Round 5 - The Hybrid makes their Move…
5/7/23
The moment Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield (from here on out in this opening known as either the Hybrid or MSC/NS) took the floor at East Greenwich, the vibe felt odd. Peculiar… Had that smell of five sets a coming… With similar vibes to North Kingstown, all the Hybrid has wanted is to be healthy and have all their pieces on the board. This East Greenwich match would still not provide that opportunity as Azariah Chauvin was unavailable due to a stomach bug, but they were closer then they’d ever been this season. Connor DeSousa was back on the left, and that mattered a ton. DeSousa, arguably one of the smartest volleyball players in the state, passing, hitting, digging, and serving gives MSC/NS a calming presence. Add to the fact that Thomas Matchett is an absolute handful in the middle (Another future star in the league on par with Ephraim Abhulime), Caden Sullivan runs a great offense and blocks well, Ben Sousa is a pit-bull playing libero (Zero quit in Sousa. Will absolutely run through a wall for a ball), and this team is not a fun ride for anyone…
And the Avengers aren’t just anyone. Brayden Stanger was ResV player of the week in the second week. Michael Dobrzanski is an up-and-coming force in the league and gives the Avengers a one / two punch on the left in the same vein as La Salle and North Kingstown. Max Silverman is as talented a setter in the state and can make a lot of things happen for his club. Spencer Warburton is no slouch as the EG libero. Warburton has found his role and is making the most of it with high dig totals and solid passing…sitting currently fifth in the state in digs. So, this particular match was no joke.
Before the Avengers knew what happened, MSC/NS had jumped all over them, taking the first two sets. Matchett would dominate the net on track for his 11 kills and 10 block overall night. DeSousa would contribute 10 kills, but it was his steady presence that mattered most when things entered the fifth set. East Greenwich clawed back into the match with set three and set four wins, riding the arms of Stanger and Doby Doby. Both figured out that blasting the ball off the solid block of Sullivan and then Carter Deslauriers down the line and out of boards was the best course of action.
[ Stanger appears to be one of the best at this shot in the state next to Nick Lisi from La Salle. Both players recognize that high hands expand is a huge advantage against double and triple blocks. Lisi is a pro at it, while Stanger weaves in and out of love with the technique. ]
Set five came down to execution and that was where DeSousa made his mark. Battling through adversity, DeSousa and Ben Sousa were able to maintain control both passing and at the service line that kept the momentum from staying with the Avengers. Unfortunately, with East Greenwich this season, just a couple errors here, an error there, and then things are suddenly out of reach. Nonetheless, the Hybrid made a statement in the match. Things got dicey, they hung in, beat a top five level team at their barn and still have not had their top team on the floor. When they do, they’ll have all the pieces necessary to make a run at the gold…though the Rams, Skippers, and Chargers will have something to say about it.
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Matt Tiernan (Chariho) - 41 kills, 5 digs, 2 aces, hitting a .465 vs. Classical. 30 kills, 8 digs, and 2 blocks vs. Cranston East.
James Azzinaro (Chariho) - 20 digs vs. Classical, and 22 digs vs. Cranston East.
Kody Poplaski (Chariho) - 51 assists and 8 blocks vs. Classical.
James Men (Classical) - 48 assists, 3 aces vs. Chariho.
Tyler Yang (North Kingstown) - 46 assists, 5 aces, 8 digs vs. Cranston East
Ryan Harrington (North Kingstown) - 13 kills, 13 digs, and 2 aces vs. Cranston East.
Cody Tow (North Kingstown) - 17 kills, 8 digs, and 2 blocks vs. Cranston East.
Devin Merril (Woonsocket) - 34 assists, 7 digs, and 3 blocks vs. Scituate.
Thomas Matchett (Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield) - 11 kills and 10 blocks vs. East Greenwich.
Brayden Stanger (East Greenwich) - 25 kills, 3 blocks vs. MSC / NS.
