Round 7 - Fly Eagles, Fly…The Men from the North take Control…
5/21/23
Volleyball can be tricky, and momentum can swing on a dime. This rings true the most, when two comparable teams see each other for the second time in a season. Case in point, Barrington at Cranston West…the two top teams in Division Two. Barrington hosted the first time and struggled to get out the gate the whole night. The Falcons swept and the feeling became that the CW held all the cards in the D2 race. There was a hiccup against Westerly, but still Cranston West felt the class of the league. Meanwhile, Barrington kept winning matches. The Eagles survived a trap game with the highly talented Lincoln Lions and took care of business against the Westerly Bulldogs and before one knew it, Barrington had the same record going into their second match with the Falcons. On the road, the Eagles were gritty and even survived one of their guns going down late. Maddox Godwin had a monster match with 17 kills, as did Luke Van Ness with 15 digs. The Eagles were unable to slow down Chris Harvey who had 16 kills, but overall, they were able to make the CW machine sputter enough to stun the Falcons in five. The win means Barrington will have the number one seed going into the playoffs and the Falcons were left to wonder what just happened…
Meanwhile, the North Mountie Men, or the Hybrid (Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield), had themselves a week! Seeing North Kingstown, Coventry, and La Salle in a week is quite the challenge. The Hybrid, who had suffered through many injuries in the early part of the season, were now healthy and ready to rock. What they were able to pull off rivaled the week Portsmouth had in the girl’s season…though better as Portsmouth’s run was all at home, while the Hybrid took their show on the road. First North Kingstown fell in four at the Forge. Connor DeSousa had 14 kills, Thomas Matchett had 11 kills and 5 blocks, and Ben Sousa had 16 digs and 6 aces, while Caden Sullivan ran the offense efficiently with 37 assists. Later on in the week, after a win at home versus Coventry, the Hybrid went to the mountain top and stunned the Rams in five. Again, DeSousa did work with 15 kills, 5 of them in set 5 where it mattered most, Matchett had 14 kills and 4 blocks, Sousa had 21 digs and Sullivan was masterful with 47 assists, 5 kills, 4 blocks, and 2 aces. All in all, Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield have one eight in a row, have established themselves as arguably the top team in the state, and are raring up for a playoff run that should unnerve the top two seeds in the league (as MSC / NS acquired too many losses early on to take a top seed short of some unusual losses for the top seeds in the last week of the season).
Big Stat Games of the Week…
(Setters)
Ali Abdur-Razzak (La Salle) - 53 assists, 7 kills, 15 digs, and 3 blocks vs. MSC / NS
Caden Sullivan (MSC / NS) - 47 assists, 5 kills, 4 blocks, and 2 aces vs. La Salle
Kody Poplaski (Chariho) - 47 assists, 11 digs vs. Hendricken
Sang Min Park (Barrington) - 46 assists, 18 digs vs. Cranston West
Max Silverman (East Greenwich) - 45 assists, 3 kills, 3 blocks vs. Classical
James Men (Classical) - 45 assists vs. East Greenwich
(Pins)
Matt Tiernan (Chariho) - 31 kills 11 digs vs. Hendricken
Michael Dobranski (East Greenwich) - 21 kills, 6 blocks, 2 aces vs. Classical
Jack Johnson (La Salle) - 19 kills, 11 digs, and 6 aces vs. MSC / NS
Jet Nascimento (Central) - 19 kills, 23 digs, 2 blocks vs. West Warwick
Maddox Godwin (Barrington) - 17 kills, 13 digs vs. Cranston West
Connor DeSousa (MSC / NS) - 15 kills, 9 digs vs. La Salle
