Week Four - Stability…for the Time Being…
10/1/23
We’re at the halfway point of the season, and by now things start to solidify. Teams know where they stand, whom they have to beat to move up, and generally know what they have to work on to improve their squad and give themselves a chance for the playoffs. This becomes my second favorite part of the season as everyone starts applying adjustments and tinkering with whatever they can.
Look for teams to quickly adjust their plans for future opponents and for individual players to break plateaus and make pretty significant jumps in their game. Halfway to the finale and the players are getting set. Should be a fun four weeks to come!
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Katja Nelson (Chariho) - 8 kills, 7 aces, 3 digs at Prout
Maggie Ray (Mount Saint Charles) - 7 kills, 3 aces versus West Warwick
Amanda Duke (East Greenwich) - 6 aces, 12 assists at South Kingstown — 23 assists at Portsmouth
Karmen Lambert (South Kingstown) - 13 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks versus East Greenwich
Hannah Gaffney (East Greenwich) - 12 digs, 3 aces, 2 assists at South Kingstown
Brianna Hartman (East Greenwich) - 7 kills, 5 assists, 2 aces at South Kingstown
Grace Trowbridge (North Smithfield) - 6 kills, 6 aces versus Cranston West
Kasey Dillon (Barrington) - 10 aces, 7 kills at Exeter-West Greenwich
Casey Weaver (Lincoln) - 28 kills, 4 aces, 2 blocks versus Mt. Hope — 21 kills, 2 aces versus Middletown
Mia Shaw (Mt. Hope) - 22 assists, 4 digs, 2 aces at Lincoln
Caitlin Mediate (Portsmouth) - 8 kills, 3 aces, 4 assists, 3 digs versus Cranston East
Lana Kooloian (PCD) - 22 aces vs. Achievement 1st
Ada Weatherby (PCD) - 10 assists, 8 aces vs. Achievement 1st
Hailey Labonte (Portsmouth) - 10 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces versus East Greenwich
Avery Pelletier (Portsmouth) - 9 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces versus East Greenwich
Caitlin Mediate (Portsmouth) - 25 assists, 7 aces, 4 digs versus East Greenwich
Ella Maack (North Kingstown) - 21 assists, 9 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces at Classical
Abby Crowley (La Salle Academy) - 22 assists, 4 aces, 4 digs versus Classical
Kaelyn Whitaker (La Salle Academy) - 11 kills, 5 aces versus Classical
Jett Cronin (Prout) - 14 digs versus Chariho — 12 digs, 4 aces versus Mount Saint Charles
ResV Player of the Week (4) - Casey Weaver (Lincoln) - Weaver’s club played two playoff contenders in her division and though her team came out on the losing side of those contests, Weaver put up some huge numbers. 28 kills versus Mt. Hope and 21 kills versus Middletown are real nice outings, and for the time being, 28 kills is the top kill output this season. 34 points generated against Mt. Hope is also the current top points generated this season for anyone not a setter as well.
La Salle Academy (7 - 1) - Rams hold the fort on a light week where they only saw Classical at the Mountain Top. Kaelyn Whitaker paced the Rams with 11 kills and 5 aces while Abby Crowley amassed 22 assists and 4 aces in the win. Week five is an interesting week as both Chariho and East Greenwich are on the docket along with Cranston East. Chariho and EG both seem a threat and then sometimes not, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Rams can keep a clean slate at the Mountain Top and then take a victory at the always adventurous Cave of Chariho.
North Kingstown (6 - 1) - Skippers get two and maintain their presence in the top tier of the state. Ella Maack is having a player of the year season at the halfway point while Tessa LaFrenier and Ava Sardelli are playing pretty solid volleyball. Consistency has to be the main concern as the Skippers are young in the middle and have had some issues in keeping the ball in the court on the attack. Dates with Mount Saint Charles, Chariho, and Cranston East in week five should provide opportunities to level off costly errors and aim the Skips right back at the Rams and ultimately another title run.
