Round 4 - Larger Stages, Filled Up Stat Pages…
4/30/23
Hold up, wait a moment…
The board remains still…
Woonsocket, “What about me?”
Yes, yes, you’re on the board, which is great…however, no one else has moved. Pretty remarkable!
Classical, “Wait, we moved up one!”
True…yes, yes you did. Ok, so all but two have moved and everyone else stayed the same.
Cranston East (frustratingly kicking pebbles off the street) “We moved down one, Genius!”
Ok, yes, that also happened and makes sense. Not sure the “Genius” part is necessary, but I understand your feelings on the matter. So, beside all of those things, the board has stayed still…Remarkable!
No, no, no!!! No one else say anything!!! I see you Barrington and Westerly…not a word! Central…stay put! Absolutely not, Johnston, I don’t want to hear it!
…
Ok then…Let’s take a look at the big statistical monster games we had this week!
Big Statistical Games this Week…
Jared Samson (North Kingstown) - Moved to Outside Hitter from Middle against East Greenwich and had 16 kills, 22 digs, and 4 blocks.
Ephraim Abhulime (La Salle) - 11 kills, 16 blocks vs. Chariho on the road. 13 kills, 8 blocks vs. Cranston East.
Jack Johnson (La Salle) - 17 kills, 10 digs, 5 blocks vs. Chariho. 23 kills, 6 digs, 2 blocks vs. Cranston East.
Brayden Stanger (East Greenwich) - 25 kills, 10 digs, and 3 aces vs. North Kingstown.
Matt Tiernan (Chariho) - 28 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces, and 2 blocks vs. La Salle. 36 kills, 13 digs vs. MSC / NS
Max Silverman (East Greenwich) - 46 assists, 13 digs, 4 aces vs. North Kingstown
Teddy Wallace (Classical) - 16 kills, 5 blocks vs. Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield
Aidan Hay (Cranston West) - 46 assists, 4 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces vs. Westerly
Jet Nascimento (Central) - 13 kills, 16 digs, 2 blocks vs. Lincoln
Tyler Braymen (Westerly) - 23 kills, 10 assists, 3 blocks vs. Cranston West
Alex Herrera Jr. (Woonsocket) - 14 kills, 5 blocks, 4 aces vs. Exeter West Greenwich
Devin Lynch (Bishop Hendricken) - 17 kills, 4 blocks vs. South Kingstown
ResV Player of the Week (4) - Matt Tiernan’s huge kill numbers hold off Ephraim Abhulime’s very deserving week of work and Jared Samson’s incredible display at East Greenwich. Tiernan’s total kills of 64, eclipsing the top kills in a match this season by 6 held by Brayden Stanger (36), along with the double digit digs in two five-set matches against top six teams gets him on the board for the second time.
La Salle Academy (8 - 1) - The Rams go the distance with Chariho, get a monstrous game out of Ephriam Abhulime, and then travel to Cranston East and get the job done. Ali Abdur-Razzak is getting more comfortable each week and that spells big time trouble for the rest of the pack. Connor Lewis is also starting to round into shape. The junior is blocking well and starting to put some points on the board. Add that Nathan Simas is playing some good ball at the libero spot as well and it’s hard to not see that the Rams are currently the most complete team on the board. Passing the ball, however, will be crucial in keeping this seismic juggernaut moving forward. The Rams welcome the Avengers to the mountain next followed by a visit to South Kingstown.
