Chapelle looked to have all the momentum after taking the second set against rival Mount Carmel in a District 8-I match on Thursday.

But the Cubs were able to pull away and take the final two sets by riding a balanced scoring attack to win 25-20, 21-25, 25-20, 25-14 at home.

“I think we did a really good job of picking our energy up after they won that set,” said junior Lila Franovich, who paced her team with 18 kills. “We were really just focusing on having positive energy and winning the match even with all the momentum they had and the fans that came to support them.”

Four Mount Carmel players had double-digit kills. Annabelle LaBure had 17 kills, Gabby Locascio added 15 and Alex Comeaux chipped in 14. Sarah Clement dished out 57 assists, and Mia Lopez scooped 33 digs.

The win for Mount Carmel (33-3, 5-1) ends district play with the Cubs, Dominican and Chapelle having one win against each other. Chapelle beat Dominican on Oct. 9, and Dominican downed Mount Carmel on Oct. 15.

“We really just talked about just doing what we have to do to finish the game,” Mount Carmel coach Taylor Ricaud said. “We had to focus on our side and not worry about the atmosphere they brought to the gym. Our middle blockers really came alive tonight, and for us to be successful, we’ve got to get them involved.”

Chapelle (21-14, 5-1) took the lead for good in the second set at 16-15 after a kill by Lilly Weaver. Victoria McCann was the main catalyst on offense for the Chipmunks in the set and for the match with her thunderous kills into the open areas of the court.

The outside hitter led her team with 25 kills.

Chapelle would slowly put some distance between the two teams to take the set.

Mount Carmel responded by opening the third set on a 6-0 run capped off by a block off the hands of Allie Steele. Chapelle inched within 8-5 but could not trim the margin to less than three points for the remainder of the set.

The Cubs lead swelled by as many as six points at 12-6, and Mount Carmel cruised for the rest of the set.

The Chipmunks kept it close early in the fourth set, but the Cubs took control and pulled ahead to eventually win the match.

Blythe Bonnaffons had 51 assists for Chapelle, and Ava Landry and Avah Gilchrist paced the defensive effort with 22 and 21 digs, respectively.

“I told the girls that I’m not disappointed in how we played,” Chapelle coach Jodee Pulizzano said. “I thought we played very well for the most part. Defensively, we didn’t dig as many balls as we usually do, and we really needed that. The strength of this team is the grit and the hustle.”

With the regular season winding down, Mount Carmel is the top-ranked team in the latest Division I power ratings, and Chapelle is No. 11. The LHSAA releases the playoff pairings on Nov. 3.