Juniors deliver in clutch for Griffins

• By CHRIS CHAPPLE
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Oct 28, 2009 - Page: 2C

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DUTCHTOWN — Juniors Brittany Lacy and Ryan Hamilton sparked Dutchtown High School when it counted the most.

Lacy’s play at the net and Hamilton’s consistent serve and 32 assists powered Dutchtown to a 15-9 victory in the fifth game and a 3-2 victory over Ascension Parish rival St. Amant in a Division I, District 3 volleyball match played Tuesday night at DHS.

The win by Dutchtown leaves the teams tied for first with 8-1 records with one match remaining, virtually guaranteeing the rivals a sweep of the top spots in the district.

Dutchtown (23-11) won 20-25, 25-22, 26-24, 10-25 and 15-9 in Tuesday action at Dutchtown. St. Amant had won the first District 3 game 3-0. This time around the two teams were tied in total points scored after three games.

St. Amant surged to a 12-3 lead in the fourth game as Elena Villar got hot with her serve.

Peyton Vincent served and senior teammate Kayla Young hit two cross-court shots as the Gators pulled ahead 18-4 and 23-5 on the way to a 25-10 victory.

“We got beat pretty good in the fourth game,” Dutchtown coach Patrick Ricks said. “I just encouraged them to focus on the next game. Wow! We really put it together in the fifth game.”

Ricks started a front line of Lacy, Hayden Wood and Haley Burns in the fifth game. Only 5-foot-7, middle blocker Lacy showed her athleticism with a sequence of kills or blocks as DHS surged to an 11-0 lead with Hamilton serving. St. Amant pulled within 13-7 on a dink by Young.

Dutchtown’s Jodi Hill scored the final two points on a kill and a dink.

“Brittany was hot tonight,” Ricks said. “She was in the right spot and played with energy. Ryan’s serving and her leadership was a key. Brooke Bahlinger hits it hard for us. Our defense was tremendous tonight.”

“It was the biggest win of the season for us,” said Lacy, who finished with 11 kills, six blocks and three aces.

“Our team was down after the fourth game. I was determined and had to lead by example to pick them up at the end.”

“I did not see us play like we can until it was too late,” St. Amant coach Allison Didier Leake said. “Dutchtown outhustled us and that is the reason they won.”