Week Eight - Time to Survive and Advance.
5/27/25
Having heroes, or rather people to look up to, is a necessary part of directing your life. You need a direction. You need a plan. Heroes, mentors, people you’d like to emulate help with this process. They’ve done it before and can show key insight on how you can go where you’re planning on going.
In the coaching world I want to be like Dean Smith, John Wooden, John Thompson, and Jim Valvano. I didn’t get to meet any of them, though I met people who did know them…which in itself was kind of neat. I could write pages and pages on these four guys…but I won’t do that to you. I will briefly focus on Valvano today and will do my best to get to the point.
Those that played for me in college remember that I’d make them watch the 30 for 30 movie, ‘Survive and Advance,” at the beginning of every non-traditional season. The only time I deviated…we had the worst culture year of my career. You hear that Pitz and McCarthy!?! Anyway, I loved the movie because it ultimately tells the outcome I want for the people who made the choice to play for me. We’ll watch it at Wheaton every non-trad till my tenure ends.
This sports story is perfect…almost meant for the movies. Guys from different backgrounds come in. It doesn’t really work at first. Moments of brilliance, but setback after setback follows. Finally, when it matters most, they put it all together and go on a historic run capped with winning the whole thing! Bedlam! Coach Valvano running around the court looking for someone to hug…
“My bag are packed…why?…because I know you’re gonna make it!”
The winning of the NCAA championship and being the first team to really showcase March Madness (a phrase we almost take for granted now…) doesn’t do what Coach Valvano, and coaches like him, enough justice. “Res, are you saying that winning the D1 men’s basketball championship isn’t what it’s all about?” In a way, yes. Only a select view get to the top of that mountain…no matter how hard you want it, work toward it, believe in it, etc. Those are the exceptions who do that. Kind of like the idea that everyone’s last game is a loss except for one. Winning is what all the work is going toward, but losing is where the lessons are…the shared experiences and love for one another is really the definition of a good coach.
God knows I’m not a finished product. I still have, hopefully, a long way to go… However, to this date, the thing I’m most proud of is the players who played for me are still excited to talk to me and they still hang out with each other. That’s the standard of true success. Wheaton College, like most, have a fundraising golf tournament every year. I got a foursome of JWU men’s volleyball alumni to play in it! It wasn’t hard. I just thought of them, reached out, and they were stoked to do it! I can’t wait to hang out with them! I also have two guys that work with me on this ResV thing…Jack Pincince and Ben Lind. Both guys were a part of the JWU Men’s Volleyball program and they’ve not left my side since 2020 when the University dissolved the program. The fact that I’m deemed worthy enough for them to keep agreeing to the crazy things I try to pull off means the world.
The above paragraph is what it’s really about. All coaching is, in a way, is helping people not make the terrible mistakes you made…and boy have I made a lot of them…I guess I really was destined to do this... Sometimes the mistakes are unavoidable, then, it’s about bringing them through to the other side because you had to do it too. We do all of it through sport, but when done well, its all about life and the cool amount of time we have following the point we finally become adults…i.e. the moment you care about someone else more then yourself.
Jimmy V showcased this perfectly with his ability to communicate and his enthusiasm. It brings you to the realization of what all of these guys know…Dean Smith, John Wooden, John Thompson, etc…it’s about people caring about each other through the chaotic, challenging, and remarkable adventure of life. Yes, sport is what brings us together, but it’s the experiences we share and the learning we do that makes it worthwhile. I’m so proud of my JWU guys…I can’t wait to see what my Wheaton guys do!
“If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.”
Lastly, I wrote this on June 9th, 2023… I was in a cabin in Seattle, Washington, next to a river on the outskirts of an apple orchard. It sums up exactly how I feel about the playoffs of this sport and I hope it inspires everyone participating these next weeks…
“To all the players in these matches, take the time somewhere in the match to look into the eyes of your friends, teammates, and smile and love the fact you’re working together to accomplish something bigger than anything you could do by yourself. These moment are your gifts for all of your hard work and sacrifice. You are getting stories that will last your life and can be shared with those that come after you. Whether you play a major role or a minor one, you were there. You saw and did. You played and played well. Chase the moment. It’s the truest form of sport we have left.
