The third week of the ‘Kiss My Ace‘ Louisiana Beach Volleyball Tournament was a black week for Hathian teams. This was followed by the emerging storm clouds of the approaching weather front that led to the suspension of play for Week 4. Matches will resume once bad weather passes.
With only two Hathian teams remaining in the running, and the finals nearly within upon them the stakes were high and apparently so were the emotions.
Hathian Pink Spiders vs Morgan City Set4Life – 26.8.2023 at Morgan City Youth Center
After collecting a ‘bad girl’ reputation through every tournament round, this match was hanging on the edge from the very start. Not only the teams, but also all the fans came in to see not only fast balls flying, but also some dirty play, and needless to say they did not come out disappointed.
The first set started with competitive promise, as the very even back and forth brought the score up to 22:20 with the first win for the Morgan City team. Words exchanged before the break, none that yet thought this is also the last finished set of the game.
As the teams returned to the court, the verbal game did not end; and as Hathian’s Rachel Wesson got nicknamed ‘Wednesday Addams’ by the Morgan City player Elizabeth Dupont, who with a follow up exchanged suggested that the Hathian squad’s rough game was due to sexual frustration.
A loud comment of, “Maybe instead of taking it the court, you should get laid, can show you how in the lockers after the game, doggy” earnt the Morgan City team a technical fault and warning.
That did not change the course of the game though due to the fact that while the warning was being dispensed, Hathian’s Eva Lekach spiked the ball into Dupont’s face, resulting in a broken nose. This is where the volleyball game changed into impromptu Wrestling match. Morgan City’s Alice Morrison charged for Lekach with vengeance, but got tackled by Hathian’s Rachel Wesson, only for Eva Lekach to draw more blood in the game with a powerful bite causing severe bleeding. With both Morgan City girls down in the sand, Wesson proceeded with rage mode with several kicks in the ribs of the Morgan City player, getting the local fans up and rushing in in support for their home team.
The flurry of kicks and fists the game turned to had to be broken up by the security and Morgan City police, ending the game in a Pyrrhic technical win for Morgan City players, and disqualification of Hathian Pink Spiders from the tournament.
Hathian Rainbow Squirtles vs Galliano Hits and Giggles 26.8.2023 at Galliano Central Park
Another nail biting game went down at the Galliano Central park where the Galliano home team greeted a so far undefeated Hathian squad. Both teams came in in a competitive spirit of fair play and textbook technical play.
Through the whole game, the focus was on the team star players, Hathian’s Maya Flores, and Galliano’s Samara Brousard dueling it out at the net in the epic battle of spikes, blocks and dive saves, leading the first set to a tight victory of the Galliano’s squad 21:19
The second set saw both teams come in with relentless dedication and zeal, neither of the teams willing to give their opponents an easy win. As Brousard and Flores started to get worn down through their energetic performance and with the score at 24:23 for Galliano, the highlights moved towards the fresher players of each teams, and especially Hathian’s Samantha Smith who brought a series of perfect set ups for Flores to nail down the Hathian win on the second set by close margin of 33:35 in the longest set in the whole history of the tournament.
The third set belonged clearly to Galliano’s fans. After the tight battle of the second set they brought a storm from the bleachers establishing a loud backdrop to the whole game full of chanting and cheering to give their team that little bit extra so they can deliver. As the final set moved onwards in a constant lead changes, it was that one last extra step that turned the game into favour of the Galliano’s team with Samara Brousard fake spiking the ball just down the net after tricking the Hathian squad into backcourt defense by her previous barrage, ending the third set in 15:13 victory for Galliano’s Hits and Giggles and first defeat of the Hathian squad.
Moving To The Finals!
With the last games down in the tournament, it is on to the finals! The teams advancing to the finals are:
Group A
Hathian Rainbow Squirtles with 4 wins and 1 loss
Galliano Hits and Giggles with 4 wins and 1 loss
Group B
Houma Legit 2 Hit 4 with wins and 1 loss
New Orleans Wrecking Ballz with 4 wins and 1 loss
Due to severe weather, further matches are suspended as the Hathian teams are currently unable to travel (and other communities on the coast are also impacted). Once the weather clears the finals will happen!
