Week Seven - The Plot Thickens…for Some…
10/21/24
Take heart as the end is near, so give your all for just a little longer. Control what you can control and let the plot play out…as what shall be, shall be.
Note: There will be a completely watered down ResV Week Eight Report as Coach Reslow will be in Pennsylvania this weekend under crazy circumstances…
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Keira Mullen - Setter / Pin - East Providence - 21 kills, 19 assists, 8 digs, 3 blocks at South Kingstown
Eliza Vest - Pin - East Providence - 16 kills, 9 digs, 2 aces at South Kingstown
India Vaughn Halene - Middle - South Kingstown - 10 kills, 5 blocks, 3 aces vs. East Providence : 22 kills, 3 aces, 2 blocks at Coventry : 12 kills, 3 aces, 2 blocks against Cranston West
Alexandra Spinella - Setter - South Kingstown - 4 kills, 20 assists, 8 digs vs. East Providence : 40 assists, 18 digs, 4 aces at Coventry : 32 assists, 10 digs, 4 aces against Cranston West
Mia Iemma - Libero - South Kingstown - 3 aces, 21 digs vs. East Providence : 28 digs, 4 assists, 2 aces at Coventry : 21 digs, 5 aces against Cranston West
Kayleigh Garrepy - Middle - North Kingstown - 8 kills, 6 digs at Coventry
Sonja Beasley - Middle - Chariho - 7 kills, 4 blocks at Cranston East
Kaitlyn Smallridge - Defensive Specialist - Chariho - 12 aces at Cranston East
Evelyn McGuire - Pin - Prout - 6 kills, 17 digs at East Greenwich : 4 kills, 16 digs vs. LaSalle Academy
Jett Cronin - Libero - Prout - 22 digs, 3 aces at East Greenwich : 21 digs vs. LaSalle Academy
Addison Fain - Middle - East Greenwich - 11 kills, 4 blocks vs. Prout
Amanda Duke - Setter - East Greenwich - 14 assists, 5 aces vs. Prout
Lyla Auth - Setter / Pin - Westerly - 10 kills, 14 digs, 10 assists, 2 blocks, 2 aces vs. Cumberland : 10 kills, 5 assists, 4 aces, 2 blocks at Mt. Hope
Elle Reyes - Pin - Westerly - 11 kills, 2 blocks vs. Cumberland
Abbey Donato - Setter - Westerly - 5 kills, 5 aces, 12 assists, 7 digs vs. Cumberland
Emma McCrann - Pin - Barrington - 13 kills, 3 aces, 6 digs at Exeter-West Greenwich
Sarah Wilcox - Pin - Mt. Hope - 4 kills, 10 digs, 6 aces at Pilgrim : 8 aces, 8 digs, 5 kills vs. Westerly : 10 kills, 6 aces against Tiverton
Gianna Lunney - Setter - Mt. Hope - 10 assists, 8 aces at Pilgrim : 10 assists, 6 aces vs. Westerly : 14 assists, 5 aces against Tiverton
Mia Hansen - Libero - Mt. Hope - 15 digs, 4 aces against Tiverton
Haleigh Korzeniowski- Pin - Tiverton - 15 kills, 12 digs, 4 aces, 2 blocks against Mt. Hope
Sophie Mekdsy - Pin - Burrillville - 3 kills, 27 digs, 5 aces against West Warwick
Makenzie Gallagher - Setter - Narragansett - 20 digs, 3 assists, 3 kills, 8 aces against St. Rays.
