Dominican, Hannan dominate Elite volleyball team

By Ron Brocato, Sports
Clarion Herald

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when Mount Carmel Academy ruled the state’s volleyball courts.

The Cubs’ record under head coach and now athletic director April Hagadone shows consecutive Division I state championships each year from 2014-19, and nine over a 14-year period.

But that changed in 2020 when the Cubs’ favorite opponent, Dominican, won its first state title, thus ending a history of being the district’s bridesmaid.

The thrill of victory was so satisfying for Coach Jessica Chatellier, her staff and team members, they did it again to show that last season was no brief affair with success in a sport Mount Carmel once owned.

Stocked with talent and depth, Dominican posted a 48-2 record and gave its head coach a personal record of 400 victories from the bench.

Behind Most Valuable Player, senior setter Kate Baker, Dominican was a dominant force in the division. The versatile Baker was an offensive and defensive dynamo on the court, one of the best setters and servers in the state.

Chatellier’s laurels as an outstanding coach is shared by Rebekka Bonnaffee, who guided Archbishop Hannan to a second consecutive Division III championship and a 37-6 record by sweeping E.D. White in the championship match.

Six schools from the Archdiocese of New Orleans reached the state tournament, and each had a player named to the Clarion Herald Elite Team.

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when Mount Carmel Academy ruled the state’s volleyball courts.

The Cubs’ record under head coach and now athletic director April Hagadone shows consecutive Division I state championships each year from 2014-19, and nine over a 14-year period.

But that changed in 2020 when the Cubs’ favorite opponent, Dominican, won its first state title, thus ending a history of being the district’s bridesmaid.

Stocked with talent and depth, Dominican posted a 48-2 record and gave its head coach a personal record of 400 victories from the bench.

Six schools from the Archdiocese of New Orleans reached the state tournament, and each had a player named to the Clarion Herald Elite Team.

Dominican Head Coach Jessica Chatellier, talking over strategy with senior captain Kate Baker, led her team to a second consecutive Division I state volleyball championship and a 48-2 record. Chatellier, who gained her 400th coaching victory, is the Clarion Herald Elite Team’s Co-Coach of the Year. Baker, a versatile senior setter, is the Most Valuable Player.

Rebekka Bonnaffee, right, guided Archbishop Hannan to a second consecutive Division III state title and third over the past four seasons to share Co-Coach of the Year accolades. Hannan, which ended the season with 29 consecutive match victories, swept E.D. White in the division finals. The coach shares a light moment with libero Claire Buisson (7).