Jacob Agramonte (Classical) - 14 kills, 3 blocks, 3 aces vs. East Greenwich
(Middles)
Alpha Barry (Classical) - 18 kills, 4 blocks vs. East Greenwich
Thomas Matchett (MSC / NS) - 14 kills, 4 blocks vs. La Salle
Nate Vanasse (West Warwick) - 17 kills, 10 blocks vs. Central
Ephraim Abhulime (La Salle) - 15 kills, 2 blocks vs. MSC / NS
Quinlan Fahy (North Kingstown) - 10 kills, 6 blocks vs. MSC / NS
(Liberos)
AJ Martinez (West Warwick) - 25 digs vs. East Providence : 38 digs vs. Central
James Azzinaro (Chariho) - 21 digs vs. East Greenwich : 23 digs vs. North Kingstown
Ben Sousa (MSC / NS) - 16 digs, 6 aces vs. North Kingstown : 21 digs, 4 aces vs. La Salle
Luke Van Ness (Barrington) - 21 digs vs. Westerly : 15 digs, 3 assists, 3 aces vs. Cranston West
Ty Cotta (La Salle) - 21 digs vs. MSC / NS
ResV Player of the Week (7) - Connor DeSousa (MSC / NS) - DeSousa was steady and effective this week as his team took down the top two teams in the state. Averaging 3.4 kills per set, 1.8 digs per set, with a 14 kill / 7 digs performance vs. North Kingstown and a 15 kill / 9 digs line vs. La Salle…all while being a primary passer. Certainly Caden Sullivan (MSC / NS) was in the conversation, as well as Matt Tiernan (Chariho), Maddox Godwin (Barrington), and AJ Martinez (West Warwick), however the level from DeSousa all week secured the call in his favor.
[↑ 2] Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield (12 - 5) - So, let’s have ourselves a week! The Hybrid had both the Skippers and the Rams on the road and were able to win both. Winning at the Forge of North Kingstown was probably more surprising then taking the match at the Mountain Top of La Salle Academy, but not by much. Both places have been nightmares for opponent victories over the past three years. So, for the Hybrid to accomplish two wins at these locations in a single week…that’s some solid work. Connor DeSousa was huge on the week, while Caden Sullivan continues his high-level play at the setter position. Ben Sousa took it to another level at the libero spot as Thomas Matchett has put himself in the conversation for Middle Blocker of the Year. Unfortunately, the North Mountie Men will have too many loses to nab a top seed in the tournament (short of a remarkable upset in the final week to either NK or La Salle), but no one will want to play them when all the money is on the table to be sure.
[↓ 1] North Kingstown (14 - 2) - Losing at home can be troubling, especially if you hardly taste defeat there. The Skippers took one on the chin this week versus the Hybrid and the wakeup call is real. Though if you watch the match, you can identify that NK is out of sorts in this one. Lots of uncharacteristic balls getting hit out of bounds. Now, the Hybrid can do that to you. They have strong middles that block very well, the top blocking setter in the league, and a defense that picks up a lot in the back row, so understandable that the Skipper pins were trying to be too fine on their shot placement and missing... Regardless of the setback, NK is in good shape. They took down Chariho for the second time and, barring an upset in the final week from East Greenwich or South Kingstown, they’ll hold the top seed in the tournament. This is crucial as the Hybrid won’t break the top two, theoretically, and better to see them at Rhode Island College then before…or is it? Quinlan Fahy continues to impress in the middle and is a huge compliment to Jared Samson (who is playing all six rotations…can’t remember the last middle to do that). With Tow, Harrington, and Murphy on the pins and Tyler Yang setting the table, smart money is still on the Skips to do their thing…but can’t really have another blip going forward.