Devin Lynch (Bishop Hendricken) - 20 kills and hit .402 vs. North Kingstown.
Quinlan Fahy (North Kingstown) - 14 kills and 3 blocks vs. Hendricken, and 13 kills and 4 blocks vs. Cranston East
DJ Lepine (East Providence) - 19 kills, 4 aces vs. Westerly
Jack Kenyon (Westerly) - 15 kills, 6 blocks vs. East Providence
Jet Nascimento (Central) - 16 kills, 15 digs, and 4 blocks vs. Barrington
Jackson Rennick (Cranston East) - 12 kills, 7 blocks, and 6 digs vs. Chariho
ResV Player of the Week (5) - Matt Tiernan (Chariho) 41 kills, 5 digs, and 3 aces…all while hitting a .465 versus Classical in a five-set win. He then followed it up with 30 kills, 8 digs, and 2 blocks with a four-set win over Cranston East.
Week Five Top 15…
La Salle Academy (10 - 1) - The Rams hold form in week five with a sound win over South Kingstown and a grinding four-set survival vic over a solid Avenger squad. The Rams have the feeling of a team close to clicking on all cylinders with only three weeks left in the season. Jack Johnson has had a strong campaign to date, while Ephraim Abhulime is the most feared middle in the league (and rightfully so). Nick Lisi continues to steer the crew in the right direction while the emergence of Nathan Simas at the libero spot continues to pay dividends. The quick development of Ali Abdur-Razzak at the setter position along with strides forward for Connor Lewis at the opp, means an almost complete team that blocks very well and can score from anywhere on the court. Week six will bring Hendricken and North Kingstown to the Mountain Top with that Skipper game holding some significance if not for mental toughness alone.
North Kingstown (11 - 1) - The Skippers hold their end of the bargain going into week six with only a single loss for their date with the Rams on 5/11. Dispatching an improved Hendricken side and a gritty Classical group, both in three, and then taking it to Cranston East at their home barn in four shows exactly where this crew is…and they finally have Ryan Harrington healthy along with Ryan Murphy. With the Ryans plus Cody Tow (who is having a monster year) and a core of middles that include top tier Jared Samson (who all of sudden gets 20 plus digs a night) and the much-improved Quinlan Fahy and the Skippers are certainly ready to defend their throne from the Rams, Chargers, North Mountie Men, Avengers, or whomever else may take a run at it. The Skippers handed the Rams their only loss early on in the season. Giving them another at their place may be the mental back breaker from the top rope.
Chariho (8 - 3) - So, the Chargers love to play volleyball. They seem to play more sets than anyone else. Matt Tiernan continues to carve up the league, earning his third ResV Systems player of the week award…and how could he not? Putting up 41 kills against Classical in a five-set win and then dumping another 30 kills on Cranston East in a four-set decider. Can’t recall another player having a season like this in the short time that ResV has been around, nor many of the times before (maybe Mason Andrade? Dylan McClung? both were pins, though, and Tiernan has been a setter his entire career). The Chargers also have strong middles in Travis Plante and Ben Christensen, solid secondary pins in Michael Perry and Brandon Knowles, and a top tier libero in James Azzinaro. Add that Kody Poplaski has emerged as a solid set of hands and you have a team that no one wants to play…certainly not in the playoffs… The Avengers will try to take the charge out of the Chargers in week six, however they’ll have to do so at the cave…not a fun place to attempt to disarm Chariho.
[↑ 2] Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield (6 - 5) - The Hybrid are finally healthy and are starting to figure it all out. With Connor DeSousa back on the floor as a pin, the North Mountie Men have a well-rounded crew that can beat you in a variety of ways. DeSousa is a prime-time passer and can score. He has good vision and can see the block well before making contact and find gaps. Caden Sullivan may be the top setter in the league as he blocks quite well and runs an offense that often features his middles. Speaking of which, the Hybrid has one of the top middle tandems in the state! Perhaps the Skippers have a better crew? Maybe La Salle? With Thomas Matchett and Alvendz Viera Dones, the North Mountie men generally win the middle match up night in and night out. Ben Sousa is having a real solid season as the lib and the supporting cast of Azariah Chauvin and Carter Deslauriers are making plays as well. Defeating EG in five at the castle was huge, as was taking the bite out of the Bolts. SK and Hendricken are now on the horizon with three weeks to go.
