2025 RI Boys Volleyball Preview…
3/3/25
Welcome to the boy’s season!
It should be an interesting one. LaSalle is the defending champ…North Kingstown and Cranston East have axes to grind…Classical and East Greenwich are looking to prove themselves…Barrington, Cranston West, and East Providence make the jump to the top division…
“I write so much, I figured I could re-hash a small part of my VB Magazine article…”
The 2025 season showcases a realignment of teams which should project an interesting campaign of volleyball. The champions of last year’s divisions, with the natural exception of Division 1, have all moved up…Barrington High School from Division 2 to Division 1, Tolman High School from Division 3 to Division 2. The top conference, also known as Division 1 or the State Championship Division, has three strong contenders in La Salle Academy, North Kingstown High School, and Cranston East High School. Division 2’s projected top spots are Lincoln High School, Central Falls High School, and Westerly High School. Lastly, Division 3’s race will include Portsmouth High School, Scituate High School, and Mt. Hope High School.
The real excitement of the season will be the amount of college level players in the state. To me, it’s the highest it’s been in a while. Some teams are loaded, others just have a couple, but, man, it’s going to be fun seeing all these guys go at it.
2025 Preseason All-ResV teams:
First Team:
Pin- Ryan Harrington - Sr. - North Kingstown
Pin- Cody Tow - Sr. - North Kingstown
Middle- Dennis Dixon - Sr. - Cranston East
Middle- Andrew Ramos - Jr. - Bishop Hendricken
Pin- Charlie Pincince - Sr. - Cranston East
Setter- Ben Warr - Sr. - Bishop Hendricken
Libero- Stephen Dufour - Sr. - North Kingstown
Utility - Masiah Prak-Preaster - Sr. - Coventry
Second Team:
Pin- Jordan Rodriguez - Sr. - East Providence
Pin- Ryan Rathbun - Sr. - North Kingstown
Middle- Henry Kenyon - Jr. - Westerly
Middle- Jackson Colton - Sr. - Lincoln
Pin- Jahmir Evans - Sr. - LaSalle Academy
Setter- Caleb Xum - Sr. - Cranston East
Libero- Eli Nogueras- Sr. - LaSalle Academy
Utility- David Green - Sr. - LaSalle Academy
Realignment! Check out the divisions this year…
Division 1:
North Kingstown - Runner up in D1 (Top seed)
Barrington - D2 Champs! (2nd seed)
LaSalle Academy - D1 Champs! (3rd seed)
Bishop Hendricken - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D1 (6th seed)
North Smithfield - Lost in the Semi-Finals of D1 (4th seed)
Chariho - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D1 (8th seed)
East Providence - Lost in the Semi-Finals of D2 (3rd seed)
Classical - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D1 (5th seed)
Cranston West - Runner up in D2 (Top seed)
Coventry - Did not make the playoffs in D1
Cranston East - Lost in the Semi-Finals of D1 (2nd seed)
East Greenwich - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D1 (7th seed)
Division 2:
Central - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D2 (6th seed)
Woonsocket - Did not make the playoffs in D2
Central Falls - Runner up in D3 (2nd seed)
Westerly - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D2 (5th seed)
Johnston - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D3 (7th seed)
West Warwick - Did not make the playoffs in D2
Juanita Sanchez - Lost in the Semi-Finals of D3 (3rd seed)
Tolman - D3 Champs! (Top seed)
Lincoln - Lost in the Semi-Finals of D2 (4th seed)
South Kingstown - Did not make the playoffs in D1
Pilgrim - Did not make the playoffs in D2
Toll Gate - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D3 (8th seed)
Division 3:
Achievement First - Did not make the playoffs in D3
Times 2 Academy - Did not make the playoffs in D3
Burrillville - Did not make the playoffs in D3
St. Raphael’s - Lost in the Play-In Game for D3 playoffs
Davies - Did not make the playoffs in D3
Scituate - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D3 (4th seed)
Exeter / West Greenwich - Did not make the playoffs in D3
Portsmouth - Lost in the Semi-Finals of D3 (5th seed)
Hope - Did not make the playoffs in D3
North Providence - Did not make the playoffs in D3
Mt. Hope - Lost in the Quarter Finals of D3 (6th seed)
Mt. Pleasant - Lost in the Play-In Game for D3 playoffs
ResV 2025 Preseason Top 10…
LaSalle Academy - Defending champs have their work cut out for them. North Kingstown and Cranston East will be on revenge tours, Ephraim Abhulime is gone…doing work at the big boy level, and Ali Adur-Razzak...also gone…has his head in the books at Brown. Big middle Connor Lewis is on a new campus as well. Now, all that being said, LaSalle does have the heroes of last year’s title run back…Jahmir Evans and Eli Nogueras. They also have some premier guys returning in David Green and Ty Cotta. Evans and Green should provide plenty of pop and Nogueras and Cotta are sure-handed ball control guys in the league. Chris Benell provides a big arm in the middle and has versatility to play on the right while Steve Buco may be in the new hands for this Ram team. Newcomer Flavio Tavares will also play a pivotal role as this team will battle for the threepeat, plus do not sleep on Jayden Simao making more of an impact as well. The unknowns are the largest for LaSalle in a while, so it should be interesting to see what style of play they’ll adopt, who steps up in their role, and how they handle the revamped and hungry Skippers and Bolts.
North Kingstown - One serve away…one injury away… Tough ending for the Skippers last year and thus the pedal will be pushed to the floor this season to prove some things. Ryan Harrington will be the focal point. He missed the championship last year due to an injury the day before…can’t think of anything else that could be more motivating for the reigning player of the year. Cody Tow is right behind Harri and can light up the stat sheet both in kills and at the service line. North did lose the big guy, Quinlan Fahy to graduation as well as setter / lib Finn Kearny, however, there are plenty of guys ready to fill those roles. Jayden Yang will play a bigger role this year, most likely in a starting type stabilizer. Also, the best pin you don’t know about sails for North Kingstown in Ryan Rathbun. Rathbun has a college level arm and can win games by himself. Do not sleep on Sean Peters in the middle as he has improved immensely from his club play and will certainly bolster a middle core that includes Connor Valois. Lastly, Stephen Dufour and Evan Shea are both college level volleyball players who can play different roles giving the Skippers maximum flexibility on how they want to attack and defend teams. Most will once again believe the road to a title goes through NK.
Cranston East - When we last saw the Bolts, they were on the wrong end of one of the wildest matches in recent memory. In the craziest of matches, Cranston East held their own and had chances to upend the apple cart. Now, the way it all ended surely left a sour taste in the mouths of CE and with a new day finally dawned…well, the revenge tour must go forward…and they have the pieces to do it. Caleb Xum is one of the craftiest setters in the league. He makes good choices and can almost ensure a split or an open net for his attackers the way he approaches the game. Charles Pincince is a force. He can score in bunches and if he has his serve going…forget about it. Dennis Dixon could be the most college ready middle in the state. He’s long, has bounce, and blocks at the big boy level. Mustapha Ndoye was a pretty stout front row guy last year, sometimes middle and sometimes opposite, and I believe Darien Peterson, another solid middle, is back as well. Do not sleep on the Riviera brothers. Sam and Christian can ball and will provide meaningful production no matter where they see the court. Lastly, there is a talent entering the arena named Jordan Frisone. Frisone has bounce, a big arm, and is a menace at the net. Certainly, the gut reaction will often be North Kingstown or LaSalle, but I wouldn’t want to see this mean green side, especially come playoff time.
