By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — After falling at home to district rival John Curtis in the first round of district play, Riverside needed a victory Thursday to preserve hopes of winning the District 4-IV crown.
The Rebels’ response was resounding.
Riverside swept the Patriots this time around, putting together a dominant final game to seal a 25-22, 25-15 and 25-8 road victory.
Kendra Turner finished with 31 kills and five blocks. Dani Hebert made 31 assists. Toni Hebert had 21 assists, five kills and served six aces. Jordan Duhon made 25 digs and served five aces.
Riverside coach Chelsey Lucas-Nicholas said the Rebels didn’t change their gameplan from the first Curtis game to the second, crediting her players for stepping up their intensity level from the first matchup.
“It was more about a vow our players made to one another,” said Lucas-Nicholas. “The realization that when we do the right things out there, this isn’t just a good team. It’s a great team when we do what we need to do.’
“We know what other teams have. As long as we stick to the gameplan, we’ll be okay. And they’re buying into that.”
Lucas-Nicholas acknowledged that Curtis always presents a challenging opponent, particularly in the Patriots’ gym. But by the same token, she said, Riverside won there a year ago and was not going to be intimidated by the atmosphere.
“It wasn’t easy. Curtis is a good team,” said Lucas-Nicholas. “But at the same time, we don’t want to get caught up in all of the hype. We approach Curtis like it’s just another game. Go out, execute the plan, and get the results. Going on the road, yeah, it can be tough. But we’d been there before and won.”
The Rebels (28-10, 5-1) serving was a big key, she said.
“I thought we did a really good job with our serves and that was a difference,” said Lucas-Nicholas. “That’s been something we’ve stressed all year, serving well and getting them out of their offense. Being able to make strong first and second-level serves.”
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RIVERSIDE DEF. HAYNES IN THREE — The Rebels banked another district victory via a 25-11, 25-9 and 25-13 win over host Haynes Tuesday.
Toni Hebert racked up 22 assists for Riverside. Turner made 16 kills to go with seven blocks and two aces. Dani Hebert had 16 assists and three aces. Briley Becker served eight aces and Duhon had 25 digs and five aces.
Riverside has two district matches remaining, both scheduled for the upcoming week. St. James hosts Riverside Tuesday, then the Rebels travel to St. Charles Catholic Thursday.
A non-district matchup at O. Perry Walker is sandwiched between those matches on Wednesday. All matches include junior varsity and varsity, beginning at 4:30 p.m. each day.