[↓ 1] La Salle Academy (12 - 3) - Since the Rhody Tournament, the Rams have won only two of their last four. Those two loses have been gut punching (NK and the Hybrid) and have put the Rams in a precarious position. Short of anything strange or uncharacteristic occurring, La Salle will have the second seed. The second seed, however, means they’re likely to the see the Hybrid in the semis. Good bet that match will be another war, and should they win (and that’s a big question mark) they’ll likely see NK in the final (of whom they’ve yet to find an answer for). At least they’ll get to host that semi-final and exact revenge on the Hybrid who beat them in five this week. Moving Connor Lewis to the middle and adding Jhamir Evans to the right alters the blocking schematic for them and gives more size up front. Ty Cotta has also taken on the libero duties. Ali Abdur-Razzak had the top stat line at the setter position where he generated a ton of points…53 assist, 7 kills, with 3 blocks vs. the Hybrid. Still the number one thing for the Rams to focus on is errors. They make too many of them. The team is talented, and errors won’t matter too much against the rest of the pack, but if you want to win the whole thing…well, NK and the Hybrid thrive on their opponents’ making errors. Play clean, and the Rams have a shot to take it all the way.
Chariho (12 - 4) - The stat that matters most for the Chargers is 1 - 4. They are 1 - 4 versus the top three seeds in the conference. Their sole win was a five-setter against the Hybrid early on in the season with a noticeably absent Connor DeSousa. Now, all of the losses have been competitive ones. It’s not that the Chargers are getting decimated by these teams. Nonetheless, they have to figure out a way to get a signature win against the top grouping and time is short. Matt Tiernan continues to be a revelation at the pin. Can’t emphasize enough that we’re talking about a player that’s been a setter (a pretty darn good one) his entire career and is currently averaging somewhere around six kills per set and about to eclipse the 400 kill mark on the season (should the stats be accurate on MaxPrep). And…he’s done it against everyone. It’d be one thing if he was putting up monster numbers against the back half of the conference, but it’s not that. It’s everyone. Sure, NK held him to 12, his low this season, but the Hybrid got scorched for 28 and 36. The Rams got hit with a 28. Most recently, NK held Tiernan to 21. Add that the team has grown around Tiernan. Kody Poplaski is doing a nice job setting, the middles have come around, Michael Perry and Brandon Knowles are doing solid work on the pins while James Azzinaro is a top shelf libero in the league. They get one more chance vs. La Salle in week eight and from there the playoffs emerge.
[↑ 2] Barrington (14 - 1) - The Eagles played the silent assassin role this week and it worked out beautifully for them. After getting smoked by Cranston West at home, the thought was the CW was untouchable and hopefully Barrington can pull a rabbit out of their hat in the playoffs at Rhode Island College…should they get there. Instead, the Eagles crafted their own destiny, running a gambit of solid teams in the D2 world and just kept winning. Recently, they thwarted a resurgent Lincoln team, flew past an eager Bulldog squad, and then met the Falcons at their nest. It was slugfest to be sure. An old-fashioned slobber knocker as Jim Ross used to quip on WWE. The Eagles were beat up and suffered an injury, as did the Falcons, but as the dust settled and the final feather gently glided to the floor, Barrington stood victorious as the CW sat stunned. Maddox Godwin had himself a match, scoring 17 kills while Luke Van Ness showed big in the different color jersey amassing 15 digs and helping tremendously from the service line. Max Oberacker added 14 kills as Sang Min Park distributed 46 assists on the night. So, now the goal is to hold the line and not give up the trap game at the end of the week with the Townies. From there, keep the top seed and hope you don’t see Lincoln in the semis.
[↓ 1] Cranston West (14 - 2) - Well, that could’ve gone better… Granted, losing to Barrington is not a “what are we doing” type of moment. The Eagles are solid and there was always a good chance the final would be entwined between the Falcons and Eagles anyway. Also, not having Lucian Spremullo hurt a bunch as he’s that big option on the left that you go to, especially should Mak and Harvey get slowed down. Chris Harvey got his putting up 16 kills, but it was clear that Barrington wanted to limit Christian Mak and were successful, holding him to just 9. A tough loss to say the least, but not devastating. The Falcons will still hold the second seed in the D2 tournament and will host all the way to the final at Rhode Island College. Getting Spremullo back on the floor is of the utmost importance and getting Logan Reed feeling well at the libero spot is crucial too. When healthy, the CW has arguably the most talent in the conference and has flexed that fact for most of the season. If they can survive Westerly this week, there will be some time to heal up and prep for the playoff run. And, you know that the CW wants to see Barrington again, preferably on a neutral court on a Saturday afternoon on a college campus.