Bishop Hendricken - When it comes to dynamic duos, the Hawks have one of the best pairs in the state. Ben Warr and Andrew Ramos can cause all sorts of issues for your ball club. Starting with Warr…Ben is the type of setter that can dismantle you with his decisions and leadership. He literally wills his teams to win sometimes and that’s through making tough plays, key digs, or finding the right guy at the right time to take a swing. Warr hardly ever feels his team is out of the game and just makes things happen. Meanwhile, his partner in crime, Ramos, is a hammer. Andrew has a big arm and can cause all sorts of mayhem with it. His timing in the middle is very good and he has a whip of an arm that can blast through quickly…almost regardless of where the ball might be to him. His blocking has improved immensely, and he’s now armed with a serve that isn’t nice to passers. With Warr and Ramos are a couple of guys that have high ceilings…Ryan Yin and Santiago Harrington. Yin had a breakout season last year as a left and should snap to form pretty quickly. Harrington was a top tier libero in the league in 2024 and all signs point to him having almost the same year in 2025. Charles Kretzer, Quinten Reslow, and Landon McCarty are gone to graduation, however, if there is one thing that Hendricken does better than most is mold new players to the system (and they have an up and comer in Zach Roebuck) and make the opposition work for any success. Expect Warr, Ramos, and company to will games their way more than you think in 2025.
East Providence - The Townies have themselves an interesting team coming to your gymnasium in 2025. Sure, gone are DJ Lapine, Loden Broe, and the unpredictable and unforgettable Pedro Medieros…but the returners can ball, I promise you that. Jordan Rodriguez is a top outside in the league. He’s got a college arm and has the ability to hit around blocks. He’s the total package and will be one of the dark horse picks for top pin in the state this season. Paired up with Rodriguez is Brandon Mimande. Mimande has real bounce and can fly over blockers. He’s got an arm to, giving East Providence two pins that will be tough to stop. There is also Naya Phillip. basketball guy, but plays some volleyball and he can fly too…maybe more so than Mimande. Caden Corbett will do some work in the middle. Also, do not sleep on Alex Robinson for hands for this side. Robinson has played well in his club campaign and will likely be dishing the ball for a Townie side with plenty of weapons. So, I guess what I’m trying to portray here, is that East Providence will have a squad, and will be a fly in the ointment for teams trying to take the championship level step.
Barrington - The Eagles are the DII defending champs and are jumping to the D1 conference. Now, with that being said, it’s easier said than done…and this defending champ roster has certainly been turned over. Gone are the horses that brought the wagon to paradise in the D2 world… Jimmy Ciummo (M1), Sang Min Park (S), Cam Kelley (O1), Max Oberacker (M2), Luke Van Ness (L), Luke Andsager (Opp), and Evan Katsinas (DS). Significant graduation to say the least. That being said, Don Park is going to be one of the top pins in the state this year. He’s 6’5, has an arm, and is significantly skilled. Park will be hard to stop and should lead this Eagle side to plenty of wins. Paired with Park is Cal Oberacker. Oberacker is a highflyer that can score over blocks. His overall game is rounding out quickly and he will be a significant factor in the league. Volleyball, however, is not basketball, gentlemen, and Park and Oberacker are going to need help. Setter Logan Lane and middle Isa Rodriguez are on roster from last year…but who is coming down the pike to aid the cause? Of that, dear reader, we do not know. What we do know is that the Eagles will have two pins that can do work. Is it enough going into the top conference in the state? Don’t know. Perhaps it is and a playoff run may follow suit…
Classical - The Purple are in position to do well this season, but there are plenty of question marks. Jacob Agramonte should be a top tier player for this Classical side and Ian Nascimento will share in the kill generating duties. Jeraldy Herrera Santos will be one of the top Liberos in the league and may even set for this squad. Jasper Hoefferle will be a solid middle, should he stay in that position, while Emmett Taylor has had a strong club season and may be another pin option for the Purple. The key for Classical this season will be limiting errors. Last year, the Purple were also talented, but often found themselves in matches where they had opportunity, but too many unforced errors sank the ship. The Purple will certainly miss James Men and Teddy Wallace (who’ve gone due to graduation), but the returning cast should provide a challenging puzzle for the majority of opponents. Do not sleep on Rangiel Cespedes, who should break the lineup and provide some added level to this club. Also, remember that Classical is arguably the top home gym in the state and should cause even more uncertainty for visiting clubs.
East Greenwich - The Avengers are interesting this year. You talk to any of the EG brood and you’ll hear the same thing, “We won’t be that good.” Is that accurate, or are the playing possum? When I was younger I used to enjoy a good WWE event. Back when it was WWF, there was a crew called The Brood and they featured Edge, Christian, and Gangrel. Everyone loved Edge and Christian and they went on to have hall of fame careers…but I was fascinated with Gangrel. Similar in stature to guys like Jim “The Advil” Neidhart and Dustin Rhodes, Gangrel was the secret weapon to the brood. In theory, he wasn’t as talented as the other two, but when it mattered, Gangrel got stuff done. East Greenwich feels a little like that. LaSalle, NK, and CE will get all the ink, but I wouldn’t sleep on this Avenger side. Sure, Max Silverman, Cole Arsenault, Spencer Warburton, and Mike “Dobz” Dobrzanski are all onto the next chapter due to graduation, but there are some very interesting pieces to the puzzle on this Avenger side. Zach Gessman is sneaky good. Luke Moio is a pretty sure handed libero who can have absolute flashes of brilliance. Aiden Huff has emerged as one of the top Swiss Army Knives in the league, while Cam Gates is about to blossom as a point scorer. Milo Sy will be a middle that will be surprisingly effective this year and I think Rainen Paquette will be able to handle the setting duties just fine. Those that visit the castle in the middle of the state will find Avengers there willing, and able, to defend the house.
Chariho - My sincerest hope for the Chargers is that the hangover from the Tiernan era is officially over and we’re back to business…which I think is how this is going to play out. It starts with Landon Marland. The junior pin learned a lot from his Sophomore campaign, along with a strong club season, which means he’s going to put up numbers. The Poplaski brothers will play major roles as well. Kody Poplaski set for half the season last year and then found himself taking swings on the left. It’ll be interesting to see if that pattern holds or they give him hands again. Kasey Poplaski was given the job of hands when Kody moved to pin. So, you see where this is going…somehow, some way, the Poplaskis will be doing something important for this club. You’ll have to tune in during week one to see where they land. Both are good players that will help the cause. Quinn Sposato will also be a factor on the pin giving Chariho solid weapons on the pins. Losing Travis Plante-Mullen to graduation hurts the most as he was a top tier middle in the league, but I think Charger fans will love Carter Stolt. Stolt has a wonderful motor and just out works everyone. He’s made giant steps in his club season and I suspect he’s going to have a really strong senior campaign. The Chargers also have two Liberos who can ball in William Ellis and Jaxon Vachon. Ellis did a little bit of everything for Chariho last year and Vachon is on the verge of being a top Lib in the league. So, there is lot’s to be excited about in Charger land…plus they have one of the toughest gyms to play in, which should pay dividends against teams that are not used to visiting the Cave.