Kyleigh Letellier - Defensive Specialist - Toll Gate - 6 aces, 3 digs against Blackstone Valley
Maisy Naff - Pin - LaSalle Academy - 15 kills, 2 aces, 6 digs vs. Cranston West : 17 kills, 11 digs at Prout
Sofia D’Agostino - Libero - LaSalle Academy - 17 digs, 2 aces vs. Cranston West
Danna Garcia - Pin - Central - 16 kills, 8 digs, 2 blocks against Toll Gate : 14 kills, 3 aces, 3 blocks against Woonsocket
Mary McNulty - Pin - Toll Gate - 10 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks against Central
Jude Landero - Libero - North Providence - 16 digs against Blackstone Valley
Danae Bruckner - Pin - North Providence - 3 kills, 10 aces, 3 blocks against Blackstone Valley
Mia Crudale - Libero - Cranston West - 23 digs, 2 aces vs. Chariho
Olivia Vinagro - Setter - Cranston West - 24 assists, 6 kills, 3 aces vs. Chariho
Grace Macleod - Libero - Chariho - 21 digs, 5 aces at Cranston West
Emily Spadoni - Pin - Coventry - 7 kills, 2 aces, 20 digs vs. South Kingstown
Michaela McGovern - Pin - Coventry - 9 kills, 15 digs, 3 aces vs. South Kingstown
Tara Dacey - Libero - Coventry - 50 digs, 3 assists, 2 aces vs. South Kingstown
Sophia Denham - Setter / Pin - Barrington - 22 assists, 8 kills, 9 aces vs. Middletown
Morgan Martin - Libero - Barrington - 19 digs, 6 aces vs. Middletown
Gianna Piker - Pin - Middletown - 9 kills, 3 aces at Barrington
Maugham Parsley - Libero - Middletown - 19 digs, 6 aces at Barrington
Olivia Kestler - Setter - Middletown - 26 assists at Barrington
Olivia Venagro - Setter - Cranston West - 25 assists, 3 kills, 2 aces against South Kingstown
Davina Kodua - Setter - Tolman - 18 assists, 5 kills, 4 digs, 2 blocks against Hope
Zariyah Brown - Pin - Hope - 12 kills, 4 aces against Tolman
Landa Weah - Setter - Hope - 21 assists, 5 aces, 2 kills, against Tolman
Big Matches Coming Up…
10/21
North Kingstown hosts LaSalle – 6:30pm
Middletown hosting Cumberland – 5pm
Narragansett hosting Scituate – 6pm
East Greenwich hosting South Kingstown – 6:30pm
North Smithfield hosting Burrillville – 6:30pm
10/23
South Kingstown hosting Portsmouth – 6pm
Chariho hosting East Providence – 6pm
Mt. Hope hosting Middletown – 6pm
LaSalle hosting East Greenwich – 6:30pm
Barrington hosting North Smithfield – 6:30pm
Narragansett hosting Ponaganset – 6pm
Hope hosting Toll Gate – 6pm
Lincoln hosting Westerly – 6:30pm
10/25
Portsmouth hosting East Providence – 6pm
ResV Team of the Week…
Pin- Haleigh Korzeniowski- Pin - Tiverton (2)
Pin- Eliza Vest - Jr. - East Providence
Middle- India Vaughn Halene - Sr. - South Kingstown (3)
Middle- Addison Fain - Sr. - East Greenwich (2)
Pin- Lyla Auth - Jr. - Westerly
Setter- Alexandra Spinella – Sr. - South Kingstown (2)
Libero- Jett Cronin - Sr. - Prout
Utility- Keira Mullen - Jr. - East Providence (4)
ResV Top 15…
North Kingstown (15 – 0, Win over Coventry) – Fifteen up, fifteen down. Skippers have only lost two sets total on the year. They have so many weapons, it’s just tough to see things not finishing the way most expect. Portsmouth is one of the two teams that took a set off of them, so it’s worth watching to see if they get threatened there. Certainly, it’s worth saying that they play the games for a reason, and anything can happen on a neutral college court on a fall day in the afternoon. They finish the regular season with the Rams and Oakers.
Portsmouth (13 – 1, Wins over Classical and Cranston East) – Portsmouth has one loss on the year (NK). Now, they’ve not seen East Providence yet, but the time has come. They’ll have to wade through Chariho and South Kingstown…which isn’t the easiest of roads actually…to get to the Townies, but that match should be a fun one. I’m sure the Patriots are grateful to have that one at home in the haunted gymnasium of doom. Portsmouth has a game, or so, room to play with, if they have an off night, to keep the second seed. One has to think they don’t want to see NK in the semis, so dropping to the three is not a desire. Thus, it’s a big week with potential pitfalls everywhere for the Patriots.
