Week Three - Townies to get Next Turn at Skippers…

9/22/24

September Songs to Figure Out! Promise you won’t look it up on those darn interwebs…And, once you find them, you have to listen to them! (Yep, totally realize this week’s article is my version of the musical episodes of your favorite TV shows)

Ba-dee-ya

Do you remember?

Ba-dee-ya

Dancing in September

Ba-dee-ya

Never was a cloudy day

I watch the clouds go sailing

I watch the clock and sun

Oh, I watch myself depending on

September when it comes

September

Remember

Oh, what a day it was, everything so clear

Something about that day

I could feel it in the air

The leaves of brown came tumbling down

Remember in September in the rain

The Sun went out just like a dying amber

That September in the rain

Filing past the border guards of dreams

Leaving all their memories behind

Nothing hеre is quite the way it seems

Thе clouds are painting questions in the sky

Had I known this long ago

I might not have come this way at all

Now I'm reaching back for yesterdays

'Til a long forgotten love appears

And I find that I'm sighing softly as I near September

The warm September of my years

September's coming soon

I'm pining for the moon

And what if there were two

Side by side in orbit around the fairest sun?

That bright tight forever drum

Big Stat Games of the Week…

Davina Kodua - Setter - Tolman - 10 kills, 17 assists, 3 aces, 10 digs against Central

Adriana Pires - Pin - Shea - 9 kills, 3 aces, 7 digs against Central Falls

Dara Agramonte - Setter - Classical - 3 kills, 4 aces, 2 blocks, 3 digs and 16 assists against Juanita Sanchez

Dorie Chatto - Pin - Classical - 7 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs against Juanita Sanchez

Sofia D’Agostino - Libero - LaSalle Academy - 17 digs, 3 aces vs. South Kingstown

Maisy Naff - Pin - LaSalle Academy - 9 kills, 10 digs, 4 aces vs. South Kingstown

Madison Marella - Setter - LaSalle Academy - 22 assists, 2 aces vs. South Kingstown

Mila Abedon - Libero - Portsmouth - 17 digs, 3 assists at North Kingstown : 16 digs, 3 aces, 3 assists vs. East Greenwich

Hailey Labonte - Pin - Portsmouth - 13 kills, 6 digs at North Kingstown : 25 kills, 10 digs vs. East Greenwich

Caitlin Mediate - Setter - Portsmouth - 30 assists, 5 aces, 4 kills, 16 digs vs. East Greenwich

Tess LaFrenier - Pin - North Kingstown - 20 kills, 12 digs, 2 aces vs. Portsmouth

Ava Sardelli - Pin - North Kingstown - 15 kills, 3 aces, 14 digs vs. Portsmouth

Syd Henson - Setter - North Kingstown - 49 assists, 17 digs vs. Portsmouth

Madeleine Eriksen - Pin - North Kingstown - 12 kills, 11 digs vs. Portsmouth

Kayleigh Garrepy - Middle - North Kingstown - 8 kills, 3 aces, 8 digs vs. Portsmouth

Keira Mullen - Setter / Pin - East Providence - 21 kills, 15 assists, 2 aces at East Greenwich

Eliza Vest - Pin - East Providence - 11 kills, 3 aces at East Greenwich

Ani Gomez - Libero - East Greenwich - 7 aces, 10 digs vs. East Providence

Abigail Guerzon - Setter - East Greenwich - 18 assists, 6 kills vs. East Providence

Alexis Korus - Pin - Chariho - 15 kills vs. Coventry

Erin O'Leary - Pin - Chariho - 19 digs, 4 kills vs. Coventry

Sonja Beasley - Middle - Chariho - 3 kills, 7 blocks vs. Coventry

Emma McCrann - Pin - Barrington - 25 kills, 11 digs vs. Prout

Ruby Ciummo - Middle - Barrington - 7 kills, 7 blocks vs. Prout

Jett Cronin - Libero - Prout - 18 digs, 5 aces at Barrington : 12 digs, 3 aces vs. Coventry

Paige Megley - Middle - Prout - 5 kills, 5 blocks, and an ace at Barrington

Alice McGuire - Middle - Prout - 3 kills, 7 blocks, 4 digs and an ace at Barrington