North Kingstown (8 - 1) - The Skippers stay the course and like the old Timex saying, “Takes a Licking, and Keeps on Ticking,” they survived a healthy challenge from the Avengers at the castle. Without question the coolest part of that adventure was Jared Samson (current middle blocker for both HS and Club) playing on the left and going off for 16 kills, 22 digs, 4 blocks! My goodness, have mercy! NK also dispatched South Kingstown in three on the week…however as the Skippers weather the storms, lonely eyes look into the distance searching for the lighthouse that be named Harrington. Although, as any old sea warrior will tell you…can’t hurry what’s coming, it’ll get there when it’s time. Hendricken and Classical come next…
Chariho (6 - 3) - Speaking of guys playing out of position and going wild…how about that Tiernan guy? Setter extraordinaire…except not anymore! With the Chargers facing a tough week, Matt Tiernan put on an absolute show. He put up 28 kills on La Salle in a five-set loss and then amassed 36 kills on the Hybrid in a five-set win! Those are big boy numbers and at this pace, I’m not sure anyone has an answer for the top setter in the state on the pin. Only the Skippers were able to slow him down, and you know he’d like another crack at that. Add that the middles are blocking pretty well, (Travis Plante and Ben Christensen) and Brandon Knowles and James Azzinaro are executing the ground defense, while Kody Poplaski is serving it up…not a fun team to play if you’re the opponent. Classical and Cranston East will face Tiernan’s, wrath next.
East Greenwich (6 - 3) - Back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth and time stood still in 2003…there was a prophesy that one day an Avenger team would emerge from the castle and win a D-1 boys volleyball championship. No one knows where it came from nor when this premonition would come to completion, but today’s EG team is as close as it’s ever been. The emergence of Michael “Doby Doby” Dobrzanski as a force on the pin, giving East Greenwich a one two combination with Brayden Stanger that rivals anyone in the league, revitalized the talks. Armed with one of the top setters, Max Silverman, and a sure-handed libero, Spencer Warburten, and the prophesy may be upon us… The Avengers visit the Rams next, who will look to quash this zealot rebellion, and then host the Hybrid, a team longing for a second go…but if the horns of destiny are bellowing in the clouds this particular season, does it really matter?
Cranston West (9 - 1) - The Falcons are happy. Sure they lost their first match of the season at Westerly in a five-setter. Sure, that Lincoln match was a little too close for comfort as the Lions pushed them to the fifth set brink. All that matters is the win over cross-town rival Cranston East. It wasn’t just any win, mind you. It was a three-set sweep over a contending D-1 team! With the lines between D1 and D2 often crystal clear, this West team broke that notion in a single match. They will need to play a little cleaner come their matches with East Providence and Pilgrim, however the emergence of Lucien Spremullo putting up big numbers in many categories means opponents cannot just worry about Harvey and Mak.
Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield (4 - 5) - You get the sense that the Hybrid has gone as far as they can go without pin Connor DeSousa taking swings. DeSousa played a little libero this week as the Hybrid split…besting Classical in four but dropping a five-set nightmare to Chariho. In the matches against the top four teams in D-1 that were all defeats, the North Mountie Men have 6 sets won to 12 sets lost. This means they went five with everyone accept La Salle which was a three-set sweep…all while not having their top pin on the floor. In DeSousa’s absence, Azariah Chauvin has played well at the pin, along with middles Thomas Matchett and Alvendz Viera Dones, while Ben Sousa is having a top tier season at the Libero position. They’re one guy away from being in the conversation and he just happens to be working his way back with an arm aching to score some points. Cranston East and East Greenwich are the next stops.
[↑ 1] Classical (6 - 4) - The Purple split on the week with a loss to the Hybrid and a win over the Hawks of Hendricken. Noticeably absent from the lineup was senior middle Archer Lesser who had played a pivotal role in the offense in the first half of the season. Alpha Barry and Teddy Wallace continue to do their thing, and now Jacob Agramonte has caught fire. He is scoring, especially this week, where Lesser used too. There is also rumor that Classical has caught the injury bug as James Men may be nursing a leg injury. Here’s hoping it’s nothing serious because Men is absolutely the gasoline that makes the machine go. Add that it’s a very tough week ahead with Chariho and North Kingstown next, and it’s all hands on deck to stay afloat.
[↓ 1] Cranston East (4 - 6) - Not sure what hurts more, the loss to La Salle in four sets or getting swept by the cross-town guys who are having themselves a year. Probably the Cranston West loss is more of a bummer just because of the location thing, however, the La Salle loss shows that can play with the best in the state. Charlie Pincince has come up big for the Bolts, as has Caleb Xum at the setter position. Keeping Hunter Maloney in the middle is the right call going forward as he does most of his damage there. Serve receive probably needs to be sured up a little, but they do have the pieces to make a serious go of it. Then there is also that unknown piece of whether Vargas could return. They’re running out of time for that and who knows what type of shape he’ll be in if he does. No matter the case, still plenty of choppy waters ahead with the Hybrid and Chariho on the horizon.