East Providence (11 – 3, Win over South Kingstown) – The Townies finally get to see Portsmouth this week. Similarly, to the Patriots, they’ll need to have a dance with two other teams prior to the premier match (Coventry and Chariho). EP could have the possibility of taking the second seed, in my estimation (which God only knows if I might be right here. Playoff seeding is always way more complicated than my somewhat trusty brain can handle), should Portsmouth falter once before EP sees them. It’s been a solid year regardless, as EP made the jump to D1 and has been in the mix from start to finish.
+1 Prout (13 – 5, Wins over East Greenwich and LaSalle Academy) – Huge win over LaSalle brought questions for both clubs! For Prout, that was the big win they needed to get over them over the hill and in the discussion. They needed a big four win, and the Rams were the big four team to fall. They finish out the regular season with the Cranstons, which should be a clean sheet type of week, but as mentioned elsewhere in this article, you play the matches for a reason. The biggest issue for the Crusaders is that they’ve not played as strong a schedule as the rest of the top five teams in the state. The two South Kingstown losses look better now, but they’ve not seen NK nor have they faired well against EP or Portsmouth. Playoffs are all but here, so we’ll see if the LaSalle win is the springboard for them to take it to the next level.
–1 LaSalle Academy (10 – 5, Win over Cranston West, Loss to Prout) – Well, the Prout loss certainly hurt the cause and was felt throughout the league. From what I could tell, Prout played well, and they have a very tough gym to play in, especially when things start to go south. All the Rams can do now is pick up the pieces and get ready for the best playoff run they can make…which can still be pretty darn awesome. They have plenty of pieces to the puzzle, it just will come down to execution and attention to detail…or, a better way to put it, recognition. As it is, they just make too many errors and plenty of those errors come from trying to do something with a busted play. Busted plays generally should lead to a productive spot free ball and let your defense to the job…not an error. It’s a tough line to walk, because you don’t want to give free after free, but you can’t err all the time either. Thus, recognition of the play, and executing the right swing or decision may mean everything for this year’s Rams side
Barrington (14 – 3, Wins over Exter-West Greenwich and Middletown) – They’re the top dog in D2 and nobody doubts that. However, the five-set escape of Middletown in their own barn is eyebrow raising. One would think having the Islanders over to the nest would be a strong four or three set vic, but that’s not what happened. Instead, it’s a five-set thriller and now questions begin to creep in. Granted, we all have off nights and perhaps this was just that with a strong opponent and you’re just grateful to get the win…but so close to the playoffs? We shall see what we shall see, as the old saying goes. I will say that how the Eagles play this week will tell a lot about what that Islander match may have been about. Bay View and especially North Smithfield, are not walks in the park.
South Kingstown (8 – 8, Wins over Coventry and Cranston West, Loss to East Providence) – I knew it was in there. It’s been a wild ride for the Rebels this season and it’s a testament to their hard work that they’ve been able to equalize to .500 after the toughest of starts. To me, SK is the definition of a team you don’t want to see in the playoffs. They’ve played a lot of volleyball, have seen adversity, and have pieces to the puzzle that can cause all sorts of discomfort. They’ve got all the gears in the right spot now, and are pressing teams. They’ve won five out of their last seven, took EP to five, and beat LaSalle in that stretch. It’s all coming together, and the playoffs are in sight. Finishing week eight strong will be key where they see East Greenwich and Portsmouth. Split is fine, losing both, probably not…win both? Could be a huge whirlwind into the win or go home rounds.
