Everything was going Catholic High’s way Wednesday against long-time nemesis ESA. 

The Lady Panthers rallied from a horrible third set, which they lost by 21 points, to win the fourth set and force a fifth and deciding game against the Lady Falcons.

Catholic High even led 8-6 in the fifth set and appeared to be on the way to winning the match when ESA coach Ursula Quoyeser called a timeout and exhorted her troops to fight hard and come away with the win.

“Coach called a timeout and said that we had to win this game,” ESA senior hitter Nanine Cowan said. “She didn’t give us an option and she really put it on the line. 

“You have to win this game and you have to play like there is no one else on the other side of the court. You can’t play scared. You have to show the mentality. There is no other option than to play hard and keep going.”

The pep talk worked as ESA ran off 9 straight points to win the deciding fifth set and keep its long winning streak against Catholic High going.

ESA won 25-18, 24-36, 25-4, 15-25, 15-10 to improve to 15-9 on the year. In the process the Lady Falcons ended Catholic High’s two-match winning streak as the Lady Panthers get ready for the most important week of the season, this weekend’s tournament at Highland Baptist and next Tuesday’s district championship match with Notre Dame.

“It seemed like we got stuck in a bad rotation at the end and their girls started playing and we started making mistakes,” said CHS coach Gary Westcott, whose team fell to 12-12 overall. “Just like game three and game one, the mistakes compounded and we just couldn’t overcome (them).”

ESA won the season series after beating Catholic High in four sets on Sept. 13, and just like in that first matchup, there was a playoff atmosphere at Monsignor Disch Gym.

“The last time we played them it was a really great game and we expected that it was going to be a really great game this time as well,” ESA senior libero Victoria Kinsland said. “They fought hard and we fought hard. It was back and fourth.

“During that third set, where we won 25-4, we came out and didn’t miss a serve and was really on our game. During that fifth set, we were on our game again. We’re we messed up was that fourth game when we got behind and got down on ourselves. When we play Catholic High, we know they’re a great team and they know we’re a great team and we’re both in the New Iberia area so there’s a little rivalry going on there.”

Wednesday’s match had the hallmark of a rivalry.

ESA pulled away late to win the first set, Catholic High held off a late ESA charge to win the second set, then the bottom fell out for the Lady Panthers, who lost by 21 points in the third set.

“The whole team got into a complete funk,” Westcott said. “Nothing went right. Everything went wrong. It wasn’t one single player, it was the whole back row couldn’t pass and when we finally got a pass, our hitters hit it out.

“But we were able to come back for that fourth set. That shows the character of this team after that embarrassment. It was disappointing but it was embarrassing as well.”

Catholic High rolled to the fourth set win and set up a final sprint to 15 in the fifth set.

The Lady Panthers held the lead for most of the final set but ESA’s nine point rally at the end proved to be the difference.

“It was a very stressful game for us,” ESA senior Mary Catherine Louis said. “It went back-and-forth and we really didn’t know what to expect from them and it took a great effort from all of us to pull it out.

“Our seniors are the leaders on the team and we guide the underclassmen. We pulled together our mental game and were able to pull it out in the end.”

Abigail Richthofen led CHS with 10 kills. Madison Bienvenu added seven kills, 15 digs and an ace; Madeline Lipari had 22 assists, 13 digs, two blocks and an ace; Caroline LeLeux had five kills; Oakley Guillot finished with three kills and Kenzie Hoffpauir had 16 digs.

Cowan had 16 kills and nine digs to pace ESA. Kailie Williams had 14 kills and two blocks; Louis finished with eight kills and three digs; Britt Falterman had 26 assists, four kills and five aces; Peyton Stokley had 17 assists, two kills and two aces; Hailie Williams had six kills, two aces, an assist and a block; Kinsland had 19 digs and one assist; Camille Daigle had 18 digs and six aces; Sam Jindia had three aces and five digs and Jaylen Nora had two digs and an ace.

The Lady Falcons travel to Ascension Episcopal Tuesday.