Lincoln - The run the Lions have been, in terms of success, is a top four team for the last five season or so, with a championship in there (maybe two?). So some felt, that perhaps Lincoln might move up to D1. This did not happen, though the case would have been relatively easy to make if they had. Nonetheless, the Lions will be an absolute pain to deal with this season. To begin, however, we start with the key loses due to graduation…Wayne McNamara and Austin Noel. McNamara and Noel, amongst others, will certainly be missed as they were key cogs in the Lion machine that brought the program to the forefront. However, with those guys gone, new opportunities open up for guys to take the mantle and run with it. It starts with Jackson Colton. Colton, a Wheaton College commit, has absolutely grown into the game. Club sharpened him this season and now the Lions are going to lean on him to be physical at the net and score plenty of points. Joining him in that endeavor is Tyler Biddle, who has rounded into a college prospect in his own right. Biddle is on his way to be a premier pin and will cause all sorts of issues for opponents. Noel had hands for the last two to three years, leaving Sebastian DeCubellis in the wings. Sebastian is now the prime guy for setting and I think the Lions are going to like his level. DeCubellis is another bigger setter at 6’4 and he is another guy sharpened by his club season. Lincoln will certainly get admirable help from others on the roster (and some will break out as they often do and be heavier factors) but a team that has solid hands, and M1, and an O1, is massively dangerous in the D2 world. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Lincoln marched to the finals once again.
2025 ResV Preseason Top Eight Players in the State:
Ryan Harrington (North Kingstown) - Most skilled and mentally tough player in the patch. Has improved his blocking and serving immensely. Plus, he’s on a mission this time.
Cody Tow (North Kingstown) - Kid can serve lightning strikes. Can be devastating on the left and his ball control is top tier. Also, he’s really good from the back row.
Charles Pincince (Cranston East) - Speaking of Dudes who can serve…Pincince has a cannon. He’s improved his shot selection, and he comes up clutch when his team needs him.
Ben Warr (Bishop Hendricken) - Warr runs a solid offense and has great chemistry with pretty much anyone he plays with. What separates is Warr’s supreme confidence and determination. He wills things to happen.
Jahmir Evans (LaSalle Academy) - Huge bounce with a huge arm. Evans went on a tear last year in the playoffs and won some sets by himself. He has shots and he has a mean serve to boot.
Caleb Xum (Cranston East) - The smoothest setter in the league. Xum has skill and does a really nice job of setting the pieces on the chess board and not allowing the defense to settle in on just one.
Ryan Rathbun (North Kingstown) - A man of few words, but an arm that you’ll recognize. Rathbun was huge in the finals last year and this year’s club experience has made him even better.
Jordan Rodriguez (East Providence) - Rodriguez became a guy to watch last year, but this year his stock has gone through the roof. Has a strong arm, makes shots, and doesn’t shy away from the spotlight.
Top Ten Preseason Pins:
Ryan Harrington (North Kingstown) - Sr.
Cody Tow (North Kingstown) - Sr.
Charlie Pincince (Cranston East) - Sr.
Jahmir Evans (LaSalle Academy) - Sr.
Jordan Rodriguez (East Providence) - Sr.
Ryan Rathbun (North Kingstown) - Sr.
Masiah Prak-Preaster (Coventry) - Sr.
Don Park (Barrington) - Jr.
Jacob Agramonte (Classical) - Sr.
Brandon Mimande (East Providence) - Sr.
Top Ten Preseason Middles:
Dennis Dixon (Cranston East) - Sr.
Andrew Ramos (Bishop Hendricken) - Jr.
David Green (LaSalle Academy) - Sr.
Jackson Colton (Lincoln) - Sr.
Henry Kenyon (Westerly) - Jr.
Jamilson Almeida (Central Falls) - Sr.
Chris Benell (LaSalle) - Sr.
Carter Stolt (Chariho) - Sr.
Cam Marcotte (Coventry) - Jr.
Sean Peters (North Kingstown) - Jr.
Top Ten Preseason Setters:
Ben Warr (Bishop Hendricken) - Sr.
Caleb Xum (Cranston East) - Sr.
Evan Shea (North Kingstown) - Sr.
Porter Fisher (Scituate) - Sr.
Ashton Mak (Cranston West) - Jr.
Kody Poplaski (Chariho) - Sr.
Steve Buco (LaSalle Academy) - Jr.
Sebastian DeCubellis (Lincoln) - Sr.
Jayden Yang (North Kingstown) - So.
Jovanny Lopez (Central Falls) - Jr.
Top Ten Preseason Liberos:
Steve Dufour (North Kingstown) - Sr.
Eli Nogueras (LaSalle Academy) - Sr.
Ty Cotta (LaSalle Academy) - Sr.
Jeraldy Herrera Santos (Classical) - Sr.
Jayden Simao (LaSalle Academy) - So.
Tim Harrington (North Kingstown) - Jr.
Jaxon Vachon (Chariho) - Jr.
Sam Riviera (Cranston East) - Jr.
Jean-Lucas Barroso (Tolman) - Sr.
Felipe Hernandez (Central Falls) - Sr.
Top Fifteen Players that Coach Reslow has Coached…
Cam Ponce - Setter - Bay to Bay - San Jose, CA - The Franchise! When JJ Bessette graduated from JWU, we were in a world of trouble as J had been our best setter far and away. We didn’t have anyone else in the pipeline to take over the setting duties. Thus, we were recruiting tirelessly for a setter…and we got lucky in landing Bay to Bay’s Cameron Ponce. He was 6’4, had decent bounce, high volleyball IQ, and a tireless motor. He instantly brought the program to the next level, and it was a sin that he was not JWU first men’s volleyball All-American as he was deserving three out of his four years. He could do anything on a volleyball court…for example, for half a season we needed an O1, so I put Cam there and he was brilliant. JWU won matches that we had no business winning because Cam Ponce was just an absolute dog. Only JWU men’s volleyball player in history to be all conference all four years of his career (twice on the second team, and twice on the first team). Was conference Rookie of the Year and also was selected to the all-playoff tournament team twice. Upon graduation, he played for Boston Bounce, the professional VLA team, and shared the starting setting duties with one of his competitors throughout his GNAC run in Wentworth’s All-American Collin Ritter. Today, he’s married to his college sweetheart, plays a lot of golf I hear…or at least that was the plan…and is always considering, tentatively, either coming out of retirement or coaching the game. I’ve not coached a player that was as talented, knowledgeable, and program transformative, as Cam. He’s easily one of my favorite people and I absolutely look forward to seeing him.
Jack Pincince - Pin - Blast - South Kingstown, RI - My favorite story about “Big Jack” was when JWU hosted Nazareth in a non-conference tournament. Naz’s legendary coach, Cal Wickens, in warmups, looks to me and growled, “Where the #$%@ have you been hiding this kid?” JWU would win the match in four, first win ever for JWU over Naz, and Pincince, for the first time in a Wildcat uniform, played a big role in that situation. Listed at 6’2, but probably more in 6’ land, Big Jack can fly. Pincince was college ready in high school. He was built like a Mack Truck and blessed with a big arm. He was named conference Rookie of the Year in 2019 as well as being named to second team all-conference. Robbed of his final two years of NCAA ball due to the craziness of 2020, Jack would go on to star for URI’s club team and then for the VLA’s professional Boston Bounce Volleyball team…all while coaching at the South County Volleyball club program. Pincince is a tireless worker, has a mean sense of humor, and excels at the game…almost like he was built for it. He almost assuredly would have been JWU’s first All-American had the program not been dissolved…though he should have been JWU’s second AA…I’m still salty about Cam Ponce not winning that award. Today, Pincince is basically engaged, still coaching for South County and playing pin for Boston Bounce…for how much longer, no one knows, but Jack’s legacy in New England volleyball is nonetheless set all ready…and he’s one of my good friends that I talk to almost daily.