Portsmouth (5 - 2) - The Patriots continue to take care of business against teams that may not be ready for prime time. Beating the Avengers at home with little issues was a good sign as the Avengers have pushed some teams. Portsmouth continues to rely on the play of super setter Caitlin Mediate and the pin work of Hailey Labonte and Avery Pelletier to make the ship go and will need the trio to continue to succeed as Portsmouth enters the choppy waters of week five. Classical, Coventry, and Mount Saint Charles are all teams that can cause discomfort on any given night and the Patriots, if nothing else, want to maintain their third place slot to avoid tougher matchups in the early round of the playoffs.
Chariho (7 - 1) - Well, the Chargers had a tougher week than expected. The West Warwick match went as planned, however that Prout match raised some eyebrows. Prout definitely had them on the ropes and were it not for some questionable officiating, that match could have had a different result. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Nonetheless, the Chargers have signature wins against East Greenwich, Coventry, and Mount Saint Charles…but now the road gets rocky. Jules White and Katja Nelson are going to need big weeks as Chariho sees both the Kingstowns and La Salle in week five. Gut says they really need to take one of the three, but certainly they’d love to take them all…note, only the Rams match is at the Cave.
[↑ 2] East Providence (8 - 0) - The Townies keep moving up as they still have not lost a set on the year. Light week for this past one as they only had to dispatch Bay View, however week five should have some fireworks to behold. Lincoln and Middletown are on the docket and Keira Mullen and crew will see some good volleyball coming their way. Middletown has a squad, but can they keep up with the Townies who have weapons everywhere including Eliza Vest and Kate Bernhardt with Keira and Malia Mullen? Lincoln has Casey Weaver who can put up numbers as well. So, all in all, week five should be a nice tester for the Townies as the D2 volleyball world waits for the EP / Cumberland showdown to arrive.
[↑ 2] Cumberland (8 - 1) - Clippers get two and stay neck in neck with the Townies. Not necessarily a tough week as Rogers and St. Rays are in rebuild mode, but you play the teams on your schedule. Week five should be the last tame week for Cumberland as they see Bay View and Johnston. Following that, we get to see the culmination of all the training for Grace Iannuzzi, Lindsay Molis, Kaylee Bradley, and crew as playoff teams crest the waves. You know Mt. Hope can’t wait to see if the Clippers are for real and surely Lincoln would love a crack at it as well. The question then becomes, can Cumberland arrive home unscathed for the Townies with first place on the line?
[↓ 2] Coventry (6 - 2) - The Oakers have a weird vibe going at the moment. Certainly, struggling with an injury or two, Coventry continues to collect wins…however, when they lose, the wheels come off completely. Thankfully, it’s not often, but the two loses have been tough ones versus Chariho and North Kingstown. When things are clicking, Addison Patrick is handful in the middle and Liv Rollinson punishes on the pin. Abby Spadoni has emerged as the Swiss Army Knife of the team being asked to do whatever the team is struggling with at that particular time, though they really need her to generate kills more than anything else. Though already a season full of challenges, the Oakers have positioned themselves well with signature wins over La Salle, Classical, Mount Saint Charles, and East Greenwich. Prout and Portsmouth pose the threats for next week.
[↓ 2] South Kingstown (3 - 4) - Something may be a little off for the Rebels. Their season thus far has the “can’t quite get our footing” type of feel to it. The loss to East Greenwich at home was pretty striking, as the Rebels had the advantage on paper over the Avengers. On paper, as we know, doesn’t mean much at the end of the day as you have to perform when the bright lights are on. Karmen Lambert is having a solid year on the pin, and Sierra Thompson is a force at the net, but it seems Thompson isn’t getting going on the offensive end which may be due to passing woes for the team. Mia Iemma is a good libero in a state that is full of strong liberos, but teams appear to be not going near her on serve receive…the same treatment Syd Henson is facing in the North. Chariho, Mount Saint Charles, and Classical are up next and you have to think that SK needs them all.
Mount Saint Charles (5 - 3) - The trajectory for the Mounties is absolutely positive and they’ve gotten better each week which is kudos to the coaching staff and the players grinding their way through. The Prout loss definitely hurt, however, as it snapped a four match winning streak. Still, they sit third in the Division 1 - B conference, two games over .500. Now, however, the fun begins as Maya Solecki and company see the Kingstowns and Portsmouth in week five. Not an easy week to say the least. If MSC can grab two of these, they’d have to be ecstatic. Almost as valuable are if the cards go the other way, as every loss provides insight on how to improve and there is no question that all three of these teams are potential playoff opponents.