Barrington (7 - 1) - The Eagles took care of business against a very game East Providence squad on the road in four sets. Then, they followed it up with smooth sailing performance against Pilgrim at home. Led by Cam Kelly and Maddox Godwin, with strong showings from the Lukes - Van Ness (the libero) and Andsager (the pin), the Eagles have only one thing on the mind…Cranston West. They won’t see them for a couple of weeks, and they’ll need to get through Central, Lincoln, and Westerly before that rematch, however the CW is in the back of the mind all the time. When on, there’s not a tougher opponent in D2 then the Eagles, and their home gym isn’t a comfortable place for anyone. So, let’s all hurry up already and see Barrington and Cranston West…however I suspect the Knights, Lions, and Bulldogs won’t let that go to easily.
Westerly (7 - 2) - Bulldogs have a monster week! They take out the elephant in the D2 room with a five-set decision over Cranston West and then dismantle Pilgrim on the road. How did they not move up a slot or two after such a solid week? Great question… Well, Barrington has one less loss in that particular column and the Eagles do have a win against them. Not great evidence, but good enough. The CW win does a couple of things…shows that the Falcons are beatable, while also displaying that on any given night the Bulldogs can make you hurt. Jack Kenyon in the lineup was great to see this week as there was thought of an injury slowing him down, and if they can continue to get production like they did out of Tyler Braymen…well, let’s just say Falcons and Eagles may be fighting just to not see the Bulldogs. EP and Central coming up!
Central (7 - 3) - The Knights got upset by Lincoln midway through the week in four. Granted that Lion team has some pieces to the puzzle and are growing stronger by the week, but still not the result that Central was looking for. The Juanita Sanchez and Toll Gate wins are solid, but don’t move the needle much. Jet Nascimento still did his thing, putting up double digit kills and digs, however the Knights need another guy to put up ten plus night in and night out. Keydem Mam and George Correy are options, both seniors, and both have gotten close. To really make a go of it, you’ll need basically three players to average ten or more kills a match, so the goal is clear. Closing the gap is always challenging, but this Central squad can do it…though they’ll need to be quick as Barrington and Westerly are next.
East Providence (7 - 4) - The Townies sit firmly in fifth place in the D2 standings. The problem is they are 0 - 4 against the top four, only winning two sets in those four matches. Moving DJ Lepine to the left was the right call as he’s in the conversation for top lefts in the division. They need another kill getter and some tougher serving to make a real push. Howard Samuel in the middle does a nice job and is a decent second option. Xavier Graca is probably the other pin that needs to score a tic higher if possible. Having three is key if you’re going to make a run in the playoffs. The road is bumpy in week five as the Townies see Westerly at home and then go to the nightmare that is the CW.
Bishop Hendricken (2 - 6) - No one, and I mean no one, is happier for the first half of the season to be over then the Hawks. Hendricken had more missing people due to random things then you can imagine, and they were never really able to put their full team on the floor. It remains to be seen what that full team can do now that everyone is available, but at least there are options. Brian Garrepy is in his second week of running the offense, which will allow Ben Warr to be an attacker and blocker. Middles Luc Dionne and Quinten Reslow are now available for service which should allow another pin to join Devin Lynch on the left, freeing Cooper Wier to return the libero spot. See, it’s all complicated. Regardless, there is hope in the Hawk nest that the second half of the season will be a different story. The schedule is unforgiving though, as they get to start again against North Kingstown and the Forge.
