Acadiana Christian records undefeated regular season, eyes first-ever state championship
Published 11:12 am Friday, October 11, 2024
The Acadiana Christian School volleyball team set a new school record on Tuesday: an undefeated season.
The accolade came after another dominant win, this time in straight sets against First Baptist Christian School to end the regular season with a 13-0 record.
Junior Kennedi Broussard led the attack for the Lady Lions, recording 14 kills, eight digs and three aces. Yvette Olivier (26 assists, 3 digs), Addi Boudreaux (8 digs, 2 assists, 1 kill), Kacey Moore (4 kills, 1 ace), Brylynn Archon (6 kills, 1 block), Addy Moore (2 kills, 2 blocks), Jazmyn James (2 kills, 2 digs, 2 aces) and Tylar Moore (2 kills) also contributed to the win.
ACS got off to a slow start against First Baptist, falling behind 7-2 before rallying back for the win in the opening set. Games 2 and 3 were a much more lopsided affair, as the Lady Lions took control of the court early and never seemed to slow down.
For head coach Brigette Boudreaux, now in her third year at ACS, the team’s confidence is a major key to success this season.
“They’re so confident that they know how to fix the problems,” Boudreaux said of her team. “I don’t over-coach, most of the time we make our corrections at practice. They know what they have to do and a lot of the time they coach themselves out of slumps. We haven’t played much competition this last week and we had homecoming where we didn’t have a game, so we had to knock the dust off in that first set, for sure.”
That confidence first began to manifest over the summer as returning starters Kennedi Broussard, Jazmyn James and Addi Boudreaux worked hard to integrate a host of newcomers into the team.
“Our girls meshed together right away during summer camp and I knew that we had something special,” Boudreaux said.” One thing about this team that keeps us able to play regardless of score is that they’re always relaxed. There’s never a doubt in their mind that they’re going to come away with the victory in the end, even if we lose a set or are real tight. They’re always relaxed and able to perform under stress. I have three girls who have been with me since their freshmen year and they’re the core of the team. We also have some newbies, so those three coming together to lead the team and show them the expectations for the team let the others just fall right into place.”
ACS earned the No. 1 seed in Division I, giving the team a first-round bye and a guaranteed place in the Association of Christian Educators of Louisiana semifinals. Acadiana Christian’s finals appearance last season set a new bar for the school, something Boudreaux said she hopes to improve upon this year.
For team captains Jazmyn James and Kennedi Broussard, the season’s success won’t just be judged by wins and losses.
“A win is a win, we just want to pull together as a team,” said James. “That way, win or lose, we know that we tried and have grown stronger together.”
“The teamwork switched a lot from freshman year to now our junior year. We’ve built and grown as a team, both on the court and in our bond with God. We’ve pushed through adversity, I like how we fight together. Our bond is strong and nobody can break it.”
Broussard agreed, adding that the team always trusts one another to pull their weight on the court.
“We don’t get mad at each other,” she said. “We trust each other and we know that, if somebody makes a mistake, they’re going to fix it. No matter what, we keep pushing and keep striving for excellence.”
As for whether or not the team has what it takes to win a state championship, Broussard summed up her feelings in just one word: “Definitely.”
The ACEL semifinals begin on Friday, Oct. 25 at Pineville High School. The finals will be played on Saturday, Oct. 26.
The ACS football team also earned a spot in the ACEL playoffs, ending the regular season with a 7-2 record. The football semifinals will take place next week, with the state championship game scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 in Pineville immediately following the conclusion of the volleyball tournament.