Episcopal School of Acadiana’s first game of the LHSAA Division V state tournament on Thursday couldn’t have been any more difficult.

Entering as the No. 9 seed with a 19-21 record, the Lady Falcons would have to face off against a Metairie Park Country Day team searching for its 10th consecutive state title. For a young team still struggling to find its identity, the quarterfinals were a true David versus Goliath matchup. 

Despite the uphill battle, ESA head coach Sara Robicheaux remained uncharacteristically calm on the sidelines, something she said allowed her team to play like a more experienced squad.

“In the past couple of games, I’ve realized that, with this group, keeping it simple and remaining calm helps them settle a lot better,” Robicheaux said. “They looked a little more like a veteran team out there. We might not have gotten the outcome we wanted but, to me, they looked more comfortable.”

With one of the youngest squads in the tournament, Robicheaux knew that the team would have trouble making a deep run this season. With a sophomore, freshman and middle schooler leading the offense this season, Robicheaux said she expects the team to use the experiences gained this season to develop into a dangerous opponent in the coming years. 

“Lauren (Conroy) and Camille (Herrington) were my two leading offensive players, so the future is really bright. Avery (Monica) usually is our kill leader, we just weren’t able to feed her the ball as much. It’s going to be really fun in a couple of years.”

Conroy, a freshman, led the team with six kills. Herrington, an eighth grader, finished the game with five. The Lady Falcons fell to Metairie Park Country Day in straight sets (25-7, 25-10, 25-16) on Thursday. 

The team’s sole senior, setter Rylee Benoit, will be missed next season, both on and off the court. 

“She learned a lot and she’s just one of the sweetest kids that you’ll ever come across,” Robicheaux said of Benoit. “She really cared about her teammates and that really showed through her play. That’s kind of the setter’s role in general. You’re not the shining star, you get to make everyone else look better. She ‘s going to be missed, for sure.”