Iota seeks state berth after 2021
The No. 3 seed faces No. 30 South Beauregard in the first round of the Division III playoffs.
By Arjun Tanaka ·
Iota volleyball is 25-4 this season.
The Bulldogs are the No. 3 seed in Division III. They will host No. 30 South Beauregard in the first round of the playoffs.
Coach Glenn Daigle said the team set a specific goal before the season started. That goal was to qualify for the state tournament. The state tournament will take place Nov. 12-14 at the Cajundome.
Iota has not made the state tournament since 2021. The team was one of 32 from the Acadiana area to earn a playoff berth this year.
Daigle noted that the team has been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. In three of those years, the opponents were private schools.
"We’ve been getting knocked out the last couple of years, and it just left a bad taste in their mouths," Daigle said. "So, it's like these girls are getting tired of getting beat by some private schools. So they worked really hard this year. They want to make it to the (Cajundome), and I think they have a real good shot of doing it this year."
The Bulldogs won the Division III District 2 championship. They are currently on a run, having won 12 of their last 13 matches. Daigle described the team's defense as scrappy.
"If everybody's doing their job, they are fun to watch," Daigle said. "They'll chase down the ball, run into the wall to go get a ball, and there are times when I have two or three diving on the floor. So, I would say we are very scrappy. These girls .. want to go out there and do whatever it takes to get the job done."
Key players for Iota include Camrynn Lantier, Greta Brown, and Elizabeth Miller. Setters Addison Toups and Jaycie Willis are also central to the roster. Daigle highlighted the team's versatility and camaraderie.
"They don't fuss, and they don't fight," Daigle said. "They don't .. get ugly with one another. There are games where we aren’t great or that we don’t play to the best of our ability, and they just find a way to grind through it. They get along well, and they definitely hold each other accountable."
Source: The Advocate