East Greenwich (8 – 6, Win over Classical, Loss to Prout) – The loss to Prout all but assured the Avengers would be fighting for that 8th and final playoff spot in D1. They pressed the Crusaders but the five-setter went to Prout and now it’s a fight between EG and Chariho for that final slot…assuming I’m readying the seeding correctly (I could easily not be). For the most part, I’ve felt that this Avenger side has played pretty good ball in 2024. They’ve won the games they were supposed to and battled teams above their weight class. They’ve also played a far tougher schedule than Prout and Cranston West. So, it’s been a good year all on all, especially with another coaching change to start the campaign. As with all teams, it’s about finishing strong now and prepping for the playoffs. I feel pretty good that the Avengers are in, but they’ll probably be playing a top seed on the road going forward.
+1 Middletown (10 – 5, Win over Bay View, Loss to Barrington) - Boy did the Islanders cause some thoughts this week. They went up to Eagle’s nest and almost stunned the birds where they lay. It was a great effort and certainly something they can build off of for the future. Lessons in defeat are the best ones and though the sting of dropping that match isn’t fun, it’ll allow for better play going forward. It better, anyway, as Mt. Hope is on their heels now. The season started with health issues, which are all but a memory (one hopes), but now it’s about holding Mt. Hope at bay and going into the big money rounds with the second seed and Barrington hoping they fall before the final. They’ll get a chance to make their point in the final match of the regular season against the Huskies.
+2 Mt. Hope (12 – 5, Wins over Pilgrim, Westerly, and Tiverton) – The Huskies had a moment earlier in the year when it was thought that perhaps they’d not have the level to compete for the crown this year. That thought has faded away as they’ve put teams away and quietly have twelve wins and counting on the season. They’ve won eight of their last ten, and those eight were in a row. Dropping matches to Cumberland and Barrington hurt the vibe, but rolling eight straight, with vics over Lincoln, North Smithfield, and Westerly bode very well. Now the goal is to put the stake in Middletown at home for the final match of regular season and take the D2 second seed to the bank. Final weeks of the season can bring huge momentum and it’s looking like Mt. Hope is in great shape to capitalize on week eight.
–2 Chariho (7 – 10, Wins over Cranston East and Fitch, Loss to Cranston West) – One team’s big win is another team’s bad loss. For the Chargers, the Cranston West drop is a bad one. The CW had been relatively quiet all season but jumped large on the Chargers in week seven. It was one of those five-set nightmares where you keep thinking, a) why is this match even going five, and b) we should escape this…but you don’t. Almost all coaches have been to that rodeo a time or two. Never fun. Thus, the Chargers, in my estimation, are battling the Avengers for the 8th seed in the D1 tournament. That’s not to say it’s been a bad year for Chariho. On the contrary, they’ve battled well this season. They played a tough schedule with a mostly new crew and have learned a lot. They have two tough ones to finish the regular season in Portsmouth and East Providence and from there the playoffs loom. First, must get in…
+2 North Smithfield (10 – 4, Wins over Lincoln and Bay View) – Huge week for North Smithfield as they’re able to keep Bay View away from the win column and stun Lincoln at the Lion’s den. That’s twice now that the Lady Northmen were able to take Lincoln to the loss shed…both in five sets. If nothing else, North Smithfield is scrappy as can be. As far as their losses on the year, I think the only one they’d want back is the Cumberland one, but otherwise, they’ve battled all admirably. Going forward, they end the regular season with Burrillville and Barrington. Have to have the Broncos match, but the Eagles dance is just icing on the cake. You beat Barrington, it’s wonderful, but this isn’t the time you need to. Regardless of the outcome, just learn as much as you can from the match and prep for the playoffs.
–2 Lincoln (9 – 5, Losses to North Smithfield and Burrillville) – Tough week for the Lions as North Smithfield and Burrillville get them. Rumor has it that the injury bug has come for the Lions at the most inopportune time. I’ve seen that story. One year, my JWU team was built to do work. Then, in the final two weeks before the playoffs, I lost my starting setter and starting middle to injury. We weren’t the same and bowed out in the semis. Injuries are the great equalizer in the worst ways. No one wants to see anyone injured, but there is no easier way for a top team to fall than when their top players are sitting with the coaches when the official beckons for serve. Hopefully, this isn’t the case for Lincoln as they’ve had a pretty strong campaign to this point. They have Pilgrim, Exeter-West Greenwich, and Westerly to finish off week eight. Probably need to all three to avoid more of a free fall in the playoff seeding.