Cheers to the winners, respect to those defeated, love the stories we created…”
Braketology…
(All seeding from the RIIL, not ResV)
Please remember that all of my predictions are made based on what I’ve seen on the year and what my team has reported to me. If you don’t like my picks, bust your tail and prove me wrong! It’s all good! I also truly appreciate all the hard work that every player and coach has put in all year…go for broke and leave it all on the floor!
D1:
Play In:
#8 East Greenwich hosting #9 Coventry - The question will be can Coventry get Prak-Preaster to the 20 kill plus mark before the combo of Gessman, Gates, and Huff get a combined 30 kills. Whichever happens first, will win the match. EG is hosting which should give them a bump, however, Coventry has played well against this Avenger side in the past. I’m going to go with East Greenwich. I think they pass a tic better and playing at home will give them just enough to get past an Oaker side that will also play well. Avengers in four.
#7 Chariho hosting #10 Cranston West - The Falcons will need a ridiculous night from Wang to pull this one off. Going to Chariho is no fun and The CW has not been playing well of late. With all that being said, should the Wang / Mak connection score at will, that momentum will bring The CW into a mode that perhaps will rattle the Chargers. Chariho has been inconsistent all year. When they’re good, they are really good. When they struggle, well, the struggle bus is at 55 mph (for all you Speed fans out there). The Chargers rely, almost too much, on their pins. If they can get Stolt to 10 plus kills on the night, everything else should fall into place. Chargers in three.
Quarter Finals:
#1 North Kingstown hosting #8 East Greenwich - I like this East Greenwich team. They’re plucky, hard working, and do their best when they’re working as a team. However, this North Kingstown side is probably too polished for the Avengers to make a dent. The biggest issue for EG will be slowing down the back row attack. I think this Skipper side is most deadly when they get two or three kills from the BIC. Once that happens, everything sort of opens up and NK scores at will from everywhere. Also, EG will probably make too many hitting errors to phase NK and that’s all it will take. NK in three.
#4 East Providence hosting #5 LaSalle Academy - The 4 / 5 features two teams with a lot of talent but plenty of mixed results on the year. Regardless, it’s an interesting matchup. I think the middles will sort of cancel each other out. Benell will get his, Varela will do the same. From there, it will come down to whether EP’s lefts can do more damage then La Salle’s opposites. It’s worth noting that it’s at East Providence and EP is twice as potent there then on the road. I think the defending champs are in trouble here. I’ll go Townies in five, but it could easily be the other way as well.
#3 Classical hosting #6 Bishop Hendricken - There is lore that a couple of years back, when Hendricken needed a win to make the playoffs, they had to go to Classical to do it. Sophomore Ben Warr and Senior Brian Garrepy put up huge numbers and got it done, though highly unlikely it was. Today, Hendricken is far beefier then they were then, but so is Classical. What makes the story remarkable is how tough it is to play at Classical. It’s always a great environment to play in unless your the opponent of The Purple. I think the whole thing rests on the level of Narcessian. If he goes off and you get a normal result from Ramos…I think Classical is in trouble. Meanwhile, Nascimento and Clarkin need to have above average nights to keep the season from ending. Similar to La Salle at EP, this one can go either way…I’ll take Hendricken in five, and could be very wrong as well.
#2 Cranston East hosting #7 Chariho - The biggest issue Chariho is going to have with Cranston East is the pressure from the middle. Dixon is always pretty hard to stop and Xum knows how to find his middles from all locations. Thus, Chariho has to figure out a way to serve tough enough so all CE can do is pump the ball to Pincince. Even then, Chariho isn’t out of the woods, because Pincince can handle that…but it’s their best shot. They need Marland and Poplaski to have crazy good outings and Vachon has to stand on his head. It’s doable, though the trek up that mountain is very steep. I still have CE in four.
