Week Eight and the Playoffs have Come…
May 31st, 2022
***Correction at the bottom of the Article…please read…
Week eight, as it always does, solidified seeds for the playoffs. Some matches had little value in changing position, while others had pretty significant ramifications. Cranston East had the opportunity to really make a statement this week and nab a strong seed but were turned away in five by La Salle and in four by Hendricken. Pilgrim needed the win against Westerly, but the Bulldogs held strong handing the Patriots a five-set defeat. The West Warwick Wizards put a scare in East Providence, but the Townies held on in five and secured the second seed in DII. Burrillville held off a Central Falls team that was coming for their playoff spot in five in DIII.
The final week of a season also takes the temperature of a team and can generally be a predictor of success or struggle in the playoffs. North Kingstown is playing their best volleyball at the right time and is poised to defend their state championship crown. Hendricken survived two weeks missing a key component on the left, even upsetting Cranston East. Chariho has been solid all season and with their seed will have to potentially get through La Salle to get to NKHS in the final.
The Playoffs are here, and it’s win or go home time.
Playoff matchups are predictions at this point and subject to change. The Playoff schedule has not been released yet.
North Kingstown (16 - 2) - The defending champs finish the regular season in style. Wins. They look real good and securing the number one seed is perfect as they hold home court advantage till Rhode Island College. Mason Andrade, Cam Alexander, and Sean McManus are bringing the kills while Tyler Yang is dishing the rock and Ryan Harrington is defending the puck. The road to the gold goes through North Kingstown.
La Salle (16 - 2) - The Rams secure the second seed and hold home ice till RIC. They’re big, they score across the net, and they serve tough. The final week had a scare or two, but they came out on the other end of it clean. Now to the show, and Jack Johnson, Brendan Pendergast, Nick Lisi, Greg Bosquet, and Ephraim Abhulime want to hoist the cup.
Chariho (14 - 4) - The Chargers started out with three guys that roll and have rounded out into a full team that can beat you in numerous ways. Tyler White has had an incredible year while Matt Beaudry has been prime time in the middle. Matt Tiernan has run the show well while James Azzinaro has turned into a sure handed libero that can change the tide. The Chargers have signature wins vs. La Salle, Hendricken, and Cranston East and won’t see NK unless they reach the final.
Hendricken (11 - 7) - Another masterpiece of coaching by skipper Mike Harrington. The Hawks lost Matt Brock for two weeks and struggled to find kills, took some lumps, but battled…even roughed up Cranston East. Hendricken sits fourth which means they could potentially see NK in the semis. They have a win against the Skippers so, that could be a fun one. With Brock back, Ryan Osley, Evan Dion, and Brian Garrepy Jr. will look to cause problems for anyone in the way.
Cranston East (10 - 8) - The Thunderbolts sit fifth after a tough week or so of volleyball. After a five set loss to La Salle and the three set defeat to North Kingstown, CE will look to refocus and make some noise in the playoffs. They have the talent to do so. Jordan Bou is college ready and Vincent Yin runs a smooth offense, while newcomer Jethro Vargas is an absolute handful at the net.
MSC / NS (18 - 0) - Finishing undefeated in regular season play is never a bad thing, and the North Mountie Men did survive some close encounters in the month of May. Now, the real work starts as the playoffs tend to bring the next level to the surface. Connor DeSousa has the arm, and the shot selection, to carry the team, while Ben Sousa has been a sturdy libero all season. Having home field advantage throughout doesn’t hurt in the march to RIC either.
Coventry (7 - 11) - This season’s enigma, the Oakers could pose trouble in the playoffs. Throughout the year, whatever could go wrong did for Coventry and they just couldn’t get going. With the playoffs here, they’re the healthiest they’ve been and could pose issues for whomever they face. Grant Ramsey is the real deal in the middle, while Christian Gramajo is a tough libero. Logan Voelker is a potential star in the league in the coming years, so his first playoff run could be anything from spectacular to a learning period. Either way, the Oakers pose problems and won’t be an easy out.
