the same.”But it was the Lady Tigers who jumped out on top in the first game. A dunkby Liz Landry and four Riverside errors gave the Lady Tigers a 5-2 advantage. Riverside closed to within one on an ace by Michelle Millet, whowas battling a sore throat before the game, and a spike by Jennifer Guidry.

Hahnville went back out to a 7-4 lead on a kill inside the back line by Fallon Cancienne and an error on the Lady Rebels.

Riverside came right back to tie the score behind an ace by Amanda Roussel, a kill by Guidry and an error by Hahnville. The Lady Tigers bouncedback to take a 10-7 lead on a dink and cross-court kill by Landry and an ace by Cancienne. But a kill by Jennifer Smith, a block by Smith andCourtney St. Amant and two Hahnville errors put the Lady Rebels ahead forgood at 11-10. After an ace by Landry, a dink by Amie Graugnard and anHahnville error brought the Lady Rebels to game point. Smith got the gamewinner with a block at the net.

Riverside kept up the momentum in the second game. Two kills by Milletand a combined block by Millet and Smith gave the Lady Rebels a 5-0 lead.

Two errors by Riverside gave the Lady Tigers their first points but the Lady Rebels came back on a block by Roussel and a kill by Guidry.

The Lady Rebels continued to expand their lead on an ace by Graugnard and a kill by Millet. Guidry then lofted an ace just over the net and Millet cameup with a block to build the lead to 13-2. After two Riverside errors gaveHahnville two points, Millet spiked a free ball at the net to bring the Lady Rebels to match point. Hahnville held off two serves but the Lady Rebelswould get the victory as Heidi Richard set up Graugnard for a dink that went in the left baseline.

That dink was typical of the game the Lady Rebels played, keeping the Lady Tigers off-balanced.

“I try to teach them that,” Centanni said. “Put them where they are not. Iam very pleased and have been for the last five matches. We pull togetherand play with fire. We have a lot of hustle and do anything not to let theball hit the ground.”Hahnville coach Mendi LeBoeuf said the match was typical of the way her team has been playing this year.

“In the second game, we were still disappointed for letting the first one get away,” LeBoeuf said. We didn’t come out like we needed to come out.We have a lot of new people on the court and we tend to get down on ourselves early. We are playing good volleyball but when things go wrong,we let them get away.”Millet led the Lady Rebels with nine kills and also had eight digs, three assists and one solo block. Jackie Whitmer paced the Lady Tigers withsseven kills and Colleen Lockhart had seven digs.

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