Johnston (6 - 0) - The Panthers maintain their claw hold on the third division of boys volleyball in Rhode Island. They’ve played six matches and have yet to cede a set. The Exeter West Greenwich match was probably the most impressive to date as EWG had been giving everyone fits. Anthony Corsinetti and Dylan Robbins are new from last year’s championship crew and are paying dividends right away in ensuring no one escapes the Panther’s den. Week four should be calm waters as Scituate / Prout and Times2 are on the docket. From there, however, it gets interesting…Woonsocket and St. Rays, and neither want to be the next victim.
[New] Woonsocket (5 - 1) - Woonsocket enters the board with a five and one record that poses a threat to all in D3. Their only defeat was to Juanita Sanchez, who seems to have a knack for upsetting teams, which I’m sure the Villa Novans would like a redo on. Woonsocket has a lot of guys they use at the setter position, however I like Devin Merrill. Merrill is big and physical and sets tempo balls to the pin. They also use Merrill on the right side to success. Alex Herrerra Jr. is another weapon at the net and can score in bunches. With all of the focus on Johnston, you get the feeling that Woonsocket is just biding their time. They see Johnston next week, so we’ll see what’s what then.
Getting Votes… Tolman / Shea, Exeter West Greenwich, Central Falls
ResV Player of the week…
Week 1 - Matt Tiernan (Chariho)
Week 2 - Brayden Stanger (East Greenwich)
Week 3 - Jet Nascimento (Central)
Week 4 - Matt Tiernan (Chariho)
Playoff Races through Week Four…
Division 1 -
La Salle - Best blocking team in the state with weapons everywhere.
North Kingstown - When healthy, arguably the best ball control team in the state. Just not healthy yet. Duct tape is still holding.
Chariho - Have the top attacker in the state and a competent cast behind him.
East Greenwich - Two pins equals a lot of wins, especially with a dynamic setter.
Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield - They’re on the outside looking in, but only a player away from changing that. He may be ready soon.
Division 2 -
Cranston West - Small hiccup at Westerly, but still has all the tools to run the show.
Barrington - Did their job and held off EP. Eager to see the CW again.
Central - Suprise loss to Lincoln hurt, though that Lion team does have a lot of talent. Still got two wins on the week and remain dangerous.
Westerly - Big week for the Bulldogs. Knocking off the CW and their big guy is on the floor.
East Providence - Dropping the match to Barrington cedes ground, but also gives hope that they’re in the ballpark.
Division 3 -
Johnston - Two more flawless victories and the Panthers maintain the pace.
Woonsocket - Taking out EWG and Mt. Pleasant, with only one defeat, Woonsocket makes its claim.
St. Raphael’s - They also have only one loss in conference, but it’s recent, and it’s against Tolman / Shea.
Tolman / Shea - Beat St. Raphaels, but they do have that extra loss to EWG that keeps the Saints ahead.
Central Falls - Dropping a five-set heartbreaker to Juanita Sanchez slowed the momentum. Next week begins a tough stretch.
Mid Season Projections…
Potential Player of the Year:
Matt Tiernan (Chariho) - OH - Sr. - 198 kills at the halfway point. Averaging 5.5 kill per set. Both are tops in the state. First year playing left.
Jack Johnson (La Salle) - OH - Sr. - North of 100 kills. Been held to single kills totals only twice this year. Averaging 4 kills per set.
Christian Mak (Cranston West) - Opp - Jr. - Leads the state in hitting percentage at .491. Getting 3.1 kills per set.
Ephraim Abhulime (La Salle) - MB - Jr. - Top blocker in D-1 with 47+ Averaging 1.6 blocks per set. Hitting a .378
Cody Tow (North Kingstown) - OH - So. 122 kills, averaging 3.6 kills per set, and hitting .294. 21 aces as well.
Potential Pin of the Year:
Matt Tiernan (Chariho) - OH - Sr. - See player of the year info above…
Jack Johnson (La Salle) - OH - Sr. - See player of the year info above…
Brayden Stanger (East Greenwich) - OH - Sr. - Has 148 kills to date. Averaging 4 kills per set. 29 aces.
Cody Tow (North Kingstown) - OH - So. - See player of the year info above…
Charlie Pincince (Cranston East) - OH - So. - 132 kills plus on the year to date. Only been under 10 kills once all year. 86 digs as well.