Scott Grandpre - Pin / Libero - Blast - East Greenwich, RI - For Grandpre, I was his assistant coach in high school. My knowledge of volleyball was pretty limited back then. However, my advice for Scott was more based on how to be a premier athlete and what that looks like…of which he needed because for most of that season, and his career, Scott Grandpre was the best player on his team and in the state. Standing maybe, 6’1, Grandpre had built himself into a highflyer. He didn’t have natural bounce, but instead just worked his tail off to get it. Every once in a while, I run into the legendary RI high school coach, Mike Harrington and we talk about who are the top RI boy’s volleyball players in the history of the state…we agree on #1, but from there it’s all over the map…I have Grandpre top five. Lots of guys in the discussion, but unlike a lot of the bruisers that came before Scotty (or even during his career…looking at you Eddie DelSig) Grandpre was an artist. Sure he had the arm to bounce. He even gave me one of my favorite volleyball lines of all time…I asked him what he does when facing just one blocker, as I was trying to cement my point to another player. He said, “I make the ball hit the floor really really hard.” What Grandpre did that others just didn’t have, was the ability to get out of jail. Our setting wasn’t great, and Scott would often see double blocks with the ball tight on the tape. So, he learned how to wipe the block, chip it off the block, or just recycle. He was so good at it, that often times refs would miss it entirely. There would be Grandpre celebrating, the blocker with a sour look on his face, as Scott found his finger on the wipe and the refs would say it didn’t touch the blocker! Outrage would ensue! Grandpre would go on to play at Sacred Heart University and have a solid career as a Libero. He’d also get the coaching bug and land a gig coaching college women’s volleyball at Simmons College…leading them to their most successful seasons of their franchise. Today, Grandpre is the head guy and architect of AAU New England volleyball. Thousands of kids go to Mohegan, Fitchburg, Hanover, and others, and see this super happy guy bouncing around the arena checking in on everyone and have no idea that he was a better volleyball player than 99% of the customer’s he’s serving.
Ephraim Abhulime - Middle - South County - Providence, RI - Some guys are just made for the game. In New England we, unfortunately, start playing volleyball way later then other regions of the country. So, when a guy comes in at 6’6, is a track star…setting school records for long jump…and has an arm to go with it, well, we all just sit back and watch the best middle prospect in Rhode Island boy’s volleyball history take shape. I mean that…I can’t think of a better middle hitter to come out of RI. There are some guys that come close, I suppose…Gabe Felicetti? Kevin Borsay? I write sometimes about how the best players in any given region just go by a single name…like the Brazilians. Everyone knows Gabi. Everyone remembers Giba. In RI, and New England, for club volleyball, it was Ephraim. When Ephraim took the court, you knew you had your work cut out for you. Big E quickly turned himself into a premier blocker in the region. His offense ability followed suit and from there his stock just rose. He would play for a South County VBC side that was ranked nationally and won the Winterfest tournament in Hartford, CT. He would also go on to win two high school championships, with the second one featuring him changing positions to pin. Truth be told, I wasn’t a fan of the move, as I couldn’t understand moving the best middle prospect in RI (maybe ever) away from middle…but you can’t argue with the result. Today, Ephraim is the starting middle for Merrimack College and making an instant impact for a program that is looking to make a jump to the big time.
Mason Andrade - Pin / Libero - South County - North Kingstown, RI - Mason Andrade is Scott Grandpre in a different body. Easily one of my favorite players I’ve worked with, Andrade’s secret to his success is twofold…I’m going to work my tail off (especially in the weight room) and I’m going to find people with wisdom to answer my questions…and Andrade had a lot of questions. This wasn’t a bad thing, because though he may have had a lot of questions, he was always asking the right questions…which is the key to everything. As coaches, we give information all the time. I think I heard a stat once, and who knows how accurate it is, but through all the information given as a coach, only 60% really gets utilized. However, every once is while, you get a player who takes everything you give him and applies it…that’s Mason. After every training, every match, Mason would come see me and ask questions on his performance, what to do in different situations, and even how to lead his team. The results of this approach were… 1. Andrade helped lift South County boys’ volleyball club out of a mid-tier existence. 2. He won a couple of high school championships…one kind of by himself. 3. He was the first RI boys volleyball player to be named an All-American. 4. He goes to Wentworth and is an instant contributor, playing Libero for two years and is now an Outside Hitter (at 5’11)…winning two GNAC championships, with their eye on a third. I remember the phone call I got from Coach Giglio…”Listen Res, I only need to know one thing about this Andrade guy. Could he be the starting Libero for a GNAC championship Wentworth team?” There wasn’t more of a confident “yes” I could give.
Titus Brown - Pin - SMASH - Groton, CT - Brown is a unique talent wrapped with a joy for the game that’s sometimes hard to find. I met Titus when he was a sophomore in high school. Both he and his brother played up for South County VBC, were on the 18-2s, the year prior so I was aware of what his potential could be. What I enjoy most about those early times were how happy he was after every play. Nobody I saw back then enjoyed playing volleyball more then Titus and his brother, Josiah. Having him on your squad does make things easier, to be sure, as he can do a lot of damage to an opponent in a short time. Similar to Ephraim, Titus is the only name you’ll need to know. He’s known throughout the region. Standing roughly 6’3, Titus has a giant leap and an electric arm. He also, and I think this is his best trait, is a devastating blocker going to his left. Why is this so important? Well, he can help support block in the middle and then you don’t have to worry if they set the right because Titus will shut it down. He played three years with South County, winning the Grand Prix at Mohegan and Winterfest at Hartford at the Open level. He also was one of the few New Englanders to make the USA U-19 team and he’s done very well on the beach nationally as well. Currently, he plays for SMASH on arguably the best SMASH 18 team ever assembled (in my eyes, anyway)…they’re winning all the tournaments and it’s not close.
Shawn Kennedy - Pin - Beantown - Barnstable, MA - JWU was a joke my first two years at the helm of the program. My first practice as a college coach only had four players. We missed the playoffs in 2010…the only time I’ve ever missed the playoffs. In 2011, we needed a good class to come in. We needed a guy to make us relevant. At that time, I put the far more charismatic Brian Garrepy on the recruiting trail. We had identified a kid from Barnstable, MA, that was a highflyer and causing all sorts of issues for opponents. So, Coach Garrepy was pursuing this kid…and as the legend goes, when Shawn decided he was coming to JWU, Garrepy was so excited he accidently drove off the road into a ditch. He called me, screaming, “We got Kennedy!!!” Shawn’s final two choices had been JWU or Nazareth. Why he chose JWU, I’ll never know. Nonetheless, I’m immensely grateful he did, because we didn’t look back once we had him. Shawn was the most premier leaper I’ve ever seen in person. He could jump…so damn high. He was the first kid I’d ever seen be uncomfortable landing because he was so high in the air. Once, we tried to convert to a faster “Go” set to the pin and we couldn’t figure it out…and finally Shawn just barked, “Set me high and I’ll just jump over everyone!” Which he did, all the time. Kennedy finished the all-time leader in kills for JWU men’s volleyball. He was a first team all-selection in the conference two out of his four years. Hell, he was the face of JWU athletics his senior year! Then, for shits and giggles, Kennedy returned for the JWU annual golf fundraiser, after being persona non grata for a bunch of years…still looking like he was carved from stone…and won the longest drive contest by a country mile. Why he’s not in the JWU athletics Hall of Fame already is criminal. The dude is a legend, and if there had been a VLA professional league when he graduated he would have been on a roster terrifying defenders wearing that Frog emblem Bounce uses. Today, Shawn lives in New York, runs marathons, and is an associate with Blackrock…and I’m betting he could still jump over all of us.
