Young headlines all-District 3-I team

St. Amant claimed their second district title in the past three years this season and swept all-district honors recently chosen by District 3-I coaches as senior outside hitter Kayla Young was named Most Valuable Player,  senior libero Peyton Vincent was chosen Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Allison Didier Leake earned Coach of the Year.

The Lady Gators finished 9-1 in district and 21-19 overall after falling to Fontainebleau in the Division I regional playoffs following a first-round victory over Sulphur.

Joining Young and Vincent on the first-team from St. Amant was junior Sami Marchard and Dutchtown senior Justine Tureau and junior Brooke Bahlinger.

Dutchtown placed second in district play with an 8-2 record and 23-13 overall after being eliminated by Mount Carmel in the Division I regionals following a first round win over Carencro. East Ascension placed fifth in district with a 3-7 record and were 14-17 overall.

St. Amant junior Elena Villar was joined on the second-team by Dutchtown junior Ryan Hamilton and sophomore Jodi Hill and East Ascension senior Jyra Churchill and freshmen Alecia Gutierrez.

Earning honorable mention were Dutchtown seniors Haley Burns and Danielle Lightfoot and St. Amant juniors Emma Key and Stevi Tate.

Young, a second-team selection a year ago, led the Lady Gators with 324 kills and 351 digs to go with 19 aces.

Vincent repeats as the Defensive Player of the Year after registering 347 digs, 38 aces, 15 assists and 13 kills overall.

Marchand, St. Amant’s setter, had a team-high 802 assists to go with 319 digs, 52 kills and 36 aces over the season.

Tureau, Dutchtown’s libero and a second-team selection a year ago, had a team-high 198 digs in district to go with 11 aces.

Bahlinger, an outside hitter, provided 84 kills, 20 aces and 97 digs in district play.

Villar had 212 kills, 201 digs, 42 aces, 33 assists and 25 blocks for St. Amant this season.

Hamilton led Dutchtown with 212 assists in district play to go with 27 kills, 65 digs and 24 aces, while Hill had a team-high 89 kills.

Churchill had 61 kills, 47 digs, 63 assists and 16 blocks for East Ascension in district play, while Gutierrez provided 60 kills, 25 digs and 30 blocks.

Key registered 197 kills, 75 digs, 68 aces and 34 blocks for St. Amant and Tate had 138 kills and 129 digs over the season.

Burns accumulated 63 kills, 111 digs and 37 aces for Dutchtown, Lightfoot had 24 kills, 12 digs and seven aces in district play.

2009 All-District 3-I Volleyball Team

First team

Kayla Young, Sr.,?St. Amant

Justine Tureau, Sr., Dutchtown

Alexis Keller, Sr., Destrehan

Robin Sill, So., Destrehan

Jamara Celistan, Sr., Hahnville

Brooke Bahlinger, Jr., Dutchtown

Peyton Vincent, Sr., St. Amant

Second team

Jyra Churchill, Sr., East Ascension

Jodi Hill, So., Dutchtown

Elena Villar, Jr., St. Amant

Ryan Hamilton, Jr., Dutchtown

Jasmine Hill, Sr., Hahnville

Alecia Gutierrez, Fr., East Ascension

Honorable mention

Emma Key, St. Amant

Dadrion Tuicuit, Destrehan

Taisa McGee, East St. John

Haley Burns, Dutchtown

Stevi Tate,?St. Amant

Danielle Lightfoot, Dutchtown

Michelle Haydel, Destrehan

Liz Chaisson, Destrehan

MVP: Kayla Young, St. Amant

Defensive Player of the Year: Peyton Vincent, St. Amant

Coach of the Year: Allison Didier Leake, St. Amant