Cranston West (11 - 1) - The Falcons continue to dominate Division two volleyball. Fresh off of dismantling their cross-town rivals Cranston East, Cranston West turned their eyes toward Pilgrim and East Providence. Pilgrim has had a tough year and really were unable to muster much. EP, however, has playoff plans, but they were dismissed faster than Pilgrim. The fact of the matter is, the Falcons are a complete team in search of a D2 rival. Only Barrington and Westerly seem to fit the bill. Westerly was the sole team to give the CW a loss, which won’t get addressed till the last match of the regular season on senior night. Barrington will get their shot in the last week as well. It’ll be interesting to see if the Falcons and Eagles remain with only a single loss, and the Bulldogs with two losses, going into that final week. Aidan Hay’s top weapons include Christian Mak on the right, Chris Harvey in the middle, and Lucian Spremullo on the left. Only Westerly was able to survive, and that was in a five-set thriller at home. Can they do it on the road? Can Barrington? Central and West Warwick will get their chance first.
[↓ 2] East Greenwich (6 - 5) - The Avengers had a tough week. EG travelled to La Salle and took the current top team in the state to the brink in four sets. Losing by six points total is as close as you can get, with two of the four sets going into extra frames. From there, the Avengers hosted The Hybrid and took one on the chin in five. EG came out flat in the first two sets, then came on strong in the next two, only to make a couple of errors in the middle of the fifteen-point final set to drop the match. So, what have we learned? Well, first, the Avengers can play with anyone. Second, Michael Dobrzanski is a future star in the league. Since moving to pin, Dobz has electrified scoring at a high clip, securing the right-side attack with his blocking ability, and has come a long way with his passing. He’s pretty good and going to get a lot better. Brayden Stanger is still a tough stop. Stanger has an arm and when he decides to go high hands, there isn’t much you can do about it. Max Silverman runs a solid game and when he keeps the ball off the net, the offense thrives. Spencer Warburton passes well and makes plays, however the moment he moves to the center of the court, things get by him as with most libs. So, right there, but things to work on…Chariho is next followed by Cranston East…and you have to think EG desperately does not want to drop four in a row.
Classical (6 - 6) - The Purple find themselves in a strange predicament. They’re able to push the top teams in the state, make things uncomfortable for any opponent, but are having a hard time closing the deal. Though already light years improved from last year’s woes, Classical can still taste a long playoff run in June. How close are they? Well, James Men is setting beautifully for the club. Teddy Wallace and Alpha Barry are doing work on the pins as well as helping out in the blocking arena. Archer Lesser is a pain in the behind middle who scores with a solid arm and with running unconventional routes. Add the emergence of Jacob Agramonte, sophomore combo pin / middle who put up back-to-back 13 kill games this week, and the Purple have the pieces to do something. They’ll need to serve a little tougher and make a dig or so more, but this Classical side feels like another team you may not want to see when the pairings are made in June.
[↑ 1] Barrington (9 - 1) - The Eagles are doing a great job of keeping pace with Cranston West in the days ticking down toward their re-match. As we all remember, Barrington hosted the Falcons in the first half of the season and got their doors blown off. It wasn’t pretty. Since then, the worst thing the Eagles could have done was to drop a match they shouldn’t and get two away in the loss column. Avoiding this thus far is key and they’ll need to continue to stay the course in week six. The match at Lincoln is absolutely a trap game for the Eagles, so some caution is warranted. Toll Gate at home will follow along with a nice tune up match with Cranston East before Westerly and Cranston West the following week. The CW stuck it to the Thunderbolts and it’ll be interesting to see if the Eagles can follow suit. Will the trio of Maddox Godwin, Cam Kelley, and Luke Andsager be enough offense to dent the CW mystique the second time through? Can’t wait to find out!