East Greenwich (4 - 4) - Depending on which Avenger team you get on the night you see them; things can go either very well or very poorly. EG leads that dual chaotic lifestyle on the volleyball floor, though some of their inconsistency was due to early injuries. Fully healthy for the time-being (as hopefully we all are), the Avengers put in a 2 - 1 week with vics over South Kingstown (Huge!) and Prout (Solid!) while dropping a tough one at Portsmouth…the haunted gymnasium of PHS claims another side. Still, that’s a good week, and with Amanda Duke back and Gabi Jackson and Brianna Hartman scoring points, EG is back to testing their mettle on even terms. West Warwick is in full rebuild, so that feels like a good one for EG, but the La Salle match is intriguing. You want to make some noise, take out the Rams.
[↑ 1] Mt. Hope (6 - 2) - The Huskies move up a rank with a sweep of Lincoln and a four-set defeat to a non-league matchup against Portsmouth Abbey. Mt. Hope can play and the convincing win over Middletown put the D2 league on notice. Mia Shaw is a very good setter who makes everyone on the team better, while Mia Hanson is another very good libero, in the sea of good liberos in RI, that can make a bunch of plays to keep the Huskies in a match. Most importantly, Mt. Hope serves tough which gets their opponents in tough situations…super key in the volleyball world. Pilgrim, Ponaganset, and another non-league match are the future for week five.
[↑ 1] Middletown (5 - 1) - The Islanders have officially recovered from the surprising Mt. Hope setback, getting two wins over playoff contenders in Lincoln and Westerly. They were able to not let Westerly get going and then drop a quick set to Lincoln before taking the Lions apart. Gwen Delaney is the real deal and is going to do a little bit of everything to get the Islanders where they need to go. Adding to the offense is the middle play of Skylar Schuster. Schuster is athletic, her timing is pretty solid, and if Middletown can get her going early, things just open up for the rest of the pins and the overall attack. So, with all of that being said, we’re going to find out just how good this Islander team is as they will see Cranston West first in week five and then the mighty Townies to finish out the week.
[↓ 2] Classical (1 - 5) - The thought is that the Purple will break through at some point. The question becomes when? Throw this past week away as dealing with North Kingstown and La Salle Academy isn’t really a comfortable setting for any team in the state. That being said, Classical competed well against the top two teams on the ResV scale and need to apply those lessons to the next teams they see. There is no question that Taliyah Pereira and Harmony Forrest can ball and score points against anyone. The sticking point is can Classical pass well enough as a team so that Deana Baez can get the ball to Pereira and Forrest in good positions to seal a match? Pass well, serve tough, limit errors…that has to be the mantra going into the second half of the season. Classical starts that phase off with Portsmouth, Prout, and South Kingstown.
Tolman (8 - 0) - The Tigers continues to take apart the D3 world with wins over Tiverton (the first club to take a set off of the Tigers) and a clean sweep of Juanita Sanchez. Tolman is on a great run, but they’re about to face some teams that are also still flawless (or relatively flawless) in the loss column as well. Trinity Burk and company will welcome undefeated Block Island to Pawtucket while also seeing Central Falls with a game Burrillville team on the horizon. Should Tolman run the table, and we’re only at the halfway point so such talk is vastly premature, the Tigers may have all the pieces lined up to…well, let’s just see what happens.
[New] Shea (8 - 0) - The Raiders got the job done versus Mt. Pleasant and change the dynamic in the D4 world. Marching hand in hand with the Kilties to this point, Shea knew that a win against Mt. Pleasant would catapult them to the top, so here they are. North Providence and Times Two are next on the schedule, which will pose some challenges, but in the end, the Raiders are looking forward to seeing the current top four again (Mt. Pleasant, PCD, Blackstone Valley and Davies) to make a run at a clean plate the entire way.
