By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

Five River Parish teams are on their way to the volleyball postseason, and two of them will rekindle their rivalry for a third time this season.

Riverside and St. Charles earned the No. 16 and No. 17 seeds respectively and the two district foes are slated to face one another on Thursday as part of the bi-district round of the playoffs. The match will begin at 5 p.m. at St. Charles.

The Comets swept Riverside in two district matches this season to secure second place in District 7-IV, behind champion John Curtis. Despite SCC being a lower seed, it will host the game due to its higher district finish.

The winner of the Comets/Rebels game will advance to face top seeded McGehee in the regional round. A win there would mean a trip to the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner for the State Volleyball Tournament. That will begin November 12.

Lutcher earned an eighth seed in Division III, and with it a bye. The Bulldogs will face the winner of the bi-district game between No. 9 Parkview Baptist and No. 24 Albany for the right to advance to the state tournament.

No. 12 Destrehan will host No. 21 Bonnabel in a Division I bi-district game. The winner will face fifth seeded Terrebonne in the regional round.

West St. John earns the 18th seed in Division IV and will travel to play 15th seeded St. John. The winner will advance to the regional to face Country Day, the division’s second seed.

The tournament format has changed this season. Teams finishing in the top eight of each division receive a bye. The seedings were determined by power points this season.

Games will not be played at the Pontchartrain Center until the quarterfinal round this year.

Last season, one win in the bi-district round would earn a spot at the event.