Gianna Piker - Pin - Middletown - 8 kills, 11 aces, 15 digs at Cranston West : 11 Kills, 13 Digs at Lincoln

Olivia Kestler - Setter - Middletown - 20 Assists, 14 Digs at Cranston West : 29 assists at Lincoln

Sarah Crowley - Pin - Cranston West - 12 kills, 4 blocks vs. Middletown

Scarlett Massey - Setter / Pin - Narragansett - 6 assists, 6 kills, 4 digs, 7 aces against Rodgers

Ruby Prendergast - Pin - Narragansett - 5 kills, 3 digs, 5 aces against Rodgers

Julia Page - Pin - Rodgers - 7 kills 6 aces against Narragansett

Hayleigh Korzeniowski - Pin - Tiverton - 24 kills, 12 digs against Providence Country Day

Sayler Ouellette - Setter - Tiverton - 23 assists against Providence Country Day

Trinity Preston - Middle - Providence Country Day - 11 kills, 6 blocks against Tiverton

Lana Kooloian - Setter - Providence Country Day - 28 assists, 6 aces against Tiverton

Lily Maggiacomo - Setter - Scituate - 21 assists against Ponaganset

Alyssa Lupo - Middle - Ponaganset - 8 aces, 3 blocks against Scituate

Arielly DeAndrade - Pin - Central Falls - 13 kills against Shea

Crystal DeJesus - Setter - Central Falls - 26 assists, 3 aces against Shea

Adrianna Pires - Pin - Shea - 9 kills, 7 digs, 3 aces against Central Falls

Rose Samano - Libero - Shea - 17 digs against Central Falls

Abby Allen - Middle - Mt. Hope - 10 kills against West Warwick

Lyla Auth - Setter / Pin - Westerly - 10 kills, 7 aces, 8 digs, 7 assists vs. Classical

Danna Garcia - Pin - Central - 14 kills, 2 aces against Hope

Stephanie Cabrera - Setter - Central- 10 assists, 8 aces against Hope

Olivia Dastien - Middle - Hope - 5 kills, 5 aces, 7 blocks against Central

Taliya Robillard-Montas - Pin - Davies - 8 kills, 9 aces, 6 digs against Blackstone Valley

Jade Sheehan - Pin - Middletown - 9 Aces, 14 Digs at Lincoln

Darryl Ashilaka - Pin - Cumberland - 14 kills, 3 aces vs. North Smithfield

Sophia Pires - Libero - Cumberland - 28 digs vs. North Smithfield

Big Matches Coming up…

9/23 - East Providence hosts North Kingstown - 6:30pm

9/23 - Portsmouth hosts LaSalle Academy - 6pm

9/23 - Barrington hosts Westerly - 7pm

9/23 - Middletown hosts North Smithfield - 6:15pm

9/24 - East Greenwich hosts Chariho - 6:30pm

9/24 - Cumberland hosts Mt. Hope - 6:30pm

9/25 - Middletown hosts Burrillville - 6pm

9/25 - Prout hosts South Kingstown - 6:30pm

9/26 - Barrington host Cumberland - 6:45pm

9/26 - Tolman hosts Central Falls - 6:30pm

ResV Team of the Week…

Pin- Tess LaFrenier - Sr. - North Kingstown - Tess put up 20 on Portsmouth is arguably the most feared hitter in the state.

Pin- Hayleigh Korzeniowski - Sr. - Tiverton - What a night for Hayleigh against PCD…24 kills with 12 digs as well. That’s a big-time stat line.

Middle- Ruby Ciummo - Sr. - Barrington - Ruby amassed 14 points in the loss to Prout, with 7 kills and a monstrous 7 blocks.

Middle- Kayleigh Garrepy - So. - North Kingstown - Arguably one of the top middles in the state, Kayleigh landed a nice line of 8 kills, 3 aces, and 8 digs in the win over the Patriots.

Pin- Emma McCrann (2) - Jr. - Barrington - McCrann’s second time on the team. 25 kills, 11 digs on Prout will do that.