Receiving Votes: Westerly, Block Island, Lincoln, Juanita Sanchez, Barrington, Mt. Pleasant
ResV Player of the Week…
Week 1 - Caitlin Mediate (Portsmouth)
Week 2 - Lyla Auth (Westerly)
Week 3 - Ella Maack (North Kingstown)
Week 4 - Casey Weaver (Lincoln)
Playoff Races Through Week Four…
Division One…
La Salle - When the Rams have everything going, they can score in bunches and serve you off the floor.
North Kingstown - Skippers consistency will tell the story in the end. Find some, could win the whole thing.
Portsmouth - Have to figure out the combination to beating NK and La Salle.
Chariho - Shakey Prout performance gives pause…can they do it against the cream of the crop?
South Kingstown - Miss-step with East Greenwich is a giant red flag. Can they get the ship together in time?
Division Two…
East Providence - Still flawless and awaiting the Clippers approach.
Cumberland - Prep weeks almost over…time to show their work.
Mt. Hope - Pretty tame week for Huskies as they prep for harder weeks in the future.
Middletown - Date with EP this upcoming week and the Townies reveal what you are.
Westerly - Upcoming match with Barrington will tell the tale on playoff positioning.
Division Three…
Tolman - They keep winning and daring others to change that story.
Block Island - BI is going to get their chance on the road to disrupt Tolman.
Juanita Sanchez - Tolman loss hurts the cause but bet your bottom dollar they’ll see them again.
Burrillville - Quietly having a good season. At the halfway point, they’ll get a crack at Tolman soon but have to deal with JS first.
Toll Gate - The Titans are in the mix, but barely. They’ve lost back-to-back games. Need to right the ship soon.
Division Four…
Shea - Raiders hand Mt. Pleasant their first loss and take over the pole position in the league.
Mt. Pleasant - Setback to the Raiders hurts the cause a little, but still have a lot of things going well.
Blackstone Valley - Knocking over PCD sets the tone for a newer program. Why not us, starts to become the mindset.
Providence Country Day - Has some tough loses, but PCD is still a threat. They serve tough and can put you in a spot.
Davies - Have lost four straight so will need to make some adjustments going forward. Played PCD tough, however.
Mid Season Projections…
Potential Player of the Year:
Ella Maack (North Kingstown - Sr.) - Been a monster from the start of the year. Though her team has battled through some hiccups, Ella brings it every night and is the most important cog in the system thus far for the Skippers.
Jules White (Chariho - Sr.) - When the Chargers moved up to D1, the thought was both Lexi Cole and Katja Nelson are going to have to be big…they’ve been good, but Jules White has been the difference. White has carried the load on kills, points, and serving.
Abby Crowley (La Salle Academy - Jr.) - Arguably the most dynamic setter in the state, Crowley has her team playing top tier volleyball. She’s super quick, tracks down everything, and tends to put the ball in a good spot more often then not. Has become an underrated blocker as well.
Keira Mullen (East Providence - So.) - Ok, super soph, we’re going to run a modified 6/2 where you’ll be hitting, passing, and blocking in the front row and then serving, setting, and running the offense in the backrow! No problem and we’re not going to drop a set at the halfway point. That’s Keira Mullen.
Mia Shaw (Mt. Hope - Sr.) - When talking about who may be in the final four for D2 this year, Mt. Hope was not in the discussion. That has changed through the play of Mia Shaw. Shaw is athletic, tracks down errant passes well and serves tough…and she has Mt. Hope right in the mix.
Potential Defensive Player of the Year:
Syd Henson (North Kingstown - Jr.) - Premier defender who is learning to deal with the fact that no one wants to hit it her way. Can’t blame any team on that, but Henson is still arguably the top libero and cleans up most of opponents attacks that to trickle her direction.
Sofia D’Agostino (La Salle Academy - So.) - Sofia has sprung onto the scene. Her team is at the top of the heap at the halfway mark and she’s a massive contributor to their success. Passing well, defending at a high level, and providing energy night in and night out…and only a sophomore.
Brennah Abilheira-Cargill (Cumberland - Sr.) - The B - A - C, has been crucial to the Clipper success to date. Brennah takes half the court on serve receive and is solid as anyone on the defensive end, allowing her teammates to focus on attacking and generating points.