Brendan Baker - Opp - Blast - North Kingstown, RI - In the words of the great Wentworth volleyball coach Evin Giglio, “The only guy I fear on the volleyball court from JWU is Brendan Baker.” Bakes transferred to Johnson & Wales after a year at CCRI and was an instant impact guy. While JWU men’s volleyball was radically changed with the arrival of Shawn Kennedy, Alex Viera, and Dan Struebing, it was the next class that really put the program into a national competitive era. Two Hendricken guys to be exact…JJ Bessette and Brendan Baker. Bakes could score. When healthy, he was just a point generating machine. His passion for winning was unmatched and his ability to create something out of a terrible situation was the best I’ve seen...and boy did we give him some terrible looks. He was also a very disciplined blocker. He wasn’t going to get you a ton of block points, but he was great at setting the block to funnel attacks to our defenders. Throughout his career, Bakes was often the guy we leaned on when it mattered most…though Kennedy was also in that vibe. The real crime of Bake’s career was a back injury that would just not go away. When healthy, he put up 20 kills against Juniata…but by the end of his career he was just hurting so much… Today he’s married and has a beautiful family…living it up in San Diego, I’m told. Espinola may have been the most explosive Opp that JWU ever had, but Baker was easily the most polished.
Ben Sandt - Setter - Acad - East Northport, NY - Sandt was a pit bull of a setter from Long Island, New York who played for, at the time, the up-and-coming Acad volleyball club that was all the rage in NY. They had three teams that were just doing work in the Long Island region to the surprise of many who followed club volleyball. Prior to that, LIVBC had been the premier club team, but that house was dismantled with many fleeing to Acad. I remember watching Ben play at Nationals and just marveling how intense and determined he was. The team he was on had a guy that would play for Penn State…plus there were some other really good volleyball players there…but Ben made the whole thing go. Sometimes you see players that may not be the most skilled, but just wills things to happen, and Ben, though I thought quite skilled, was one of those types of guys. So much so did I believe in Ben, that when he arrived at JWU, he was my starter at the setter position, and I had Cam Ponce on that team. But Ponce could do anything, and so I put Cam on the left as we lacked a premier pin at the time…though Jack Pincince would prove me wrong in only two months. Sandt would run the offense, and Ponce would be our premier, if not crafty, attacker. It ran ok for a while, but we ran into issues when we went to Vassar. Had a chance to win that match but couldn’t make a big-time dig. Then, we hosted Endicott and Nazareth at home, and Endicott thumped us. Afterwards, Ponce was done with pin and requested to go back to setter. I agreed, with a caveat, started running the 6/2 with Ponce going all the way around, and Sandt setting in the back row for our opposite, and I put Jack Pincince on the left for the first time. We upset Naz, and that solidified the lineup…until injuries would alter it. Sandt would see time at Libero and Opposite in the final weeks of the campaign. He played the last third of the season with a broken thumb and still was too good to be taken off the floor. When we lost to Wentworth in the semis in five in extra frames, and it was Sandt, who was playing opposite, missing the roll shot to end the match…well, I’ve not seen a player more crushed. He was a first-year guy, who wasn’t particularly a fan of many of the guys on the roster, and he still could not believe he let the team down. Sandt had done nothing of the sort. To this day, I wish I handled that scenario a little better. He was one of the main reasons we got that far, he was playing out of position, and the other Opps we had wanted nothing to do with that match. Sandt had guts and if volleyball had not been his thing and he enlisted, I have zero doubts he would have been a military hero. Sandt could be a pain in the ass, like any kid, but I loved him and it’s one of my deepest regrets that I couldn’t make his time at JWU something he was proud of. Today, he’s an assistant coach for women’s volleyball at Adelphi University.
Kyle Eva - Middle - N/A - Hopkinton, RI - I’m 6’6 inches tall. When I was just out of high school, I was a good athlete. Not a great one, but a good one. People often forget that there are levels to athleticism. There are good high school athletes, good college athletes, professional athletes, and right next to professional is world class. For the sake of this part, I’m going to combine professional athlete and world class athlete into just professional. The difference between good athlete and professional athlete is striking. Scott Grandpre was a good athlete…Rocco Baldelli is a professional athlete…and it’s not close. Anyway, I was a good athlete but always hurt. Thus, I used to get the back-handed insult of “If I had your size, do you know how good I’d be?” It’s guys like that who pushed Wilt Chamberlain to spit on a guy who asked how the weather was up there…meaning how tall he was…of which Wilt spit on him and remarked it was raining. Kyle Eva got it a different way. He was also 6’6, but people always asked him why in the hell he was playing volleyball and not football. Maybe because Kyle was a gentle soul. He was a legit, 6’6, very athletic, and built like a brick house at say 250, 260? When Eva hit a ball, you knew it. It made a sound that was just different. Guys would complain that their arms hurt when Kyle took a real rip. Eva was also a tremendous blocker. He had great footwork for a big fella and any ball that got near his arms went back the other way…often times very fast. Kyle was very intimidating. He didn’t say much, and more often than not, he was out there just working hard, but when he got mad…everyone knew it, and everyone rushed to de-escalate the situation. We had a stretch where JWU became Middle Blocker U. Dan Struebing, Don Dias, Kyle Eva, Donovan Kelley, Matt LaVasseur, Josh Pitzer, Keiron Jeremiah, and Zach Turner were all part of that moniker and all but Jeremiah were All-Conference players at the middle blocker position. Kyle Eva was the best of them. Eva would go on to set the all-time blocking record at JWU and would be in the top ten all time in blocks per set, blocks in a season, aces, and kills.
