LAFAYETTE -- New Iberia Senior High had not played in a volleyball tournament yet this year because of early-season hurricanes, so coach Ron Hebert was hoping his team could get in at least four games at the Area Tournament at Comeaux High School on Friday and Saturday.

Mission accomplished after the Lady Jackets advanced to the finals of the tournament, finishing with a 4-2 tourney mark after falling to Catholic High in the championship match.

NISH started the tournament with a 13-25, 25-27 loss to Breaux Bridge on Friday, then rebounded to beat Ascension Episcopal School 25-10, 25-17. On Saturday, New Iberia beat Cecilia 25-19, 27-25, and defeated Sulphur 25-15, 25-16 to advance out of pool play as a wild-card team. The Lady Jackets beat Delcambre 25-10, 25-16 in the semifinals, but lost to Catholic High 18-25, 19-25 in the finals.

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Statistics for Delcambre and Catholic High were not reported by deadline for today’s newspaper and will be published when they are reported.

“We stunk it up on Friday,” said Hebert. “Breaux Bridge played horrible and we played worse. Ascension Episcopal is a new school, so they’re really young, and we came back and beat them.

“Saturday we came back for a little revenge against Cecilia, who had beaten us at their place the week before, and we got that. We played a little better. Against Sulphur we played a little better. Against Delcambre, we jumped on their first server (and led) 9-0. In the finals against Catholic High, a big, city rivalry, a team we don’t get to play much, who we didn’t get to schedule this year, we came out and didn’t play as well. They beat us.”

Leading NISH in the tournament were Shalicia Rochon with seven aces, one assist, 32 kills, 16 digs and 10 blocks; Jennifer Trahan, five aces, 12 assists, 13 kills, 24 digs and one block; Brittany Dugas, six aces, 64 assists, five kills, 24 digs; Allison Derouen, six aces and 27 digs; Shalyn Rabeaux, four digs; Jasmin Fuselier, one assist, 17 kills, five digs and five blocks; Katie Coquat, two digs; Brooke Miller 11 aces, 15 kills and 19 digs; Haley Hensgens, one ace and nine digs; Geraldlyn Broussard, three aces, two assists, 19 kills, 34 digs and two blocks; and Brittany Miller, one ace, two assists and two digs.

New Iberia, 13-5 overall and 1-1 in district, plays host to Carencro in a district match Tuesday.

“We have kind of been in a slump since Lafayette,” said Hebert. “To come out 4-2, we got a lot out of it.”

New Iberia also plays Ascension Episcopl School this week and hosts its own tournament on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. on all three courts at the school’s two gyms.