East Greenwich (8 - 10) - The Avengers feel like a team that’s running on empty. They’ve competed all year and have some nice wins to their credit. Upending Chariho, Hendricken, and Coventry are all very good wins for this club. Led by Max Silverman and Brayden Stanger, the Avengers pose a threat, but Stanger will need to put up 20+ kills. The supporting cast works hard but are inexperienced. If Stanger gets 20, someone else needs to get 10 and the Avengers just don’t know where that’s coming from. EG is dangerous, however, and any team that takes them lightly is treading at their own risk.
East Providence (15 - 3) - The Townies finished the regular season strong with a three-set win over Tolman / Shea, and a five-set victory against playoff bound West Warwick. The Wizards played well and gave EP everything they could handle. In the end, Grant Wosencroft and Brett Schwab helped finish the night. Wosencroft and Schwab will be key for the playoff run as well. Earning the second seed was crucial as the Townies will have home court advantage and won’t potentially see the Hybrid until the final match at Rhode Island College.
Westerly (13 - 5) - The Bulldogs finished the final two weeks of the regular season on a four-win, one loss, streak. Westerly came to life at the right moment and are the only club, thus far, to put a real scare into the North Mountie Men. Playoffs find them third in DII and a pathway to the finals through East Providence. In two matches with EP, the Bulldogs are 0 - 2…however, the last match was a five-set thriller. Jackson Ogle and Marcus Haik will need to be on point while Hunter Armitage sets the table for a deep playoff run.
Pilgrim (11 - 6) - Pilgrim is the only team on this list with a match in the regular season left to play. The Patriots have Toll Gate on the 31st and should be able to handle the Titans…and boy do they need a win. Pilgrim is on a three-match losing streak as they dealt with East Providence, Westerly, and MSC / NS in a row. Not an easy task. Though it was three loses, the Patriots battled and played each team tough. In a way, it’s an opportunity to see all the teams that they will potentially need to defeat on a deep playoff run. Jack Eaton, Jimmy Salisbury, and Eli Learns will have to bring the kills on this run while John Mixner will bring the energy and defense.
Cranston West (5 - 13) - The Falcons took the final week of the season to score an upset win as they surprised an East Greenwich club that was running out of steam. Chris Buonaccorsi had himself a match and the Falcons were able to garnish their fifth victory on the season. If Buonaccorsi can limit his errors, Cranston West can pose problems in the playoffs (If they’re in). They’ll have the eighth seed which means they should see North Kingstown in the first round. CW did take NK to five earlier in the season so, it’ll be interesting to see if perhaps the Falcons have a perfect game in them for the Skippers.
West Warwick (10 - 8) - The Wizards split in the final week of the season. With a win against Central and tough defeat to East Providence, West Warwick continued their roller coaster season. Depending on which team shows, the Wizards can be a very hard out in the playoffs. With Nate Vanasse and Thomas Mackin bringing the offense, it’ll come down to tough serving and solid passing for the Wizards. Can they defeat cross town rival Pilgrim if they draw them in the first round?
Lincoln (16 - 0) - The Lions ran the table in the regular season in Division III, losing only three sets on the campaign. This means whomever they see in the playoffs are going to have their hands full. Playoffs are a different animal and could pose issues as the lights get brighter, however, it’s going to take a huge effort to knock the Lions out. Johnston and St. Rays are the projected teams that may have a shot.
Johnston (14 - 2) - The Panthers went to St. Rays for a regular season ending match that had playoff seeding implications. If St. Rays could have found a way to get the vic, both teams would have been tied in the loss column and the second seed would have come down to points. Fun to know, but in the end it didn’t matter as the Panthers beat St. Rays 3 - 1, secured the second seed, and thus ensured home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Johnston will have their eyes set on another opportunity to unseat Lincoln, but there is a potential third match up with St. Rays as well.
***Correction…In the last episode, I accidently proclaimed that Cam Alexander was a rookie of the year candidate. This was incorrect, as he had played varsity last year. I want to apologize for Cam on this one. It was brought to my attention that this placement was inaccurate. Cam has had a great season in his senior year and I look forward to seeing his performance in the playoffs coming up. I have removed Cam from the Rookie of Year candidates and wish him luck in the playoffs.