Daniella Escudero (East Providence - Sr.) - When people think of EP, they think of the firepower, the Mullens, Vest, and Bernhardt, but they’re missing the whole story as they have one of the top liberos on their side as well in Escudero. Daniella covers all sorts of ground and her ball control is top tier.
Hannah Gaffney (East Greenwich - Jr.) - Moving from a pin last year, to the libero this year, Gaffney has really flourished in the role. Hannah has good serve receive patience and makes tough defensive plays keeping the Avengers in ball games.
Potential Setter of the Year:
Ella Maack (North Kingstown - Sr.) - Everything runs through Maack and she’s good at feeling where the ball should go as well as when to attack to take the pressure off.
Caitlin Mediate (Portsmouth - Jr.) - Mediate is missing that prime middle attack this season, but is utilizing her pins well. She is also a solid threat to attack…all while keeping her team in the mix through serving and defense as well.
Abby Crowley (La Salle Academy - Jr.) - Sets the fastest tempo offense on the regular and has a lot of weapons to choose from. Crowley serves tough, blocks better than you think and will attack strategically to success.
Mia Shaw (Mt. Hope - Sr.) - Shaw is the most important player on her team and is vital in getting her team in good spots in matches. She cleans up tough passes, has a consistent zone each time on the set, and serves very tough.
Lexi Cole (Chariho - Sr.) - Cole has been the QB for the Chargers for quite some time now and has a real nice repour with her attackers. She has a great feel for when to find certain players and also does the little things that keep her team rolling.
Potential Newcomer of the Year:
Maizy Naff (La Salle Academy - So.) - Naff has come onto the scene as the starting OH2, locking down the serve receive assignments that her team desperately needed as well as having the ability to put up points. Only a Sophomore, there is plenty of room for her to become one of the top players in the state.
Ava Sardelli (North Kingstown - Jr.) - With a North Kingstown team rich in depth, Sardelli had to wait her turn until now. Starting at the ever-important OH2 spot, Sardelli has been a crucial part of the Skipper offense and the most dependable passer they have.
Sofia D’Agostino (La Salle Academy - So.) - Another Sophomore that has come in and played major minutes with lots of success for herself and the team is Sofia. She is a scrappy Libero who has been given the keys the car from the get go this season and has not disappointed.
Kaylee Bradley (Cumberland - Sr.) - Though the back-up last year, Bradley has played a huge roll this year in Cumberland’s success. Lindsay Molis coming alive has helped, but it’s Bradley with her tough serving and growth in decision making that has led to the Clips first half start.
Eliza Vest (East Providence - So.) - Coming over from Moses Brown, Vest has been a starter since day one for East Providence. Her acquisition was huge for the Townies as it gave four attackers to worry about which often overwhelms opponents. Only a Sophomore, Vest has a solid arm and decent ball control, with loads of potential to be top tier in the state in the future.
Potential Coach of the Year:
Jhamal Diggs (La Salle) - Rams sit atop the list and are the only team to beat North Kingstown thus far. Add that Coach Diggs has one of the younger starting six in the state along with plenty of depth on the roster…La Salle is built for the long haul.
Alex Butler (East Providence) - AB has a crew that is just dismantling the D2 world. They’re playing solid, demanding volleyball with emphasis on serving tough and terminating any free ball that’s returned…East Providence is the easy favorite in the D2 race thus far.
David DeJesus (Cumberland) - Coach Dave has been battling for prominence since he took over the Cumberland program, and this is his best team yet. Clippers have solid players in the prime positions and are on a collision course with East Providence for D2 supremacy.
Steven Bevilacqua (Tolman) - Bevi may cut hair from time to time, but he also builds championship teams in the D3 universe as well. Since coming to Tolman, Coach Bevilacqua has taken a team to the finals for boys (some argue he was robbed in that match) and he now has his girls team the favorite to make a run in 2023.
Jorge DosSantos (Shea) - DosSantos has his Raider squad firing on all cylinders in the D4 arena. Only dropping four sets on the year thus far, Shea is in position to make a strong run at running the table.
To send season updates, stories, and players to consider…or inquire about coffee beans that Coach roasts himself, to Coach Reslow - Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com
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