Week Four…The Halfway Report
4/28/25
The first time I heard someone describe me as arrogant and pompous, I was shocked. Truly shocked. I remember thinking about it a long time…reaching out to friends, “Am I really arrogant and pompous?”
I’m Swedish (50%) and the Swedes are generally not known for those two descriptions. In fact, the Swedish culture has massive roots in self deprecation and humbleness. When the Vikings split going south, the Scandinavians went right and you got Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc. The others went left and became Russian, Slavics, etc. I often thought the warriors and plunderers went left and the politicians and the religious went right…which sort of describes the state of the two areas…Scandinavia neutral, Russia aggressive.
The Swedes are known for music. It’s a little known fact that many of the pop songs in the early 90s and 00s were written by Swedes and then sung by people like Brittany Spears, Taylor Swift, The Weekend, etc. Add the legends of ABBA, Roxette, and Ace of Base and it’s hard to deny the ear of the Swedish. I have it, though I decided to neglect it and steered my life toward sports and athletics…to my father, and grandfather’s, chagrin. To this day, however, if any song being sung is off key or a wrong note comes out…it does physically hurt me. Maybe it’s a good thing my hearing is going…
When any reporter got to pin down any of those Swedish producers, or even guys who made it big, Max Martin on the producer side and Avicii (though sadly passed away) on the entertainment side as examples…the interviews were always deflected by the Swedes. It was never them, always downplaying…which is how I was and usually am…in my mind anyway.
My view did change slightly, though. When JWU dissolved in 2020 at the height of the madness, it became apparent to me that no one was coming to help. I received plenty of well wishes and quite frankly that’s all I could expect…and they were wonderful, especially from former players and alums from those JWU team…I’ll be forever grateful for those. I did have a couple of coaches get me some gigs too, which was how I became the men’s volleyball broadcaster for Wentworth for the past three years. Can’t thank Evin Giglio enough for that.
Then, two things happened. First, I created ResV and second I got the job at NCSA. Both things required…required!…me to talk about myself ad nausea. This was absolutely outside my comfort zone. I was proud of what I accomplished at JWU, but though I did some great things and finished in the final four a bunch, I never won anything. Yeah, I had well over 30 guys play for me who were all-conference selected. Yeah, I was on the active most wins list for men’s volleyball in the country in 2019. Yeah, I was on committees that selected the All-Americans and the Top 15 teams each week. Those things were cool, but I hadn’t won a championship, and I had a hard time getting myself to talk about those things…
If you write a resume twenty five plus times, however, your story does become ingrained. If you are the product, people need to know why it’s worth their time and money to invest in you. Thus, your story becomes massively important. Your story also becomes your lifeline when you feel low. When things were really tough, I’d go through my story again and realize, yes, I do know what I’m talking about and I’ve accomplished some pretty cool things of which I can prove.
So, does all of that make me arrogant and pompous? Maybe. I’m confident for certain. I also do not suffer fools well. I also know that I can be the fool too, so I really try to be more patient then I used to be. Lastly, I’m most certainly in a stage of my life where I’m done playing games. I look around at local items, national items, and even worldly items…and it’s all games. It doesn’t feel like many are interested in getting right…just getting it right for them, or their ideology. This is a shame…but perhaps there is no other way it can be. Human beings…so complex…don’t know how we agree on anything…
Why this article now for week four? I guess what I’m sharing is what I’ve learned over the last five years. You have to believe in yourself and trumpet your accomplishments because no one else will…but there is a time and a place for that. Be mindful. Be confidant on calling the balls and strikes you see, but never be too about yourself to stop learning. Pompous can often be misconstrued…if I ignored you, it may have nothing to do with your ideas but more to do with the fact I have a massive migraine or my hearing is shot…or maybe your ideas are flawed and need rethinking. Have empathy, but know that people work for their own interest 90% of the time, so moves will get made that use you without your benefit in mind...and most times that’s ok. Lastly, if you truly think your story isn’t good enough…go on adventures and fix that. Doesn’t matter when you start…just put one foot in front of the other and go! As the famous line in Colin Hay’s “Overkill…” Ghosts appear and Fade away… Make your calls, stand your ground, deal in good faith, re-evaluate when shown evidence to the contrary, love the adventure!
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Sebastian DeCubellis - Lincoln - Setter - 30 assists, 4 kills, 16 digs, 6 blocks at Central Falls : 34 assists, 8 digs, 2 kills at Johnston.