Semifinals:
#1 North Kingstown vs. #4 East Providence at Rhode Island College - This one comes down to the passing level of East Providence versus the Serving prowess of North Kingstown. Bad news for EP, NK is arguably the top serving team in the state. Jump top spin from Harri, Tow, Rathbun, and Yang… mean jump floats from Dufour and Shea…all of it is not fun to deal with. EP was one of the teams to take a set from North, which counts for something. They do provide a physical block from Phillip and two dynamic pins in Rodriguez and Mimande. Is it enough to startle the Skippers. Probably not. NK in three.
#2 Cranston East vs. #6 Bishop Hendricken at Rhode Island College - I’m not sure how Hendricken wriggles out of this one. It’s a push at almost every position of strength for them and the blocking is far superior to Classical. Warr and company will fight valiantly but I just don’t think they’ll be able to score enough points to exert enough pressure to make the Bolts blink. Now, CE has had some moments this season where they’ve taken their eye off the ball to their peril, but I don’t foresee that happening in the playoffs. Too much heat from from the Bolts. CE in four.
Finals:
#1 North Kingstown vs. #2 Cranston East at Rhode Island College - This will be the fourth time Cranston East gets to take on North Kingstown this year. I wish I could write that I think this will be the time the result changes. Lou Brown’s in my ear saying, “I got a feeling they’re due…” I love you Lou, but I just can’t see it. Not enough firepower from Cranston East to stun the Skippers. More precise, I just don’t think the Bolts can pass well enough to run their options consistently. If the game goes into a highball battle, NK will win going away. NK will put lots of service pressure on, and will score often. Cranston East will get some big blocks and the tide will feel almost their way, but Harri and Cody will take over from there. Skippers in four.
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D2:
Play In:
#8 South Kingstown hosting #9 Central - The Rebels earned the higher seed and it’s a blessing because last time they saw this Central side it was a five-set thriller that did not go their way. Central has arms and, when locked in, can cause all sorts of problems. Unfortunately, for Central this year, those moments haven’t been as consistent as they’d want. Still, I think Central will be dialed in here and regardless of the location, they’ll escape to play Lincoln. Central in four.
Quarter Finals:
#1 Lincoln hosting #9 Central - I think Central can be dangerous. I also think that Lincoln just has too many weapons. Plus consistency hasn’t necessarily been Central’s strong point. Central will give Lincoln some things to think about early, but in the end the Lions will take care of business and advance. Lincoln in three.
#4 Westerly hosting #5 West Warwick - This is a fun matchup! Two unique brands of volleyball doing battle. Both squads utilize their middles almost exclusively…Westerly scores more, West Warwick plays more defense. I like Westerly’s blocking prowess here to be the difference. Kenyon has been a monster all year and his ability to shut down attacks plus alter shots has been key for this Bulldog side. It’ll go four, because West Warwick will keep the balloon from hitting the ground more then expected, but in the end Westerly will advance.
#3 Central Falls hosting #6 Johnston - This one will come down to which go-to guy has the better night. Now, you could argue that this is what every match comes down to…and you’d be sort of right. Oddly enough though, in win or go home matches, rarely does the best player make the difference. In fact, often top players struggle and it comes down to who battles through it and which unlikely hero emerges from the shadows. Jamilson and Balla are going to do their things and both teams will have solid moments…I just think Central Falls will have more. CF in four.
#2 Pawtucket hosting #7 Juanita Sanchez - This one feels like the easiest one to predict. Pawtucket is a handful and they’ve played most teams very tough with few hiccups along the way. JS has had their moments, but it’s been hard for them to string together victories. Plus, Pawtucket’s home ice is very difficult to navigate. Tigers in 3.