(New) Westerly (8 – 7, Win over Cumberland, Loss to Mt. Hope) – Welcome back to the board Bulldogs. Beating Cumberland was the match that catapulted them back to the top fifteen. It hasn’t been all roses, though, to get here. They’ve won four out of their last seven, which is ok, but nothing stellar. However, a deeper dive into their schedule and you’ll see that two of the three losses are against D1 teams (Prout and SK), and the other was a drop to the surging Mt. Hope squad. Strength of schedule for Westerly is solid and I think they are a team that may not have the win / loss record, but still a scary proposition to deal with when the chips are pushed to the center of the table. Bulldogs finish the regular season with West Warick, Cranston West, and Lincoln. Should they run the table here…well, man, I’d really not want to play them.
Tolman (12 – 4, Win over Hope, Loss to Scituate) – There is nothing like rolling along in a season and things unfolding pretty much to plan, then, suddenly, there’s a hiccup you didn’t see coming. Tolman’s hiccup, to me, was Scituate. The Tigers had just waltzed through the gauntlet of D3 playoff teams unscathed. Granted, this week, Hope was out of conference, so it was going to be what it was going to be, but I don’t think anyone thought Scituate was going to give Tolman trouble. Yet, that’s what happened and now the questions come. Bad night? Scituate surging? Probably a little of column A and column B. Tolman should still be the top seed in the D3, as their strength of schedule tops Central Falls, but one never knows until the seedings officially come out. Thus, it’s in Tolman’s best interest to finish strong here in week eight and then get right to playoff business.
Receiving Votes: Cumberland, Central Falls, St. Rays, Narragansett, Ponaganset, Burrillville, Hope, Central, Shea, Scituate
ResV Player of the Week…
Week One - Caitlin Mediate - Sr. - Setter - Portsmouth (Committed to Saint Michael’s College)
Week Two - Tess LeFrenier - Sr. - Pin - North Kingstown (Committed to Adelphi University)
Week Three - Syd Henson - Sr. - Setter - North Kingstown (Committed to Adelphi University)
Week Four - Darryl Ashilaka - Fr. - Pin - Cumberland
Week Five - Maisy Naff - Jr. - Pin - LaSalle Academy
Week Six - Davina Kodua - Sr. - Setter - Tolman
Week Seven - Tara Dacey - Sr. - Libero – Coventry – It’s been a rocky road for the Oakers, but they’ve scared folks throughout the year. Dacey gets the nod for week seven ResV player of the week as the Oakers went five with South Kingstown to a defeat, but Dacey nabbed 50 digs in the effort. 50 digs is a ton of digs, easily the highest total I’ve seen on the season and absolutely worth of the praise.
ResV Honorable Baller of the Week…
Week One - Kealyn Pearson - Sr. - Pin - Exeter/West Greenwich
Week Two - Jude Landero - Jr. - Libero - North Providence
Week Three - Danna Garcia - Sr. - Pin - Central
Week Four - Jennifer Dos Santos Soares - Sr. - Middle - Shea
Week Five - Mary McNulty - Sr. - Pin - Toll Gate
Week Six - Amelia Holmes - So. - Middle - Pilgrim
Week Seven - Danae Bruckner - So. - Pin - North Providence – 16 points scored for Bruckner as North Providence was able to show Blackstone Valley the door in conference play. The 10 aces part of the 16 points was very cool. You get above 6 aces, you’ve done fine work.
Playoff Races Through Week Seven…
D1-
North Kingstown – Calm waters for the Skippers…the storm may be approaching, but there isn’t a worry.
Portsmouth – Patriots keep pace, but do they have enough juice to ground the Skippers?
East Providence – Townies stay the course. Questions will be answered soon enough on whether the top two can be threatened by them.