Setter- Olivia Kestler - Sr. - Middletown - A real solid week for Olivia as she had 20 assists against Cranston West and 29 dishes in the battle against Lincoln

Libero- Sophia Pires - Sr.- Cumberland - 28 digs is a lot, especially when you’re upsetting a top 15 ResV team. Welcome to the team Sophia.

Utility- Kiera Mullen - Jr. - East Providence (3) - Death, taxes, and Keira having a stat line that is ridiculous. 21 kills, 15 assists, and 3 aces on the Avengers…thus we welcome her to the team for the third time.

ResV Top 15…

1. North Kingstown (6 - 0, Wins over Portsmouth and Classical) - Same Song - Digital Underground - Besides the facts that this track features 2Pac before he became an icon, and most of the lyrics are not appropriate to what I’m trying to say…at all…I chose Same Song for its title for NK because nothing seems to change for this group. They play ball at a top level, and they’ve dispatched whomever they seen. To further the point, in 10 years, NK’s record is 171 - 15. It’s the just the same old song.

2. +1 East Providence (7 - 0, Wins over East Greenwich and Cranston East) - Here Comes the Boom - P.O.D - Ready or not is the part from this song that I think showcases this Townie side. The biggest question was whether or not moving up from D2 to D1 would change anything for them. Clearly not, and the attitude has been we’re coming, and you have to deal with it. Thus far, no one has been able, but the Skippers have come ashore.

3. —1 Portsmouth (6 - 1, Loss against North Kingstown, Win over East Greenwich) - Another Chance - Roger Sanchez - I chose Another Chance as I’m thinking Portsmouth would love another shot at the Skippers, especially at their place. The Patriots were able to steal a set at the Forge, which is no small feat. They also made NK change what they were doing, which usually is a good sign. So, Another Change is the motto.

4. LaSalle Academy (4 - 1, Wins over South Kingstown and Chariho) - Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty - I’ve often felt that Tom Petty gets overshadowed in the rock and roll annals. Running Down a Dream is a solid track and it sort of explains where the Rams are. Yeah, they have that bad loss to NK, but they’re working and are excited to see where it takes them next.

5. +6 Prout (6 - 1, Wins over Barrington and Coventry) - Everything is Awesome - Tegan and Sara - I can hear the Prout Coach already, “What!?! Everything is Awesome? I don’t know about that!” Look, everyone loved that Lego Movie, so this fits. That’s how my logic works. Anyway, why not Everything is Awesome? Crusaders are 6 - 1! Sure that SK match hurts the cause, but Prout is playing decent ball, making waves, and jumped six spots. Everything is awesome!

6. East Greenwich (3 - 3, Losses against East Providence and Portsmouth) - Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush - Yep, everyone thinks Stranger Things, season three with this one, but for those of us who were kids / teenagers in 1985, it can be interpreted as dealing with frustration. The Avengers are right there, but this week was frustrating as two setbacks against two of the top three hurt the cause. Certainly, things to learn from, but short of making a deal with God, they’ll keep running up that hill as, quite frankly, what else are you to do?

7. Chariho (3 - 4, Win over Coventry, Loss against Portsmouth) - Easier Said Than Done - Three Sacred Souls - Chargers came into the season with a new, revamped, team and it was sort of implied that this may be a tough year for them. Then they came out playing pretty good ball, though dropping some tough ones. It seems like they will exceed expectations, but making a true go of it will be easier said than done. Good news is they’ve seen what that need to go through and that at least makes the aim clear in the practice gym.

8. —3 Barrington (3 - 2, Loss against Prout, Win vs. Mt. Hope) - Seeing Red - State of Mine - This song was put to Barrington mainly because they dropped three spots for losing to Prout in five. I mean, in the old days, meaning just last year, no one would fault them for losing to a D1 team. However, those days are long gone and now with the new system, well, that’s a loss that matters a bit. Nonetheless, I understand their feeling. Still the top dog in D2 as the Mt. Hope victory made crystal clear.

9. Mt. Hope (4 - 4, Win over West Warwick, Loss against Barrington) - Visiting Hours - Ed Sheeran - I have zero idea why I chose this song for Mt. Hope. I mean, who doesn’t like Ed Sheeran? Many thought he was so cool from Game of Thrones, but I loved him in the movie “Yesterday". Maybe, it’s because the song talks a little bit about a person who is looking for answers…perhaps Mt. Hope is in that mode currently? Losing to Barrington hurts, but it was at their nest and that’s a tough place to play. I don’t know, nothing goes wrong, however, when Ed Sheeran is involved.