[↑ 1] Classical (9 - 8) - The Purple had a week of “lets be solid” and get the match we need. Which they did…in the five-set thrilling win over the Avengers. That match will be the one that matters, as though they beat South Kingstown and took the loss against La Salle, Classical has slight hope still to avoid the Hybrid early. Though too early to tell where the seeds lie, the idea of playing the Hybrid in the first round if you are the sixth seed is to be avoided at all costs. The Purple have been a fun team all year to watch as James Men orchestrates an offense that is unique and effective. Teddy Wallace, Alpha Barry, Archer Lesser, and Jacob Agramonte are a crew that can score points in bunches and here lies the issue. Consistency. When on, you are in for a battle that could ultimately end with you on the short end of the stick. On the other hand, if they’re off, Classical falls fast and a solid feather for your hat you have. The Jeckel and Hyde levels is what makes coaches go gray quickly as playing steady is the always the goal. So, from here, the plan is for Classical to close out the regular season, with strong, consistent, performances against the Hybrid and Hendricken to prepare them for the playoffs and hope for an East Greenwich miscue against Coventry. Should the Avengers win that match, however, the higher seed will probably go to the Avengers due to sets lost in the head-to-head. (EG beat Classical in four sets, then Classical beat EG in five sets).
[↓ 2] East Greenwich (9 - 7) - The Avengers won the matches they needed to stay ahead of the Purple in the race for the fifth seed. Problem was they lost to Classical this week head-to-head which dropped them a couple. Does falling to Classical in five warrant losing two spots? Probably not, however, with Cranston West’s surprising loss to Barrington it made sense for EG to drop a tic lower then expected based on where Barrington was going to land. Week eight will flush out the final standing between the two heading into the playoffs. For the Avengers, the key will be to have everyone healthy and ready. They’re going to rely on the arms of Brayden Stanger and Michael Dobrzanski to go wherever they go. The trick will be to ensure that whomever they play has to defend the whole net. 80% of the offense for EG comes on the left side of the court which makes things easier for the opponent. If the whole gym knows where the ball is going, it’s not too complicated to send your blockers there and arm you back row defenders with that knowledge. So, it may be in their best interest to take the pipe ball out of the equation and have either guy hit in the “D” zone instead. This would assuredly stretch the net for them and make the blockers work. Assuming they hold the line and stay the fifth seed, they’re also going to need to figure out a way to slow down Matt Tiernan which only NK could do…once.
Westerly (11 - 4) - The Bulldogs only had Barrington on the docket this week and fell in four sets. Granted stealing a set from the train that was not stopping for anyone this week was an accomplishment. It does pose the same problem that Chariho has in the D1 world, however…which is can Westerly figure out a way to upset one of the top seeds. They are, however, 1 - 2 versus the top two seeds, with the win against Cranston West earlier in the season. So, maybe it’s more just trying to find a way to upend Barrington? Either way, Jack Kenyon’s crew will need to play top tier ball as they are at the Falcon nest for senior night and then a date with a dangerous Pilgrim side later on. Getting one of these two will be crucial as it will hold the third seed. EP may not be capable of wrestling away the three from Westerly anyway, but better to be safe then sorry. As in the D1 world where everyone will want to avoid the Hybrid, in the D2 world everyone should be doing their best to avoid Lincoln. The Lions stunned the Bulldogs the prior week and seeing them again should not be on the list of things to do if you’re Westerly...so hold the three. Beating the CW at home would send some shockwaves as well and may catapult the Bulldogs into a serious run.