Semifinals:
#1 Lincoln hosting #4 Westerly - This one is going to be interesting. Last time the Bulldogs saw the Lions, it was a four-set defeat with some solid play sprinkled in there. It was early in the season, though, and Westerly has polished up a lot of their play. Problem is, Lincoln is also different then before. They’ve been through some matches and are pretty polished in their own right. We get the premier middle matchup in D2, Colton v. Kenyon, and we get to see if Westerly can play enough solid defense to deal with Biddle and Gugel. I think it’ll be too much Lion scoring and Westerly will succumb in four.
#2 Pawtucket hosting #3 Central Falls - Tigers and Warriors…well, if we go by the mascots, Pawtucket may have it in the bag. I don’t ever want to meet a tiger in person. I’m pretty sure I’d look like a 6’6 well cooked steak to an actual tiger. Warriors…it doesn’t say what type of Warrior, I suppose…and just like any other animal on the planet, tigers would be allergic to firearms. We’re getting too far into the weeds. Ok, last time these teams met it was four-set setback for Central Falls. Now, since that time, the Warriors have won seven in a row and Jamilson has been borderline unstoppable. Still, the home barn for Pawtucket is an advantage and Hayson is not going to let Jamilson get all the kills. For me, Pawtucket finds a way and gets to the finals. Pawtucket in five.
Finals:
#1 Lincoln vs. #2 Pawtucket at Rhode Island College - This final feels like it could go one of two ways. Either it is a barn burner that the whole thing will be in doubt till the fifth set…or, it’ll be Lincoln running away with it. Why? I just think Pawtucket’s road is rougher terrain. Juanita Sanchez will pose some worries, and then Jamilson’s Warriors will pose a lot of worries. Lincoln should be able to paw Central aside and though Westerly can be tough, I think Lincoln has the pieces to just maneuver through relatively unscathed. Anything can happen, so I’m not saying Pawtucket is lost here. As I said, it could go one of two ways. Regardless, I’m putting my bet on Lincoln. Too much physicality from the Lions, and they were the only team to go into Pawtucket’s barn and win. Lincoln in four.
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D3:
Quarter Finals:
#1 Mt. Hope hosting #8 Davies - Davies has had some nice matches this year, but I don’t think they can hang and bang with Mt. Hope. The huskies are scrappy ballers that make plays even when things get uncomfortable. Davies will make one to many mistakes and will bow out, stage left. Mt. Hope in three.
#4 Achievement First hosting #5 North Providence - Big fan of both of these programs making the tournament and with solid seeds as both programs are pretty new. Great to see! I like A1 here, mainly because I think they really take the time at the service line to put programs in bad spots. North Providence will battle and make it interesting, but in the end, A1 moves on. Achievement First in four.
#3 Hope hosting #6 Burrillville - Burrillville has had a weird year. Sometimes it looks like they can beat some quality teams, other times…the struggle is real. Should they show their best level, I think they can take a set off of Hope…but that’s where it will end. Hope can ball and should be able to move on from whatever the Broncos bring to the table. Hope in four.
#2 Portsmouth hosting #7 St. Raphael’s Academy - When you’re dealing with the Patriots, you have to make sure you defend the net in the proper order. As I like to describe it, defend in order of the threats coming at you. Middle first, then the pin. St. Rays will hope to do just that, but what if you don’t have an answer for the middle? That’s the question everyone in D3 is asking. Portsmouth in three.
Semifinals:
#1 Mt. Hope hosts #4 Achievement First - A1 with a great run, but it ends here. Mt. Hope serve receives as good as it gets in D3, so the serving prowess isn’t going to have the same effect. If Mt. Hope is more in system then not, there won’t be much A1 can do to slow the attack. Mt. Hope in three.
#2 Portsmouth hosting #3 Hope - Hope was the only other school to take a set off of Portsmouth not named Mt. Hope in D3. There is enough pop in the Hope lineup to cause Portsmouth discomfort to be sure. The question will still remain that is there enough front line help to slow down Casey and Wilkey? If both guys get above 15 kills, that’ll seal it for the Patriots. Portsmouth in four.