[↑ 1] Westerly (9 - 2) - The Bulldogs are still one back in the loss column due to the defeat at the hands of Central. When it’s all said and done, Westerly is probably going to want that one back. Since then, they’ve dropped a three-setter to Barrington and that’s about it. They even avenged their loss to Central with a four-set win this past week. Add a grueling four-set win over East Providence and the Bulldogs have to be feeling pretty good. They even dodged a quick injury to their big guy, Jack Kenyon. Kenyon and Tyler Braymen give the Bulldogs a dynamic duo to score points. They also block pretty well as a team and are able to serve with some bite. West Warwick, Lincoln, and Toll Gate are up next for week six. Similar to Barrington, that Lincoln matchup is a dangerous gambit. Lincoln has a lot of talent and can surprise you if you’re not careful. Short of that, expect Westerly to pull through with a clean sheet just in time to see Barrington.
[↓ 2] Cranston East (4 - 8) - The Thunderbolts are in free fall. After winning four in a row, Cranston East has now dropped five. This week was brutal as they tasted defeat at the hands of the Hybrid, Chariho, and North Kingstown. Nothing like playing the #2, #3, and #4 teams in the state all in one week! Stealing a set from all of them is a moral victory, but it doesn’t help in the standings nor the mental readiness for the playoffs. Seemingly snakebit from the start, CE needs to figure out a way serve receive a tic better then what is happening. Moving Jackson Rennick to the right side was a move that made sense but having him pass is just more then the big guy is used to doing. Charlie Pincince is still the answer on the left, but probably needs to be in the passing formation at all times, if not now, but for the future as well. Caleb Xum is setting admirably, and Hunter Maloney is a pleasant surprise in the middle…there just seems to be something missing. Classical and EG are next as the Bolts look to try to turn the tide and find the right combination to success.
[↑ 1] East Providence (7 - 6) - The Townies move up a slot even though they lost two this week…why? Well, Central also lost two and the move to switch the two teams came down to both performances against Westerly. In the end, due to scores results, it appeared that the Townies did slightly better against the Bulldogs…six in one and half dozen in the other. Regardless, the Townies have dropped three of their last five with their last win coming at Toll Gate a week ago. No shame, certainly, in losing to both Westerly and Cranston West this week, though they’ll want to go on a little run from here on out. Pilgrim comes first and then a fight for fourth place with Central follows. Having Central at home is huge as they look to avenge their four-set loss earlier in the season. The Townies will need DJ Lepine, Xavier Graca, and Sam Howard to be firing on all cylinders for the Central match. Slowing down the Jet will no doubt be tough to do as well.
[↓ 1] Central (7 - 5) - Certainly, you can read the above clip for East Providence that explains the move down... The Knights have also dropped three of their last five matches with their last win coming against Toll Gate the previous week. Add that the win before that was a non-league “w” against Juanita Sanchez and it’s been a while since Central has put a vic streak on the board. Things may not change right away either, as they host the CW next. Slowing down the middles will be key and they certainly can with Jet Nascimento and Paul Wilson. Joshua Ramirez will need to find Jet as much as possible for his offensive punch, especially off of any dig they can muster. Kaydem Mam will most likely have the libero duties and will need to stand on his head (hockey goalie reference) to keep the ball up to give a chance for the Knights to run transition. All possible, which should make the match a fun one to see.