Potential Middle of the Year:
Ephraim Abhulime (La Salle) - MB - Jr. - Leads in blocks and putting up solid kills numbers. Is a presence that you have to plan for as an opponent.
Jared Samson (North Kingstown) - MB - Sr. - Fastest middle in the state. Timing is excellent. Hitting .381 and .8 blocks per set.
Jack Kenyon (Westerly) - MB - Jr. - Is the main drive behind the Bulldogs this year. Monster numbers in big matches.
Thomas Matchett (Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield) - MB - Jr. - May have the best arm of the middles. Shown big in premier matches.
Chris Harvey (Cranston West) - MB - Jr. - Smallest middle of the bunch but is springy and makes good decisions. Underrated blocker.
Potential Setter of the Year:
James Men (Classical) - S - Jr. - Runs a fun offense with excellent ball placement. Sits 3rd in assists with 308 and second in assists per set with 9.3.
Max Silverman (East Greenwich) - S - Jr. - Arguably the most athletic setter of the group. 288 assists with a 7.8 assists per set.
Tyler Yang (North Kingstown) - S - Sr. - Leads the state in assists with 331. Averaging 9.7 assists per set, also good for tops in the league.
Aiden Hay (Cranston West) - S - Sr. - Bouncy setter who blocks better than advertised. Also has amassed 292 assists thus far.
Caden Sullivan (Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield) - S - Jr. - Biggest setter physically. Blocks pretty well and finds his hitters in good spots.
Potential Libero of the Year:
Ben Sousa (Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield) - L - Jr. - Run through wall type of Lib who is having a great year.
Nathan Simas (La Salle Academy) - L - Sr. - Quietly having a monster season. Currently, 5th overall in digs, with a 3 digs per set average.
AJ Martinez (West Warwick) - L - Sr. - Leads the state in digs with 119 and averaging 4.2 digs per set which is also tops.
Spencer Warburton (East Greenwich) - L - Jr. - Second in digs with 104 while averaging 2.8 digs per set.
James Azzinaro (Chariho) - L - Sr. - Got off to slow start, but his average for digs in a set is still 3.1 and the Chargers will lean on him more going forward.
Potential Newcomer of the Year (First Year Playing a Major Role):
Michael Dobrzanski (East Greenwich) - OH - Jr. - Went from role player middle last year to feature pin this year. 6th in kills in the state currently with 112.
Charlie Pincince (Cranston East) - OH - So. - Little used right side last year to top left side attacker this year. 132 kills, for 3rd at the moment.
Jack Kenyon (Westerly) - MB - Jr. - Third middle from runner-up team a year ago. Now the guy who does everything but take tickets.
Al Abdur-Razzak (La Salle Academy) - S - Jr. - New setter on the top team. He’s had growing pains, but has battled and is smoothing out quickly. Huge block at the setter position.
Alpha Barry (Classical) - Pin - Sr. - Ran middle last year, this year he’s a combo with mostly pin swings…79 kills, hitting a .386
Potential Coach of the Year:
Brian Hesford (North Kingstown) - New crew and more of the same results for Hesford. Also he’s currently missing two starters to injury and is still collecting wins and avoiding losses.
Ridge Porter (East Greenwich) - Has EGHS in a top four position. Moved Dobrzanski to the pin as well as Warburton to libero causing an immediate impact to his team’s level.
Nik Wojciechowski (La Salle Academy) - Wojo has the mojo thus far. Only one hiccup and that was a four-set stunner at the Forge. Since then, he’s steered the Rams through some tough moments with success.
Donn Chu (Central) - Not many had Central being in the mix, but Donn Chu has this crew battling. Jet is a star in D2 and the teammates around him compliment well in Chu’s system.
Jhamal Diggs (Cranston East) - Diggs lost his gun in warm-ups of the first match of the season. From there his crew started Ofer and things looked pretty grim. Then the turn-around happened and they’re back fighting. Credit Diggs for keeping the wheels on the track through adversity.
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To send season updates, stories, stats, and players to consider, email Coach Reslow at Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com.