Week One - Rams Batter Skipper’s Boat
9/10/22
Week 1 tends to be an adventure for every season as teams try to feel out what they have as well as execute game plans that often are not fully formed yet. Preseason is exciting, but when week 1 happens and the rubber meets the road, teams begin to see who they are and what the path ahead will look like. What appears to be true thus far is that there is plenty of parity at the top of all of the divisions and thus we’re going to have some playoff races.
Preseason favorites were tested early in this first week. South Kingstown found themselves in a grinder at Portsmouth. North Kingstown was made uncomfortable at La Salle. Prout felt the sting of the Wizards magic. Coventry took Classical’s opening shot and wasn’t fazed. Solid matches all over the place with results that already shook the board.
ResV Week 1 Top 15:
South Kingstown - (1 - 0) - Defending champs go to Portsmouth and get all that they can handle. Opening the season with a 5-set thriller isn’t the preferred choice, but it is a great way to get battle tested early. Getting the “W” is preferable as well.
La Salle Academy - (1 - 0) - The Rams hosted the perennial power Skippers of NK right at the starting gun. Earning the 3-set sweep in a grueling match tells two tales…First, the Rams can grind with the top squads in the state, and two, the duo of Coach Jhamal Diggs and Coach Jordan Amore is working quite well.
Coventry - (2 - 0) - The Oakers come into action in week 1 with a lot of good pieces on the board and wasted no time in dispatching two D-1 opponents. With a 3-set victory over West Warwick, and 3 - 1 triumph over an athletic Classical side, Coventry is off to a good start and looking forward to holding a top 4 spot.
East Greenwich - (2 - 0) - Following an offseason of turmoil and scandal, the Avengers were in desperate need of being allowed to focus strictly on volleyball, and they’ve done just that with two positive results to start the season. Getting two home wins vs. Portsmouth and Cranston East puts the Avengers in a good position to build in week 2.
North Kingstown - (1 - 1) - Skippers are in a position they haven’t been in, in some time. Opening the season with a loss to a divisional opponent is a new taste for a club that’s accustomed to stacking wins like wood in the back yard before the long winter ahead. The win over Cumberland is nice as Cumberland can play but starting - 1 in conference strikes a chord.
Chariho - (2 - 0) - The Chargers opened the 2022 campaign showing Prout the door in their own barn. Then, Chariho hosted Barrington and gave the Eagles the same treatment. With the D-2 crown on the mind, in what may be a four-way race with Cumberland, Westerly, and East Providence, the Chargers make the most impressive of the starts.
Cumberland - (1 - 1) - The Clippers drop from D-1 and immediately make their presence known. After a spirited defeat to the Skippers, Cumberland hosted Burrillville and took care of business in straight sets. With a squad that’s been primed in the D-1 world, the Clippers expect to be one of the top forces in D-2.
West Warwick - (1 - 1) - The Wizards and Clippers were two ships that passed each other in the fog of night heading in different divisional directions. West Warwick entered the rough waters of D-1 and were greeted with six matches on the road to start the campaign. Wizards will not see their home ice until September 27th! Getting a “W” against Prout was key, however. Welcome to the party?
Prout - (0 - 2) - Last year’s Runner-Up had a tough off season, losing arguably the top player in the state in Ava Grace Dresback. With Dresback off the table, the Crusaders are young and don’t have a secure arm to go to when points are a necessity. They’re going to have plenty of growing pains early, but the goal is to mature quickly and be in the mix come crunch time.
Westerly - (1 - 0) - The Bulldogs opened the 2022 campaign hosting the defending D-2 champs in Rogers. Westerly wasted no time and gave the Vikings fits on a good night for the home side. In a grueling 3-set match that featured two sets going extra frames, the Bulldogs made an early statement as well as an early case for a top seed in the battle for D-2.
Rogers - (0 - 1) - The defending D-2 champs started the season with a long away trip to Westerly where the Bulldogs were less than hospitable hosts. In a match that could easily have gone the other direction, the Vikings found themselves at the short end of the rope and an early defeat in a marathon race to repeat as Queen of D-2.
Classical - (0 - 1) - The Purple enter the D-1 arena with a crew that is eager to makes some noise. Losing to Coventry in 4 says plenty as Coventry is a preseason pick for top three this season. If Classical can navigate the Cranston High Schools in week 2, they’ll find themselves in a nice position going into their match at East Greenwich.
Cranston West - (0 - 1) - With the majority of last season’s top seeded team in Division B graduated, CW is left to rebuild in a D-1 that has plenty of parity across the board. Dropping their first match to Mount Saint Charles may be a hint of what’s to come as the Falcons will need to grow into their roles quickly to compete.
Scituate - (0 - 1) - D-3 defending champs start their 2022 campaign on the road with a tune up vs. D-2 East Providence. The Townies weren’t playing around however, and the Spartans fell in three sets. Though a loss, it isn’t unusual for a club to play up to prep for their league and thus the story hasn’t even begun to unfold yet for Scituate.
Central Falls - (1 - 0) - The Warriors were back in action after a Runner-Up finish last year in the D-3 championship. With a roster that returns Joana Rodrigues (and three other seniors) and adds 6 sophomores, Central Falls was able to dispatch Juanita Sanchez in straight sets prepping them for the road where they see the 2021 D-4 champs Narragansett next.
Receiving Votes — East Providence (3 - 0), Mount Saint Charles (1 - 1), Pilgrim (1 - 0), and Portsmouth (0 - 2).
To send season updates, stories, and players to consider…or inquire about coffee beans that Coach roasts himself, to Coach Reslow - Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com