MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / October 17, 1999

RESERVE – Thursday was a good day for the Reserve Christian Lady Eagles.

They got their new uniforms in after a three-month wait. The whole teamwas healthy for one of the first times this season. And the Lady Eagles gottheir first-ever victory over a Division I team, defeating East St. John,15-6, 15-9, in the Eagles gym.

Reserve Christian evened its record at 10-10 on the season while East St.

John fell to 3-19.

Reserve Christian took a 3-0 lead on its second serve on a dink by Angie Tucker. Errors by the Lady Cats increased the lead to 5-0 before East St.John got on the board on consecutive aces by Takiyah Joseph. The LadyEagles came back to make it a five-point game again on two East St. Johnerrors.

East St. John again pulled to within three on two Reserve Christian errors.The Lady Eagles followed with a 4-0 run on its next serve with Tucker delivering an ace and Mary Venus punching a shot over to take a 11-4 lead.

The Lady Cats made it 11-5 on a dink by Joseph before Reserve Christian began to pull away behind a kill by Renee Delaneuville and an ace by Shelly Ford. The Lady Eagles closed out the first game with a kill by AmberSchlesinger.

What looked like a stroll for Reserve Christian in the second game became a sprint to the finish. The Lady Eagles jumped out to a 6-0 onDelaneuville’s opening serve of the game. Two aces by Delaneuville, a digby Ford and two kills by Schlesinger led the charge. That lead would growto 8-0 on aces by Tucker and Schlesinger.

East St. John began to pull back into the game on its next serve onconsecutive aces by Sandy Shields and consecutive errors by the Lady Eagles.

The Lady Cats kept it going on the ensuing serve behind an ace by Joseph and a kill by Bethany Condoll. After a timeout by Reserve Christian,Artrena Radcliff delivered consecutive kills to tie the score at 8.

Reserve Christian regained the lead two serves later on consecutive aces by Delaneuville and a block by Schlesinger.

A block by Condoll on the Lady Cats’ ensuing serve cut the deficit to 11-9 but the Lady Eagles closed out the match on a 4-0 run. Consecutive aces bySchlesinger ended the match.

Joseph led East St. John with three aces. Danielle Washington led the teamin kills while Radcliff and Lindsey Caronna provided top defense.

“We need to pull it together,” East St. John coach Toni Robinet, whoseteam was missing two starters due to injuries, said. “We see periods ofgreatness but we are a very young team and when we get into a hole, it’s like here we go again. The group is young and they never really had playingtime.”Reserve Christian was led by Delaneuville with four aces and top defense.

Schlesinger had a team-high five kills.

“It was a big win for us,” Reserve Christian coach Mike Marix said. “Weplayed as well as we ever did as a group. I encouraged the girls during thelast timeout that they had a chance to be history makers, to get the first win over a 5A school. We put it together at the right time to beat atalented, athletic East St. John team.”Both teams open defense of their district titles Tuesday. ReserveChristian hosts Lynn Oaks while East St. John hosts Destrehan.”If we show the intensity and the effort and the will to succeed like we did today, we shouldn’t have problems repeating as district champions,” Marix said.

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