Moving on from prolific 2018 class, inexperienced Ascension Episcopal volleyball maturing quickly – The Advocate

Its a new chapter for Ascension Episcopal volleyball, as coach Jill Braun described it, and that may sound like a typical sports clich you hear from coaches when a team is hit hard by graduation.

But for the Blue Gators, that phrase couldnt be more accurate. In fact, its more like a new book.

Because how do you replace eight seniors, six of who were starters since they were freshmen? Another, Addie Vidrine, started as a seventh-grader.

Over the past five years, that group helped Ascension reach the Division V state championship game four times, including last year.

Braun isnt pretending that she can replace that lost leadership. When she preaches to her returning players about creating their identity, she means it. The biggest hurdle the Blue Gators are having to overcome is just learning how to play with each other because many of them have never done so.

Weve talked all summer and into the start of the year that it was going to be a little bit of a slower start just as were gelling together and figuring each other out as a team, Braun said. Im really starting to see those things come to fruition in the last week.

Like I keep telling the kids, we dont have to be our best in September. We need to be our best in November. So its a process and a journey.

To Brauns credit, shes embraced the challenge of molding a new team with new personalities.

Change always promotes growth, Braun said, so I was definitely excited about this season.

The new personnel isnt the only change the Blue Gators are undergoing. After being a staple of the Division V final over the last half decade, Ascension has moved up to Division IV, which also features area powers like Notre Dame and Lafayette Christian.

The good news is Ascension isnt void of experience for this voyage into a higher classification. Abby Hall, a sophomore outside hitter who had 16 assists in a semifinal win against Central Catholic last year, returns. So does right-side hitter/middle blocker Jordan Berube, one of eight seniors on this years team.

Abby Hall has a strong arm on the outside, Braun said. Shes a six-rotation, all-around player. She brings that consistency as far as offensively and defensively. Jordan Berube has been great vocal team leader recently. She kind of keeps everybody in the game.

I actually have eight seniors again, Braun added. So they may not be very seasoned, but theyve been in the program for a long time. So were not rebuilding. Were just giving some kids some spotlight that have kind of been behind that group from last year.

Ascension has also added a gifted player to its rotation. Jenai Stevens, a 6-foot senior middle blocker, moved to Lafayette last year after attending The Dunham School in Baton Rouge. Stevens is a two-time all-district first-teamer and was the districts MVP in 2017.

Braun describes Stevens, a Division I-level prospect, as impactful. Her experience playing at a program like Dunham, which reached the Division V quarterfinals last year, certainly doesnt hurt.

(Stevens family) moved to Lafayette last winter, so she played travel ball here in the Lafayette area, Braun said. So she comes to us with a lot of talent.

There is one area where Ascension is particularly young, though talented. The Lady Blue Gators new 5-1 setter is Brauns daughter, eighth-grader Kira Braun.

Shes been very impressive, Jill said. She does play travel for me, but she has earned the right and done a fantastic job leading our varsity team this year even though shes in eighth grade.

As of Thursday, Ascension wass off to a 4-1 start, having won four straight matches after dropping its opener to Division III runner-up E.D. White. As Braun suspected, the inexperienced Blue Gators havent been perfect from the jump, but theyre quickly maturing.

I feel like this week we really progressed by leaps and bounds with the little things we were trying to get our offense running smoother, Braun said. We had some passing issues early, and we are doing much better. Ava Breaux plays in the back row as a (defensive specialist), and Annie Mouton is now our libero. Both of those girls have done a good job improving our passing in the last couple of weeks.

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Moving on from prolific 2018 class, inexperienced Ascension Episcopal volleyball maturing quickly - The Advocate