The Magic Show at Mohegan!
2/12/23
As the evening crept upon the east coast, Coach Scott Reslow sat in the lobby of the Holiday Inn quickly eating a sandwich and giving his thoughts on the day to fellow Coach Jack Pincince. The two coaches had different days, but the topic of the conversation stayed true to form. They talked about execution and what day two would bring. Reslow’s crew, the 18-1s, had gone 2-1 with another tough defeat to a Smash team that clearly had their number now. Pincince’s flock had a tougher pool then the 18-1s and had taken their licks. So went the talk…a talk the two men have had before, many times since starting their club coaching three years ago at South County, but also when Pincince was a highflyer pin for Johnson & Wales University and Reslow his head coach.
Then, Coach Reslow said, “I don’t think we have the juice to win it.”
This phrase piqued Pincince’s interest and got him to ask why his former coach felt this way. Reslow retorted with what most, if not all, coaches talk about…especially when they build a team. “We’re trying to accentuate our strengths and do our best to mask our weaknesses, but Smash has us figure out.”
Jack’s response was perfect and got the big guy laughing hard…”Like the guy who turns on the lights at the magic show!”
Reslow responded quickly, “We just have to hope the teams we see tomorrow like magic!”
The AAU championship series at Mohegan Sun is a solid tournament filled with good teams. Last time South County 18-1s attended, they ended up taking third or fourth place as Smash, LVC, and Northeast battled for supremacy of the region. Really, it’s Smash and Northeast that have been fighting for the hold on the Northeast Region in recent memory. LVC is in the New York realm and have to deal with clubs like LIVBC, Academy, Pace Bootleggers, Syracuse, Hot Shots, etc. What does make LVC interesting, like Northeast and Smash, they are mildly affiliated with the VLA professional volleyball organization. The VLA (Volleyball League of America) has been around for a bit and all three clubs are represented in the league - LVC (same name), Northeast (Force), and Smash (Boston Bounce).
In the Northeast, Smash has reigned supreme for a while on the boys side. They’ve seen challenges from Northeast, Husky, Beantown, MVP Academy (recently), Pioneer Valley, and others. Yet no one has had the consistency, certainly since the COVID era, that Smash has had. The peak may have come last year as Smash featured two players that would go on to make top 15 D1/D2 rosters while also sporting players that would makes rosters up and down the Northeast college circuit. Smash continues to sport quality teams in all age groups, but in this particular tournament, the 18-1s for them stumbled in the quarter finals…a rare hiccup for a team, like South County, that has found themselves in the finals in practically every tournament they play in.
So, those that didn’t like magic were out of the way…
The best part about volleyball is that everybody plays a role and everyone contributes, especially on a championship run. South County 18-1s had to go through Northeast’s 17 crew (talented team that featured some highflying pins), Northeast’s 18 team (featuring a big time middle, very good lefty opposite, and two pins that could do work), and LVC 18 (they had a bruiser on the left, a very good lefty oppo, and a plethora of very good pieces on the map). Each match was grueling, and each match required execution and focus from start to finish.
When day two started, South County (SC) lined up to see Northeast 17s. Coach Reslow looked at his bench and saw fellow Coach Ben Lind (former manager for Reslow at Johnson & Wales) sitting ready for the match. “Just like old times,” Reslow remarked. With that, SC went to work. Clearly the more polished team, SC routinely executed the game plan and quickly bewildered the Northeast 17s. Jack Johnson (who did have a tough day, but just kept fighting…which is what it’s all about) had a couple of key slow downs on the NE 17 pins while Nick Lisi kept chopping his way through blocks. Lisi has come on strong this campaign and certainly will be in the conversation for top player in Rhode Island come high school season.
With the triumph over the 17s, it was now time for the main course…Northeast 18s. Northeast 18s and SC had seen each other before in a three-set defeat in the championship of the Hartford NERVA tournament for SC. Jared Samson and Josiah Brown had the tall task of slowing down Northeast’s big middle who rumor had it just committed to Springfield College (one of the top men’s volleyball programs in the land). Both Samson and Brown worked tirelessly on day two, coming up huge in moments, giving SC an opportunity for a counterattack or an important kill to slow the tide in all three matches. In the NE 18 match, they were crucial.
Coach Ben Lind is fond of saying, “ResV Volleyball, we bring you down to our level and then beat you with experience!” It’s a funny line with a nice streak of truth in there. Coach Reslow’s brand of volleyball isn’t down per say, but specific. The goal is to make the opposition uncomfortable, take away options, and then make sure the offense is as challenging a puzzle as possible. For the system to work, you need a smart, capable setter and you need a couple of hammers that you have to take into consideration.
Matt Tiernan has been in the ResV system for three years now and has flourished through his hard work and desire to be one of the best players in Rhode Island. He runs the offense well and is one of the top setters at correcting a bad pass and giving his attacker something to swing at. Day two, his toughness and ability were on display. Middle of set one in the final, Tiernan took a shot to the teeth on a joust. He was able to bounce back, do his thing, serve very tough, and miraculously help SC take the first set on LVC. His level did not waiver throughout the entire day.
Lisi, who was steady throughout the tournament had some huge blocks and kills in the final while Johnson came alive at the right time to get some key points. Liberos Ryan Harrington and Connor DeSousa were top shelf in their play as well. Harrington made key digs and kept a lot of things in play. DeSousa was called on to be a specific server and he was quite good causing all sorts of issue by placement and precision. Brayden Stanger, who had been solid on day one, was used as a blocking sub and serve sub on day two giving the team help when called upon.
The truth, and MVP of the tournament, was Titus Brown. Brown was a force at the net as well as a premier server and passer. Going into the match with LVC, Titus hit his first warm-up swing with such intensity and force that one of the LVC players could be heard exclaiming, “Oh my, God!”
No one was able to slow down Brown on this day. He hit monster shot after monster shot. If SC found themselves in a rut, Titus would get them out of it. Set two in the final, Brown found himself faced up against LVC’s hammer and Brown had two, maybe three, huge solo blocks to thwart a big kill from the opposition. He passed well. He executed plays. He had to be accounted for no matter where he was on the floor. He battled through adversity. When it was go-time late in the second set (SC won set two and the championship with a 34-32 score) Titus was the guy, though Lisi, Johnson, and Tiernan had huge moments as well. In the end, Titus Brown absolutely hooded an LVC attacker for championship point.
When it was over and the celebrating had begun, Pincince who was on the bench for the second set, stepping in for Lind who had to run and coach his team, could only look at his former coach and shake his head.
Magic indeed…