10. South Kingstown (1 - 5, Loss at LaSalle Academy) - Pushing Through - Paul Grant - The Rebels cling to the board, but their record certainly looks no bueno. They get a pass this week as dropping to LaSalle isn’t a shocking development as many teams are seeing that result. It’s the following week that will matter most and thus Pushing Through by Paul Grant is the song. Have to pick up a couple in week four.

11. (New) Lincoln (5 - 1, Wins over Cumberland and Middletown) - Original Prankster - The Offspring - I’m an Offspring guy. Which is really strange because I come from a family of musicians. I have the ear. Meaning, when things sound poorly, it almost physically hurts me. The lead singer from The Offspring has a, shall we say, a unique voice. Thus, it’s wild that I’m a fan. Original Prankster is meant to be humorous, but I think the overall, you can do this, mentality fits for Lincoln. They jump on the board playing real good defense and taking down Cumberland and Middletown means they busted out on em.

12. —4 Middletown (Win over Cranston West, Loss against Lincoln) - Sooner or Later - The Grass Roots - I think for the Islanders it’s all about getting healthy. They’re missing some pieces, so when they do return to form, things are going to start working in their favor. Hence the Sooner or Later song. Beating The CW is nice, but that Lincoln drop hurts the cause. So, hang in there Middletown as Love is Gonna Win at some point. Actually have no idea what that means…

13. Westerly (4 - 2, Wins over Classical and Pilgrim) - Takin Care of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - First two-win week for the Bulldogs which lead me to go with Takin Care of Business. Every day! I mean, that could be a mantra for any team. Hey, we need to take care of business every day for us to reach out potential! Westerly will need to do that, especially when the top of the division come a calling, because those teams have little give.

14. North Smithfield (5 - 1, Win over Exeter-West Greenwich, Loss against Cumberland) - Stay Vigil - Qwefeelibes - Besides the fact that the band name is ridiculous. Besides the fact, that I stumbled upon this song and wasn’t quite sure if it fit. I do like the title for North Smithfield. They’re playing pretty solid ball, but the misstep against Cumberland was mildly surprising. When you become a top team, every night teams are going to give you their best, so you have to consistently execute. We’ll see if the Lady Northmen learned the lesson.

15. Central Falls (6 - 0, Wins over Shea and Johnston) - Here We Come - Tiger Drive - The day I discovered Dude Perfect was the day I knew there are fanatics in sport that will teach me things. Love those Dude Perfect guys. So, I’m watching their all-sports golf outing and I thought, that would be the only way I’d enjoy golf. It was also the first time I head this song, which I think sort of represents where Central Falls is. Here we come, you better grab your weapon… The Warriors are undefeated to date, and it looks like they’re on a mission, everyone better be ready because “to the top” is the plan.

Receiving Votes: Burrillville, Cranston West, Tolman, Shea, Classical, Narragansett, St. Rays, Scituate, Cumberland, Central, Hope

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) - Update from last two weeks…”Yeah, let’s move our three-time all-ResV Libero to setter…It’ll be fine.” 49 assists, 17 digs against Portsmouth and Syd Henson is the ResV Player of the Week!

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 - Pin - Central - Garcia posted a 14 kill, 2 ace night on Hope. This, plus many of the sources that help ResV talked this week how Garcia is a player of the year candidate in D4, made her the easy choice for the ResV HBW.

Playoff Races Through Week Three…

D1-

North Kingstown - Skippers continue their reign of dominance. Dropping a set changes nothing, unfortunately for the rest of the pack.

East Providence - Townies keep doing the job. Curious if perhaps they have the juice to give the Skippers rough seas.

Portsmouth - Skipper setback sets the pace for what the Patriots need to train for. Handling the Avengers secures top three.

LaSalle Academy - Rams fend off Chargers and stiff-arm Rebels. Solid week, but will need a signature win against the top three at some point.

Prout - The Crusaders are doing work. Interested to see how they fair when the top come a callin.