Dylan McClung - Pin - South County - Warwick, RI - I first met Dylan McClung during my final years at Johnson & Wales. Prior to 2020, JWU was already traveling down a transformative path. The priority at the time was student recruitment with an all hands on deck approach. Thus, it was asked that coaches start attending admissions events such as “college days” at high schools throughout the region. Each month, we would get a master list of admissions events at high schools and we’d choose which two or three we’d attend. The theory was that coaches were good at recruiting for their sport, thus they’d also be good at just general recruitment. These high school events generally took place around lunch, in the school’s gymnasium (where tables were set up in rows), and every college had a space where they had flyers and marketing materials for students to take while also answering any questions students may have. So, I’m at Bishop Hendricken in one of their gymnasiums behind a table pretending to know things about JWU that were kinda beyond my knowledge…only minor things, like I had a kid ask me which professor to contact for culinary meat cutting…I think I said something like, Professor God Only Knows. Helpful, I know. Anyway, the 6’6 Dylan stops by my table, a junior in high school, I already knew of him, and so I shot my shot, saying he’d look great in a JWU uniform…he was pleasant and I enjoyed our conversation, but I knew JWU wasn’t on his menu. Fast forward a year, JWU men’s volleyball would no longer exist and Dylan, now a senior in high school at the height of the Covid craziness, found himself on the top club team South County Volleyball had to offer with me as his coach. Dylan never lacked confidence and he was a skilled attacker and server. Like many good players, he sometimes struggled with patience with guys that were teammates that could not produce…however, he also never shied away from the big moment, regardless of the result. Some top guys want to be the man, but shy away when it matters, because failure hurts. McClung wanted the ball even if it didn’t go his way and that was one of his best volleyball traits. We won a lot of matches together that year and he helped teach a lot of lessons to the program…some he didn’t even realize…for at the time, South County really needed to be modernized. Rhode Island volleyball to that point was stuck in a bygone era of let’s have good players, but we’ll go high ball to the pins, run a front one quick with our middle, and that was the offense. Teams would minorly try to be crafty…back one here, stack or so over there, but the concepts that are modern men’s volleyball hadn’t been practiced in a long time if it had ever. I used to hear Coach Garrepy tell stories of NK running speed everywhere, and I remember watching a cool match featuring said NK and a bruiser Coventry team when I was a senior in high school in 1995…but that was 25 years ago and tempo system offenses hadn’t been seen in a long time. This high ball only attacking, with middles just being quick, with no backrow attacking was actually boring for setters, though it did create pins that were very smart and heady as they’d have to blast through a double block that was there way in advance of the swing. Speaking of blocking, I didn’t see a triple block in RI since that match in the late 90s. The style of volleyball was more a women’s style with lots of digging, tipping, ball control battles…what we in the MVB business like to call pillow fights. Now, whether the state of the game was this way because of the season change in 2003, or because all the coaches with the knowledge faded out, or schools putting a premium on only hiring coaches that were teachers, or all the best athletes for the sport left to play Lacrosse…what matters was the RI game needed to get to brought into the present and I made South County take that road. Dylan fought me on some of it…like the idea of staying vertical over getting wide when attacking on the left, or triple blocking any time a team is out of system, or putting a massive premium on the high hands expand attack when hitting a high ball…just to name a few. Ultimately, we came to an understanding and he excelled, as did our team. Today, Dylan plays for Sacred Heart University, is in his senior year, and he’s become a pretty accomplished beach player as well.
JJ Bessette - Setter / Libero - Blast - Coventry, RI - To know JJ Bessette is to love him. Two quick stories on JJ. First, when I tried to recruit him at a gym…was it at East Greenwich? North Kingstown? I can’t remember…but I told him we wanted him at JWU and went on to give him all the reasons why it would be a great move for him. He waited patiently and then slyly remarked (as is JJ’s way), “I was already going to attend JWU, so you can stop talking now.” Turns out his dad was in the restaurant business and JWU was the plan all along. When he was a junior, we were on the bus coming home from an away match. During that time, we were trying to save money, so the cheapest way to feed everyone after a match was to get pizzas for the ride home. Now, every year (two years running) J would tell me he was lactose intolerant and I would write it down and keep it filed…so it’s his junior year, second half of the season, returning home on the bus with pizzas, and I hear J’s perfect sly tone…”Still lactose intolerant coach…still lactose intolerant.” JJ was a talent. I originally wanted him at JWU to play Libero, but when the setter we recruited from Florida was shipped back home for bad grades…second setter from Florida for this to happen too for us, well, JJ got the job. Bessette would credit Coach Kevin Harrington for his starting setter position because J, early on, asked Kev what he had to do to win said setter position and Kev gave advice that we should all embrace. He said, “Right now, you suck more then the guy we play more. Suck less, then he does, and you’ll win the position.” Well, J took it to heart and away he went. He would end up the all time assist leader in JWU men’s volleyball history and also crack the record book in sets played among other categories. Bessette was a baller…shrewd with decision making, fun to play the game with, and had a knack for making a big play when needed. Today, he’s married and dabbles in the game from time to time.
Dan Streubing - Middle - N/A - Coventry, RI - Dan Struebing is a myth. However, I’m here to tell you that the man is real and the achievements he accomplished were amazing…and the way it came crashing down was heartbreaking. Streubs was another guy who I attempted to recruit with a long speech about how great JWU was and what it would mean to him. He listened, then flashed that million dollar smile and said, “Sure.” That was that, as they say. Danny was a part of the 2011 class that kicked everything off and got me GNAC Coach of the Year. It was Struebing, Shawn Kennedy, Alex Viera, Gerard Daniels, Henrique DeBrito, Bryan Tejada, and Tommy Chan. Daniels and Chan would end up leaving after a year, but the rest stayed and were all pretty massive contributors. Struebing was the middle. He was 6’4, moved well, and had a knack for blocking. His offense was limited, though it would come around after a year, and his serving was an absolute adventure, but his blocking was near tip top from the get go. That year, and the year following, we’d play some pretty big horses and get taught some lessons, but we’d always walk away with two certainties…Shawn Kennedy could jump over everyone and Dan Struebing made some blocks that stunned the opponent. Year two was magical for Dan. He put it all together and was just a reckoning. We’d check the box score, win or lose (and we starting winning a lot more matches), and realized that Danny was putting up some stupid blocking numbers. We’d play top tier Riv, and Struebs would get like 8 kills, 8 blocks against all of their All-Americans in the middle. Offensively, Danny understood the power of speed. He’d be up faster then any other middle in transition and we’d pump the ball to him early and often. The breakout year was exciting as we knew we had Danny for two more years…then, tragedy struck. In our first tournament of his junior year, a setter for Regis tried to set over on two. Struebs read it late, but still tried to grab it out of the air, and in doing so, his arm came out of his shoulder socket. It was a grotesque injury…I can still envision it. Even worse was that because it was so bad, that socket was now super easy for his arm to slide out of. He would not be good for the rest of his career. Struebs would miss 90% of his junior year and the same percentage of his senior year. He’d make some spot appearances, still having that knack for blocking, but unable to take a swing. So, Danny is the “what could have been” story for JWU and though we really only got a one tremendous year out of him, he was instrumental in the build that JWU was.
Matt Tiernan - Setter - South County - Hopkinton, RI - The Tiernan Project indeed. Before I worked with Matt Tiernan, he was already known in the RI volleyball world as the other volleyball phenom coming down the pike. It was he and Mason Andrade of whom everyone marveled at. People often forget as well, that Chariho has produced some of the top players in RI Volleyball history. Sure NK has dudes that are legendary, as does Hendricken, even EP and LaSalle, but Chariho? Well, dear reader, Chariho has produced some of the best guys to come out. There aren’t many players better then the Borsay brothers. Brad was the top player, but Kevin was very good, and Nick wasn’t anything to laugh at either. Thus, Tiernan was already in that legacy. When I met him, he was a Sophomore, setting for an 18-1s South County Club Team that was battling the ridiculous situation of the country. To know Tiernan is to understand that he’s a volleyball junkie through and through. Similar to Andrade, he likes to study the game and refuses to back down in a match. Matty also understands that talent attracts talent and it’s way easier to win when you have good players surrounding you. To this point, Tiernan is a pretty fantastic recruiter with success in club and college already to his name. I like to think that I helped Tiernan refine what he was already pretty good at. He could ball and was solid at making good set locations for his attackers. He is easily the best I’ve seen at putting a hittable ball up in an out of system situation. We worked hard on decision making and who gets the ball and when. Also, like most good setters, he is a very good leader on the floor and often wills his team to victories. I’m glad to hear he’s doing solid work at Endicott. Lastly, Matty’s been key in the development of ResV. He’d often help with the social media stuff for me and his input was crucial when I couldn’t get to matches or see particular players.