East Providence (11 - 7) - The Townies are the D2 version of Chariho. They’re built around DJ Lepine who is doing similar things to Mr. Tiernan. The prior week was a strong one for EP as they were able to give a shattering loss to Central and push them back a little in the race for the fourth seed. However, this week saw the Townies fall to the resurgent Lions which was a solid dagger to the chest as it has created a three-way race for that fourth seed. EP, Central, and Lincoln all have seven losses with a week to go. For East Providence, they will see Toll Gate and Barrington. Toll Gate can pose problems and the Eagles are flying high after handing the Falcons a loss to take the top seed. Needless to say, neither team looks like a walk in the park. Now, how this whole seeding thing will fall is anyone's guess, however if you’re the Townies, the ideal would be to own the four, have Central take fifth and leave Lincoln with the sixth. EP has to feel comfortable with Central but the opposite with Lincoln and those Lions are very dangerous, especially come playoff time. Would be kinda cool to send a loss Barrington’s way right now too and watch the shockwaves transform the landscape…
Cranston East (6 - 11) - The Thunderbolts have survived some real tough goings to nab themselves a playoff spot. Their reward will be to see either NK or La Salle in the quarters which will be some kind of lift. Again, the rumors of a Jethro Vargas return are out there, but should he return…he’s played so little volleyball. Could he snap to the moment and put a hurting on a top seed? Sure, I guess. In a year where a lot of crazy things are happening, why not this one? Regardless, CE is going to rely heavily on Charles Pincince, Jackson Rennick, and Hunter Maloney to score points and give the backcourt a chance to dig some things. It’s going to be a mountain to climb, but overcoming adversity is what it’s all about and the Bolts have done a ton of it already. With Coventry and La Salle on the docket for the final week, it is all about shaping and preparing for the playoffs. Whatever the line-up is going to be, whatever scheme you’re going to use, whatever substitution pattern you’d like to try…now is the time. From there, hit the ball hard and leave it all on the floor…
Central (10 - 7) - The initial vibe for the Knights right now is that of weariness. Central has asked Jet Nascimento to carry the load and the young man has done a great job. However, the loss to East Providence in three sets and then escaping West Warwick in five sets feels tiredness for the team as a whole. Now, I could be completely wrong, but that’s the vibe I sense. Anyway, Central is in a big situation currently where landing the 4th or 5th seed becomes pretty important for a playoff run. The difference between seeing one of their contemporaries or the Westerly Bulldogs is significant. They split with Westerly, but that five-set win was a lifetime ago and the four-set defeat has a yesterday vibe. Add that they have a hungry Lincoln team to finish out the regular season and things are pretty tough for the Knights. If they can hold Lincoln at bay and nab either the four or the five, playing East Providence is probably the desire. Sure, EP beat you last, but in the playoffs, anything can happen and some revenge would be sweet. As with everyone else in the D2 playoff world…just don’t set up with Lincoln…
[New] Lincoln (7 - 7) - Welcome to the board, Lincoln! The hungry, and talented, Lions have become a whirlwind and are causing havoc in the second half of the season. And, why not? They have a high-flying pin in Wayne McNamara who can score buckets of points. Then you have the big middle in Tyler Dickinson. Dickinson is all but 6’10 and controls the net well, scoring often and causing all sorts of issues for attackers. Austin Noel runs the offense and does a nice job finding his pins and looking for McNamara when it matters most. Ball control is the main concern, but the Lions are not alone in that endeavor. Plenty of teams in the top 15 struggle with that as well. The main question for the Lions is can they limit the amount of errors they make after first contact. It’s something they struggled with early on the in the season and buttoned up on this current run. Playoffs can bring out the bad habits, so it’ll be something to keep an eye on. With West Warwick and Central left on the regular scheduled programming, the Lions can push Central to sixth and then turn their hungry eyes to East Providence.