D2-

Barrington - Eagles have a misstep against Prout, but stop Mt. Hope in their tracks…which is the match that mattered.

Mt. Hope - Huskies leapfrog Middletown but can’t find the magic against Barrington.

Middletown - Injuries keeping them from full strength, but battling and getting their money’s worth in each match.

North Smithfield - Cumberland stunned them. So, adjustment’s have to be made, because it’ll get harder from here.

Westerly - Bulldogs quietly lurking in the wings. Have the sense no team wants to see them.

D3-

Central Falls - Warriors continue to roll. Shea was a good test, but all are eager for the St. Rays excursion.

St. Rays - Falling to Shea hurt the cause, but Rodgers and Johnston are on deck and the wrinkles could be worked out there.

Tiverton - Good days, bad days, strikes and gutters. I can relate. Tiverton probably needs to get one signature win to push them to the next level.

Tolman - Have won four of their last five contests. Central Falls is next and should be a great test to see where this team is officially at.

Ponaganset - Basically played a day / night double header with Scituate and split. They won in fewer sets and that means a little something.

D4-

Shea - Still have Shea as the team to beat. Yeah, they have two losses, but those are defeats at higher “weight classes” so until a D4 takes them down, I’m sticking with them.

Central - May have the D4 player of the year in Danna Garcia. Central is dangerous and I think all of D4 knows it.

Hope - They’re making an excellent playoff case, but the loss to Central stunts the growth for a second.

Toll Gate - Titans have won three out of their last five. Their losses are also up a division, so waiting to see the head to heads.

Davies - Stealing a set off of Central Falls is the proof it’s in there. Just need to execute when it matters most.

ResV Coaching Tip of the Week: Our sport is interesting as it’s one of the very few where you can lose, sometimes very badly, but yet still get another chance with a clean slate. You could drop a set 25 - 7, and then come back in another set and win 25 - 27! So, this week’s tip is about handling those very bad losses. If you find that you’re down big…say the gap is 8 to 10 points, consider pulling your starters from the game. First, your starters earned those positions in the training gym, so theoretically you’ve decided those players give the team the best chance to win. If, however, they’re getting shelled and now emotions are rising or “deer in headlights” (massively overwhelmed…computer data overload) has overtaken them, you should get them out of the game. Why? Overwhelmed, or rise in emotions, can last a long time and they might not recover fast enough to get back to higher level of performance to succeed in the next set. Also, this is what your bench is there for. Put your non-starters in and see what happens. Now, one caveat, once you remove your starters, you still coach the same way for the non-starters. Nothing worse for a player on the bench to go in and then see that the coach has retracted their style once new players are in. So, when things go off rails, pull your starters, give the non-starters a chance…sure you may be ceding the set, but you’re allowing your starters to clear their head, reboot, get confidence back, while learning what your non-starters can do or just giving them a chance to battle. It’s ok to consider a set gone if the gap is too wide, as a good friend once told me, all you have to do is win three sets and it doesn’t matter ever what the scores look like.

ResV Player Tip of the Week: This week’s tip is twofold. One, hit the ball hard. Two, how to recognize the difference as a defender between a player hitting the ball hard versus not. First, why hit the ball hard. Like the legendary Kevin Harrington used to say…”Good things happen when you hit the ball hard. No matter what the result, hitting the ball hard will make something cool happen.” Harri isn’t wrong here. All too many times, players get to consumed with fear over making an error that all we see rally to rally is tips and rolls which get picked up and then followed by tip and rolls. This is called a pillow fight. Tips and rolls are effective only because the ball is hit hard the majority of the time. So, take some big rips and enjoy because that’s the fun part of the game in a lot of ways.

Now, as a defender, I’ll give you a quick tip that will allow you to know in an instant whether the attacker is going to hit the ball hard or not. Watch the player about to hit the ball. If her hitting shoulder stays entirely visible, it’ll be a tip or roll. If her hitting shoulder pulls back almost out of sight, then she is going to hit the ball hard. This visual tell helps a ton as you can know exactly when a tip or roll is coming and charge the area for the pick up…it’s just hoped that your dig doesn’t start the pillow fight.

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!