Dustin Baker - Setter / Libero - N/A - East Greenwich, RI - I guess one could say that my entire coaching career could be attributed to the play of Dustin. DB was a 5’8 power house at East Greenwich High School who set and played pin for me when I took over the EG boys high school volleyball team. The story begins with me getting hurt and screwing up my chance to go to Poland and play professional basketball…and there was also that 9/11 tragedy that happened too (The professional team in Poland that was interested in me wanted me to change my citizenship to Polish). So, now I’m not going anywhere and I’m just a former ball player working as a life guard at the YMCA with a college degree from the seventh oldest college in the country. Lame… So, in attempt to spice up my life a fraction, my mother encouraged me to apply for the boy’s volleyball head coaching job at EGHS. I didn’t get it…Dan Greene did. Greene, however, did need an assistant coach and he reached out and offered it to me. I took it and began learning the game as both a coach and player (as Danny ran the Team Rhode Island semi-pro team and he saw the potential in training a 6’6 former college basketball player into a middle…) So, I’m the JV coach to this crew of kids at EG…Dustin Baker, Mark Garlock, Frank McCaffrey, Chandler Crawford, Nick DiSanto, Mike Abadier, etc. I didn’t know much about the game, but I knew what I could teach in terms of competing and that’s what I gave those guys. We went .500 that season, but when in came to the final JV tournament to decide the state champs, we all had shirts that said .500 and Dangerous. We made it all the way to the finals and probably would have won it had the ref not be a certain nice and sweet old lady… Dustin was the most athletic kid. He was small, but he could fly and he had a motor, boy. Fast as lightning, really smart, and just could do it all. So, Dustin would Lib his junior year (Scott Grandpre’s senior year) and then be the absolute horse his senior year. He and Garlock would lead the charge and we’d upset teams all over the place. We played Hendricken, who hadn’t lost a match in three years, and beat them in four. Coach Harrington would claim, EG was the first team he’d seen in three years that could, and would, adjust to his team’s maneuvers. Now, the coolest part about that team, Dustin’s senior year, was that we didn’t have a player over six feet. Here we were, just knocking teams down and no one over six feet…it was pretty cool. We would make it to the semi-finals in the playoffs and would fall to a much larger team in Toll Gate. Josh Baker was 6’5 and just an animal we couldn’t tame. Our Baker, had a monster game, but that TG side was just too big. They beat us up in the middle and subdued Garlock. It was what it was, and I was proud of what my guys did that night and that season. So, fast forward and I’m applying to JWU for their head men’s volleyball coaching position and I get the interview. I’m in a room getting interviewed by JWU’s AD, their women’s volleyball coach, a current member on the JWU men’s volleyball team, and their athletic trainer…Alan Segee. It’s going ok, I guess, but then Segee barks out, “Oh, I remember you now. You were the coach of that EGHS team! They lost in the semis to Toll Gate. You had the team that had no one over six feet! It was awesome, they battled that Toll Gate team who was huge…just these small guys fighting the big brutes! I love your team!” I retorted with thanks, but asked who he liked from my team the most and Segee said number five was electric…that was Dustin Baker. Bakes could have played at the college level, no question, and been very successful in the game. Instead, he went a different route, and now he lives in San Antonio, Texas and is a master brewer. Thanks to Dustin Baker, and the other lads on that EG team, I got the job at JWU and away I went in the volleyball world. Thank you Dustin, miss you my friend!
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)…
Josh Pitzer - Middle - N/A - North Kingstown, RI - Pitz is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. An absolute pleasure to work with and made himself an all-conference player through grit and determination. Pitzer started in the game later then most, so had a ton of ground to make up. Not a better guy out there and I’m most proud that I saved Josh from leaving the game. In probably my best speech I ever gave, I told him he’s worked so hard to get to the door…are you really going to get nose to nose with it and just turn and walk away? Or, are you going to kick the f#$ker down? He did the later and became a force. When it all came crashing down, Josh was the one guy I was just devastated for. He’s a friend and I would do almost anything for him.
Jack Johnson - Pin / Middle - South County - Warwick, RI - I like him on the Opp, but today Jack is a middle for Merrimack. We don’t go on our national run at South County without him.
Nick Lisi - Pin - South County - Cranston, RI - Nick is similar to Andrade…was so invested on learning and applying coaching. People talk about Jack and Ephraim when LaSalle won their first HS championship, but Nick was their best player that year.
Nick Bitetto - Pin / Libero - Sportime VBC - East Northport, NY - Great guy and player! He had a giant leap, solid volleyball IQ, and in my opinion the best Libero we ever had at JWU, though we had to use him at pin a lot. He’s one of those guys that you always love to run into and wish you chatted with more often then you do.
Donovan Kelley - Middle - 949 VBC - Encinitas, CA - 6’9 middle who was a lovable character when he played at JWU. More moments of brilliance then not…Donovan was JWU’s Bill Walton.
Don Dias - Middle - N/A - Scituate, RI - We did not see eye to eye often, but Donny had all the tools to be an All-American. He probably reached only 65% of his potential, but his senior year was top shelf and he became a student of the game after he graduated…I could relate because I travelled almost the exact path he did when I was his age. I’m proud to call him a friend, more then anything we accomplished in volleyball together.
Chris Gauch - Libero - N/A - Exeter/West Greenwich, RI - Chris was really cool, because he was a martial artist we taught to be a Libero. He did it for a year, made third team all-conference and then disappeared. He was like Kane from Kung Fu, I’ve done that, and now I’m going to the next adventure. He had a great line…because he could dig anything, but passing for him from serve was really hard, “Coach, digging is easy, but passing is hard because nobody tries to punch you from across the room…”
Ryan Kennedy - Pin - Beantown - Barnstable, MA - Shawn’s brother was baller as well. He didn’t have the leap that his brother had, though he could get up there all the same, but he did have a better whip. Ultimately plagued by injuries, Ryan gave plenty of gutsy performances to beat solid programs. Immensely likable, I always wanted the best for Ryan, and his battles with me helped shape me into the coach I am today.
Chris Espinola - Opp - Latitude 42 - Derry, NH - On the side of his shoes was written, “I hit hard!” I’ve seen guys hit free balls as they were being sent over…but Espi was the only guy I ever saw hit a free ball being sent over from the back row! Talented, and certainly a wild card, Espi would win the hearts and minds of the coaching staff as a lovable live wire who could put up 20 plus at any moment.
Kyle MacKnight - Pin / Libero - LIVBC - Northport, NY - The best passer I’ve ever seen with the worst passing form. MacKnight didn’t say much as he steadily became the best passer in JWU men’s volleyball history. Playing both pin and Libero, Kyle was a deceptively strong attacker and showcased well the level of Long Island volleyball at the time.
Matt LaVasseur - Middle - Granite Coast - Salem, NH - When Espi heard that another New Hampshire guy was joining the JWU program, he was excited…until he heard he was from Salem. No doubt LaVa felt the same way about Espi. Matty LaVa turned himself into a pretty smooth middle through hard work and training, and would quietly have a really strong career. After college, LaVa, started his own design company. You all know his work. He created the ResV logo!