Prout – Huge win over the Rams. Proof that the Crusaders are a threat to the top.
LaSalle Academy – Defeat at the hands of Prout adds more questions. Can the Rams pull it together for a lightening in a bottle playoff run?
D2-
Barrington – Held the Islanders in check, but it was more complicated than expected. That alone gives pause…
Middletown – Islanders gave the Eagles their best shot and fell in five. Sure, it hurt, but it also may have shook Barrington a bit.
Mt. Hope – Huskies are surging at the right time. May not be a team anyone wants to see when it matters.
Lincoln – Injuries have caused the Lions to slip. Hope for health in the final run.
Westerly – Defeating Cumberland means the Bulldogs are in the mix. Need another big “W” to prove next level aspirations.
D3-
Tolman – Scituate slip hurts the cause and gives Central Falls some ground to climb.
Central Falls – Clean sheet this week, after a tough defeat to Ponaganset. Scituate is next and we just saw what they did to Tolman.
Ponaganset – Have won six out of their last eight, and those two loses were close ones against Tolman and Block Island. No one should sleep on the Chieftains.
Narragansett – Mariners have quietly had a solid season. They have two recent losses against Tolman and Central Falls which give question can they get it done against the top five.
Scituate – Playing their best volleyball now…which was good enough to knock off Tolman. Feel like a team that is looking to make a crazy go of it.
D4-
Central – Since their five-set loss to Tolman, Central has won 11 matches in a row… They’ve only dropped one set in that run. Not sure anyone in D4 has an answer for them.
Hope – Loss to Tolman stops an eight-game winning streak. May be the only threat to Central as we start to enter playoff time.
Shea – Hope has gotten them twice, so the goal will be to hopefully not see them in the playoffs until the end somehow…they’re the only D4 team to beat Central.
Davies – On a four-game winning streak after sliding four the previous weeks. Consistency may be the name of the game for this Davies side.
Toll Gate – The Titans continue to hang around. They’ve all but niertralized the threat from Woonsocket for the fifth seed. Now, can they knock off a top side? They did give Central a scare on the road.
ResV Coaching Tip of the Week:
As the season starts to come to a close, it is crucial that the training gym becomes all about dealing with challenging scenarios. There isn’t much that is going to change with more skill reps. Certainly, touch on them, but the bulk of the practice has to be about dealing with adversity. Success in the playoffs often comes down to mental toughness, i.e. who folds when things get tough. Thus, in your prep, scrimmage with the scores in very tough scenarios. One I like to do in my gym is 21 / 17. Have your go side scrimmage with the score 17 to 21 and they’re losing. Likely this could be a deciding set in the playoffs, and you’d love to have your team prepped for it. Have your go side battle over and over again until they win that set against your backups. This will give them some confidence, should they face it when it matters for real.
ResV Player Tip of the Week:
With the season winding down, and the playoffs right on the cusp, it is vital that as a player your mind set shifts to a “How can I help the team” mentality. This can be challenging, right, because perhaps the season didn’t go as you hoped for your involvement. Perhaps you’re a senior and you didn’t get the run you thought. Perhaps, you thought your team would be very successful in the win / loss department, and it just didn’t unfold that way. Regardless of what transpired, disappointment is a part of the athletic journey, whether we like it or not. You do have control however on what you want to focus on for the last weeks of your season. You can be bummed and upset, or you can make the mature decision that for two to three weeks, I’m going to be as helpful as I can to my team and teammates so that my memories (and other’s memories of me) are good ones. What shall be, shall be…and you get to chose how you want to play your part in it. Help your team, do whatever job is asked of you to the best of your ability, and live in the moment, as this chapter will end soon and you’d much rather be a hero than a villain as the final grains of sands fall.
To send updates, stories, and players college decisions…or inquire about coffee beans that Coach roasts himself, to Coach Reslow - Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com
Coaches! Please feel free to reach out if interested in scheduling some time to talk shop! I’d love to help your program out!