Finals:
#1 Mt. Hope vs. #2 Portsmouth at Rhode Island College - I believe that this match has the makings of being the best match of championship Saturday! Portsmouth has beaten Mt. Hope twice. Both times, it took real hard work to get there. Mt. Hope has to feel they’re due, but can they slow down the duo of Casey and Wilkey enough? Can Portsmouth limit Fisher and force errors? Add some minor controversy and you got yourself a really fun final. Division three is a strange world of beauty and unique volleyball form. Often, whomever has the best player wins…though also often, whichever crew plays the best team defense grinds out the result. It’ll be a five-set wild stallion type of match… Portsmouth to take it.
ResV Top 15…
North Kingstown (18 - 0)
Cranston East (13 - 5)
Classical (14 - 5)
Lincoln (17 - 0)
East Providence (10 - 8)
La Salle (9 - 7)
Bishop Hendricken (9 - 8)
East Greenwich (8 - 9)
Chariho (10 - 8)
Pawtucket (15 - 4)
Central Falls (15 - 3)
Westerly (13 - 4)
Coventry (6 - 11)
Portsmouth (17 - 2)
West Warwick (13 - 5)
ResV Player of the Week…
Week One - Ben Warr - Bishop Hendricken
Week Two – Henry Kenyon – Westerly
Week Three – Ryan Harrington – North Kingstown
Week Four – Cody Tow – North Kingstown
Week Five —Kody Poplaski — Chariho
Week Six - Cam Gates - East Greenwich
Week Seven - Jamilson Almeida - Central Falls
Week Eight - Ryan Harrington - North Kingstown - With his team securing an undefeated regular season, Harri has saved his best performances for teams that are potential playoff foes. Putting up 18 on a La Salle showcases the level Ryan plays at when it’s go time.
ResV Honorable Baller of the Week…
Week One – Nate Paciga — Westerly
Week Two – Zach Gessman — East Greenwich
Week Three — Jeremy Thao — West Warwick
Week Four — Masiah Prak-Preaster — Coventry
Week Five — Aidan Huff — East Greenwich
Week Six - Jovanny Lopez - Central Fall
Week Seven - Donovan Park - Barrington
Week Eight - Ben Wright - South Kingstown - The Rebels having a pretty solid season is one of the stories that probably doesn’t get as much press as it should. SK has battled well in D2 and Wright has been a key cog in that endeavor. With the playoffs now here, after a strong week right, the Rebels will be looking for Wright to help get them to the quarters for the first time in at least five years.
2025 ResV Award Finalists:
Player of the Year:
Ryan Harrington - Pin - North Kingstown
Cody Tow - Pin - North Kingstown
Charlie Pincince - Pin - Cranston East
Jamilson Almeida - Pin - Central Falls
Defensive Player of the Year:
Jeraldy Santos - Libero - Classical
Stephen Dufour - Libero - North Kingstown
Dennis Dixon - Middle - Cranston East
Henry Kenyon - Middle - Westerly
Setter of the Year:
Caleb Xum - Cranston East
Sebastian DeCubellis - Lincoln
Jacob Agramonte - Classical
Ben Warr - Bishop Hendricken
Newcomer of the Year:
Cam Gates - Pin - East Greenwich
Jack Casey - Middle - Portsmouth
Flavio Tavares - Pin - La Salle Academy
Sam Rivera - Libero - Cranston East
Unsung Hero of the Year:
Carter Stolt - Middle - Chariho
Eli Nogueras - Libero - La Salle Academy
Aiden Huff - Middle - East Greenwich
Cam Marcotte - Middle - Coventry
Coach of the Year:
Steve Bevilacqua - Pawtucket
Ka Men - Classical
Ridge Porter - East Greenwich
Josh Malloy - West Warwick
This year’s Undernoted…
This goes to the very good players who probably have not gotten enough love around the league this year…
Brandon Mimande - East Providence - Pin
Darien Peterson - Cranston East - Pin
Eli Torres - Juanita Sanchez - Utility
Zach Lapierre - East Greenwich - Pin
Naya Philip - East Providence - Pin
Pablo Valdez - Central - Pin
Balla Marone - Johnston - Middle
Brian Gugel - Lincoln - Pin
Austin Wheeler - Johnston - Middle
Logan Lane - Barrington - Setter
David St. Ong - La Salle Academy - Pin
Ryan Narcessian - Bishop Hendricken - Pin
Bara Diop - Pawtucket - Pin
Santiago Harrington - Bishop Hendricken - Libero
Tim Harrington - North Kingstown - Libero
Christian Rivera - Cranston East - Setter / Libero
AJ Kue - Achievement First - Setter
Glen Andrade - Davies - Pin
Cooper Amaral - La Salle Academy - Setter
Controversy Corner!