Alex Viera - Pin / Libero - LIVBC - Bay Shore, NY - Alex is a very talented guy who could play pin, Libero, and even set a match or two for me when he was at JWU. Even during his playing career, you could tell Alex would be a coach in the future. He was always cerebral and strategic. He proposed to his girl at a JWU alumni match which I loved so much. I will always love and respect Alex, as when JWU dissolved and my career was over, he reached out and got on the phone with me. When I thanked him for checking in on me, of all people, he responded with, “Of course Coach, that’s what family does.” Still makes my eyes moist thinking of that moment. It’s one of my proudest moments. Alex is married with kids, coaching volleyball and just being one of the best people I know.
Alex Seda - Pin / Libero - Torrimar - Bayamon, Puerto Rico - Seda. Alex had a ton of talent and a lot on his mind. Initially I wanted him to be a pin for us, but in the end he became our starting Libero. He had a high volleyball IQ and was a top tier passer. Seda was another guy who didn’t see eye to eye with me, and as any coach knows, those scenarios are very tough. It got to the point, where Alex walked away and it devastated me that it came to that, though a year later we reconnected and hashed it all out. Last I heard he was doing well in the big city doing computer work of some sort.
Petar Yanakiev - OH - N/A - Varna, Bulgaria - “Pete, in our country, what you just showed me is called evidence.” Yanakiev played only a couple of years from me, but he was a character. Big time arm with solid bounce, Petar had some small issues with English so he’s communication was often awesome before he even realized it. All in all, he was a good dude who I’m almost certain has lived a unique life that none but the craziest people we know attempt to live. Last I heard he was a fisherman on the west coast, but the amount of things he’s done is absolutely amazing…and some too crazy to report.
Rakeem Malone - MB - N/A - St. Thomas, USVI - The Malone brothers were absolutely awesome! Raheem came to JWU first and then Rakeem followed a year later. Why they didn’t come together is still a mystery. One would think, well Raheem is older and thus that makes sense, but Raheem is only older by a minute? The brothers were triplets (as they also have a sister as well)…so I’m not sure why Rakeem was a year later, but he just was. Anyway, Rakeem was a very good middle with good athleticism and a nose for the ball. He would go on to land on the top ten list for blocks and blocks per set. Overall, the Malone’s were just unbelievably awesome people…great sense of humor and pretty good volleyball players. In the end, Rakeem would be the guy that would reach the highest level, but I love both of them, and when I got surprised at Nationals by Rakeem, I stopped what I was doing and hung out with him for as long as he’d let me.
Zach Turner - MB - Blast - Coventry, RI - Big Zach! Turner was a guy who I fell in love with because how could I not? There was this 6’8 middle destroying High School opponents in my back yard, so I had to land him! We worked hard to get Zach and he immediately was a factor for JWU. Another great guy who faced adversity but came out the other end, scarred but still complete. Last I head, he working as car tester…I’m always asking him to help at in the club world, because Turner is too good to be away from the game…but maybe the game isn’t good enough for a pure soul like Zach.
Brad Borsay - Pin - N/A - Charlestown, RI - Believe it or not, I coached Brad in basketball, not volleyball. I was his coach at Chariho his Sophomore year. He was already a great athlete, wonderful guy, and I knew good things were ahead of him. He’d go on to be a star at Sacred Heart and one of the top players in the region for a long time.
Post Script…
It’s a rainy Thursday. I have roughly three days to complete this preview…something I’ve been working on for a month now. I’ve told all the right people this preview is coming down the pike. I said, “I think it’s a pretty good one, and I want to have it out for March 1st.” March 1st, wasn’t going to happen. March 3rd was always what I meant to say…
If you know me…I’m terrible with time. Ben Lind quipped the other day…Reslow is top tier at volleyball, the rest of it, well, it’s a coin flip. He’s not wrong. I’ve dedicated most of my life to volleyball…so, I better be good at it. The rest of it has always felt like my brain just makes the wrong assumptions. I try to get ahead of any puzzle and query, because at heart I am a thinker and strategist…not a doer like my brother…but I seem to always misinterpret. The amount of times my inner monologue goes, “Oh, I thought you meant XYZ instead…” is actually pretty astonishing…
The other thing about me that is relatively known is I suffer from migraines all the time. If I’m looking angry, exhausted, and I’m short with you…it’s a good bet my head feels like I’m getting stabbed in the eye with a knife. The migraine issue is baked into the pie, unfortunately. I’ve had them since I was a kid. 90% of the time it’s from the eyes, and that is the real dilemma I bring to you today dear reader. It’s getting harder and harder for me to read and write…
I used to love to read. Reading books is the secret ingredient to being a solid writer and communicator. The more you read…the obvious take away is you get the subject matter the book is on, hopefully…the more you understand language and presentation. The best books are captivating and the author is using his or her voice in exactly how they interact with people in real life. Sure, in fiction, the author is creating characters and pretending to be others, but even in that situation their voice is beneath. That’s why you can tell famous author’s books immediately. You read any of my previews, articles, etc., you know exactly how I talk to people. Read enough different voices from different authors and you’ll find a pattern you like. Then you write…
Writing is thinking. Thinking is interpretating the world…for use, for innovation, for interaction…for persuasion. In all of my articles, I’m telling you what I think. I’m telling you what fascinates me. I’m telling you what I think is accurate. I know that it’s not going to ring true with many. We’re complex, so the chances are that hardly anyone may agree with me. However, I put information out there in the hopes that perhaps I can make a solid enough argument…
With my eyes hurting me often now, I choose not to read. I listen to audio books on my commute and that’s about it. Writing on the lap top is getting hard as well. I can’t look at the screen for too long as my eyes will hurt which will then start me down the path toward migraine…which I’ll do everything I know how to stop. I’m in a tough way…
Thus, dear reader, I’m finally at a cross roads. It’ll be four years of covering RI high school boys volleyball (three for the girls)…three ResV All-Star Matches (soon to be four)…and I’m wondering if I can keep pace now. Wheaton College volleyball, club volleyball, and high school volleyball is a lot of volleyball…and all the while the migraines are getting worse.
So, why am I telling you all this? It’s to explain the labor of love that ResV is to me. I still want to do all of it and I still want to provide the best, and most honest, coverage of the game in RI. I’m not getting paid to do it. The ResV all-star matches have yet to break even…but I won’t make an athlete selected pay for anything nor will I take away from the experience of those athletes. It’s an award to play in that match against all the best players in the state. You get to taste what a college match feels like and you get to make highlights that matter toward your college volleyball career.
I guess what I’m trying to say is feel free to let me know you like what I do, feel free, if moved, to be a sponsor of the ResV all-star game…Feel free to let me know this matters, because if my eyes are going to fail, and half the week I’m going to have a migraine that floors me, I need to know it matters. And, it’s ok if it doesn’t matter to you. It’s ok if you think I’m wrong, think I’m arrogant, think I play favorites, think whatever you want. It’s all ok, because no matter what happens next…you have me for at least this 2025 boys season to enjoy or despise…and it’s going to be a hell of campaign.
p.s. On this cold, rainy, Thursday, I found out that Gene Hackman passed away. He was 95…and it sounds suspicious on how he and his wife passed…but it was Gene Hackman’s portrayal of a coach in Hoosiers and The Replacements that made me want to be one myself for a living. “My team is on the floor…” “Winners always want the ball…” I highly recommend you check both of those movies out…and any other movie Hackman was in. There weren’t many actors as good as Gene.
To send updates, stories, and players college decisions…or inquire about coffee beans that Coach roasts himself, to Coach Reslow - Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com
Coaches! Please feel free to reach out if interested in scheduling some time to talk shop! I’d love to help your program out!
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