Johnston (12 - 0) - The Panthers must be looking around wondering where the threat is coming from. To date the closest anyone has come to upsetting their apple cart has been St. Rapheal’s. Other then that, all the top teams have bowed pretty simply. With only Burrillville left of the schedule, it is somewhat safe to say that Johnston will run the table in the regular season. Now, with the top seed in the D3 tournament, the Panthers will host till Rhode Island College should they make the final. Cristian Gonzalez runs the middle for the Panthers and is terribly hard to stop as the offense tends to run through him (and the middle in general). St. Raphael was able to negate a lot of the Panther’s offense with athletic middles Ian Bing and Moses Meus. Scituate was able to take a set off the Panthers (the only set they’ve relinquished) when Declan Morrison was able to control the net against them. So, whomever makes a bid to upset Johnston, their middles have to play lights out ball. Is it possible? Sure, anything is possible, but it’s a tall task…however, as the lights get brighter and perhaps when the avenue changes, we’ll see if Johnston can survive the pressure and seal the deal.
Tolman / Shea (10 - 4) - Simple equation for the Tigers…you have one game this week versus Juanita Sanchez. Win and you’re the second seed and host throughout. Lose and you’re the third seed, most likely play either Central Falls or Exeter West Greenwich in the first round, of which you’ll host. One match, two options. The question is will the Tigers be healthy for the match? Second seed does have its privileges, so you want to pull out all the stops and host the entire way till RIC. The hope is that Dominic Carpentieri is a go for the match, and he can sling the ball to Dembo Konte and Helmer Ramos in this regular season finale. This Juanita Sanchez club has made their reputation, however, on beating top seeded teams, though the Panthers did elude them. So, the thought is no matter who is playing for both sides, this final match of the regular season is going to be a grinder. Should Tolman have their whole entourage, go with the Tigers in five.
Getting Votes… Hendricken, Juanita Sanchez, St. Raphael’s, Woonsocket, 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)
Week 5 - Matt Tiernan (Chariho)
Week 6 - Thomas Matchett (Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield)
Week 7 - Connor DeSousa (Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield)
Playoff Races through Week Seven…
Division 1 :
Mount Saint Charles / North Smithfield - Have won eight in a row, including wins over North Kingstown, La Salle, Chariho, and East Greenwich…all on the road! Have too many Ls in the loss column for top seed, but have become the favorite.
North Kingstown - Still good odds to get it done, though the MSC / NS loss was a small wake up call.
La Salle - Still hold the second seed but have been proven fallible. Will need to figure out the Hybrid, as they’ll probably see them in the playoffs.
Chariho - Playing solid ball and do have the top pin in the league. Have significant worries with the top three, however.
Classical - Lapped East Greenwich and should scare some people in the tournament. Can be hit or miss, but if they hit, you’re in for a war.
Division 2 :
Barrington - Eagles stun Falcons for top seed. They also beat Westerly and Lincoln and are now top odds for the cup.
Cranston West - Feels like the CW are a little shellshocked. Not many saw Barrington overtaking them. Have to rebuild confidence quickly as the playoffs are all but here.
Westerly - Bulldogs are solidly third, but have had little answer for the top two seeds thus far. Need to figure out a way to nip the Eagles and Falcons soon.
East Providence - Townies hold fourth with a strong performance over Central, but Lincoln did get them. Can EP hold off Lincoln as well as Central to remain?
Lincoln - The Lions leap onto the scene and have some nice wins lately. They’re super talented and can cause anyone problems…plus they’re hitting their stride at the right time.
Division 3 :
Johnston - Still hold all the cards in D3. Have only dropped one set on the season (to Scituate) and have handled business through 12.
Tolman / Shea - Still feel like one of a handful of teams that could stop the Panthers. May need to hang tight through injuries that have come on at the worst time.
Juanita Sanchez - Have won seven of their last eight, and all the wins have been straight sets. Big match, though, to cap the regular season.
Woonsocket - Villa Novans have put two big Ws on the board of late and are ramping up for their playoff excursion.
St. Raphael’s - Have lost four of their last five and have battled through injuries. The hope is to be fully healthy come the next two weeks.
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