Bishop Hendricken (3 - 7) - With all the pieces they have finally on the table, the Hawks look much improved. Brian Garrepy now handles the bulk of the setting duties and is relied upon to score roughly seven kills a match. Devin Lynch has become a bonifide issue on the left. Putting up 20 kills on the defending champs, hitting a .402 is no easy feat! Ben Warr provides some pop on the right while Copper Wier has come home to the libero duties and is putting up solid dig totals again, currently second in the state in digs with 130 (first for D-1 players) averaging 4.1 digs per set. That’s the good news. The bad news is the Hawks are still figuring out their middle situation and really are missing a second left-side for offense. Beating Coventry helped the cause this week, but they have another brutal stretch coming as they see La Salle, the Hybrid, and then Chariho in succession (same murderous row that put CE in the mire). Certainly, it’d be nice to steal one from that grouping, however, learning from those matches so they can get wins from Cranston East, Classical, and South Kingstown is what matters most in their attempt to sneak into the playoffs.
Johnston (8 - 0) - Panthers still support an unblemished record and have handled all comers in the same fashion. Serving tough and dominating the net has been the formula for success and no one has yet been able to survive long enough to crack the code. Scituate came closest, stealing a set and making things uncomfortable for the Panthers. In the end, though, Johnston were able to subdue Decklan Morrison and the Scituate squad to continue their season pace. Week six brings the toughest challenge yet, however, as Woonsocket and St. Raphaels are on the docket…both would love to see the Panthers fall due to their efforts.
[New] Tolman / Shea (6-4) - The Tigers leap onto the top fifteen board with a straight set win over the Vila Novans. Led by setter Dominic Carpentieri and attacker Dembo Konte, this Tolman side is not the team you’d like to see in the playoffs…or the regular season for that matter. Yes they have four loses, however, looking closely at their record to date, two of those loses are non-league against D2 competition (East Providence and Central). In conference, they’ve only dropped two…one to Exeter West Greenwich (which judging by the scores, was just a horrible night for them of which they’d love to have back) and then also falling to Johnston (of which everyone has fallen to thus far). Quietly, Carpentieri is having a very good season and Konte is putting up double digit kills almost on the regular. D3 is looking to be an interesting race anyway with six teams having six or more wins and three more hovering on four wins. Good setting is key and thus Tolman is certainly in the mix. Central Falls, which is a huge match, is up next followed by Mt. Hope.
Getting Votes… Lincoln, Central Falls, Juanita Sanchez, St. Raphael’s, Woonsocket
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)
Week 5 - Matt Tiernan (Chariho)
Playoff Races through Week Five…
Division 1 -
La Salle - Big blocks and big arms keep the Rams on top. Second showdown with the Skippers is looming…
North Kingstown - Finally healthy, Skippers look ready to roll. Best ball control team in the state will be tough to beat.
Chariho - Top weapon in the state is hard to slow down. Blocking still remains a concern.
Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield - Hybrid is also healthy now. Very good middles and right behind NK in ball control.
East Greenwich - Left sides are tough and the lib and setter can play. Serve tough, but may make just too many errors.
Division 2 -
Cranston West - Feels like the Westerly loss may have been a fluke. Have not slowed down at all following lone loss.
Barrington - Eagles have kept pace and are eager for re-match with the CW. Can they pass well enough to draw blood?
Westerly - With a one two punch that everyone has to now deal with, the Bulldogs can make a run, especially with the right draw.
East Providence - Townies have solid pins, and a middle who can play. Passing is still an issue for the playoff run.
Central - Knights feel like they’re starting to fade. Stole sets from Westerly and Barrington but didn’t threaten further.
Division 3 -
Johnston - Panthers maintain control of the division…but Woonsocket is up next and they’re as dangerous of an opponent as it gets.
Tolman / Shea - On the board with wins over St. Rapael’s and Woonsocket. Feels like a train gaining momentum.
St. Raphael’s - Two tough losses and the Saints needed a big win. They got it with a four-setter over EWG. Nothing easy follows, however.
Juanita Sanchez - They’ve been taking down competitors all year. EWG and Tolman / Shea loom…but not this coming week.
Central Falls - Only defeat is Juanita Sanchez, but the tough part of their schedule is now beginning…and it’s a doozy!
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To send season updates, stories, stats, and players to consider, email Coach Reslow at Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com.