This one appears simple. How can Portsmouth be the number two seed in the D3 playoffs, when they went undefeated against all of D3, beat the number one seed, Mt. Hope, twice, and only lost twice to D2 opponents? It’s a mystery! Chalk it up to the dangers of running a RPI system…especially in a region that is so small. The reason RPI is attractive is for bigger organizations and larger states. Texas is humongous…how do we seed a state tournament with so many different leagues? Well, there your RPI makes a ton of sense. Rank opponents, track who they play, compare, seed up. However, in RI, you have the three divisions and that’s it and there isn’t much uncertainty about what teams are across the state. Plus, knowing what we know now, why would anyone play out of division matches? Portsmouth is in the position they’re in because they lost to South Kingstown who is the 8th seed in D2…which would be fine if we’re talking a huge tournament where it’s just 20 teams and everyone is seeded based on RPI ranking. Instead, Portsmouth is punished for playing a different division opponent and not winning. If I recall, it was a five-set crazy match! I’m guessing that since Portsmouth has been the top team in D3, this seeding mishap should not derail their march to the final, but you never know.
I think the fix is this, weight conference matches far more then out of conference matches. Say, for example, a win in conference is 10 points (certainly, this is an elementary example at best)…Portsmouth beats Mt. Hope = +10 for Portsmouth. It’s in four sets, so every set that Mt. Hope won is plus 2 points, but a loss in conference is —10. Thus, Mt. Hope is at —8. The next matches for both…Portsmouth loses at SK in three (again, just an example), Mt. Hope defeats Davies in three. Plus 10 for Mt. Hope, as Davies is a conference match, giving them a total of 2 (+10 - 8 = 2). For Portsmouth, instead of the normal —10 for a conference loss, it’s an out of conference loss which is only —5. Now, instead of through two matches, Mt. Hope is +2 and Portsmouth is 0. It’s Portsmouth +5 and Mt. Hope +2 which feels more accurate because Mt. Hope lost to Portsmouth in the head to head.
RPI can be fun tool, but clearly some tweaking is in order to ensure weird things like this do not happen again.
ResV Coaching Tip of the Week:
Start your top kill guy in four! Many of the teams in the playoffs rely on one main guy to carry them through the match, especially at crunch time. Perfectly fine, but don’t start him in one or six. I’ve talked about this before, but you do not want your horse hidden in the back row, especially in a fifth set. If you need your guy to side out, keeping him in the back row for two or three rotations can be deadly. Nothing worse then doing that, then not siding out, then you’re down 7 - 1 before your guy can make any difference. Start him in four and get to work asap.
ResV Player Tip of the Week:
For many, this is your final match of the year. For some, this is the final match of your career. Go for it! Work hard, savor the moment, be a great teammate, and walk away having left it all on the table. From there, take it up at the next adventure you go on. Whether that’s college ball, club team at college, adult leagues, intramurals, etc. Keep playing and keep enjoying all the benefits and lessons of competition, team play, and fitness!
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!
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