Jackson Colton - Lincoln - Middle - 9 kills, 7 blocks, 3 digs at Central Falls : 10 kills, 11 blocks, 6 digs at Johnston
Tyler Biddle - Lincoln - Pin - 9 kills, 3 aces, 12 digs at Central Falls :
Hayson Ortiz - Pawtucket - Pin - 12 kills, 2 aces, 3 digs, 4 blocks vs. Woonsocket : 13 kills, 7 blocks, vs. West Warwick : 22 kills, 4 blocks, 12 digs at Classical
Jean-Lucas Barroso - Pawtucket - Setter - 31 assists, 3 aces vs. Woonsocket : 46 assists, 5 digs vs. West Warwick
Henry Kenyon - Westerly - Middle - 9 kills, 6 blocks vs. South Kingstown : 10 kills, 4 digs, 3 aces vs. Toll Gate
Ryan Harrington - North Kingstown - Pin - 11 kills, 10 digs, 2 blocks at Coventry : 18 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 8 digs at East Providence (Will pass Mason Andrade on career kills list [2nd all time] next match!!!)
Cody Tow - North Kingstown - Pin - 17 kills, 6 digs at East Providence (Has a career school record of 612 kills!!!)
Ryan Rathbun - North Kingstown - Pin - 9 kills, 5 blocks, 3 digs at East Providence
Evan Shea - North Kingstown - Setter - 32 assists, 7 digs, 2 aces at East Providence
Stephen Dufour - North Kingstown - Libero - 21 digs, 2 assists at East Providence
Ian Nascimento - Classical - Pin - 16 kills, 11 digs, 2 blocks, 2 aces at Barrington : 34 kills vs. Coventry
Jeraldy Santos - Classical - Libero - 28 digs at Barrington : 23 digs, 3 aces vs. Coventry : 43 digs vs. Pawtucket
Jacob Agramonte - Classical - Utility - 30 assists, 4 digs, 3 kills, 2 blocks at Barrington : 60 assists 6 kills, 5 digs, 3 blocks vs. Coventry
Landon Marland - Chariho - Pin - 17 kills, 10 digs at Bishop Hendricken : 11 kills, 12 digs at Cranston East
Kasey Poplaski - Chariho - Setter - 37 assists, 8 digs, 2 blocks at Bishop Hendricken
Kody Poplaski - Chariho - Pin - 13 kills, 17 digs at Cranston East
Carter Stolt - Chariho - Middle - 8 kills, 4 aces, 2 blocks, 5 digs at Bishop Hendricken
Andrew Ramos - Bishop Hendricken - 23 kills, 5 aces, 2 blocks, 7 digs vs. Chariho : 13 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks, 6 digs @ Cranston West
Ryan Narcessian - Bishop Hendricken - 13 kills, 2 blocks vs. Chariho : 12 kills at Cranston West
Ben Warr - Bishop Hendricken - 45 assists, 6 kills, 2 blocks, 5 digs vs. Chariho : 33 assists, 4 kills, 5 digs at Cranston West
Jim Terry - Pawtucket - Utility - 12 kills, 2 aces, 4 blocks, 5 digs vs. West Warwick : 10 kills, 11 digs, 4 blocks at Classical
Keandro Pinto - Central Falls - Pin - 12 kills, 4 aces vs. Pilgrim
Glen Andrade - Davies - Pin - 12 kills, 7 assists, 6 blocks against Exeter-West Greenwich
Santiago Giraldo Marin - Davies - Setter - 36 assists, 6 aces against Exeter-West Greenwich
Masiah Prak-Preaster - Coventry - Pin - 30 kills, 12 digs, 7 blocks at Classical
Cam Marcotte - Coventry - Utility - 17 kills at Classical
Santiago Harrington - Bishop Hendricken - Libero - 20 digs at Cranston West
Ashton Mak - Cranston West - Setter - 28 assists, 6 digs, 3 aces, 2 kills vs. Bishop Hendricken
Caleb Xum - Cranston East - Setter - 55 assists, 7 digs vs. Chariho
Dennis Dixon - Cranston East - Middle - 17 kills, 5 blocks vs. Chariho
Charles Pincince - Cranston East - Pin - 21 kills, 7 digs, 2 blocks vs. Chariho
Darien Peterson - Cranston East - Pin - 15 kills, 7 digs vs. Chariho
Brandon Mimande - East Providence - Pin - 16 kills, 10 digs vs. North Kingstown
Ean Williamson - East Providence - Libero - 23 digs vs. North Kingstown
Pablo Estrada - Central - Pin - 17 kills, 3 blocks, 6 digs at South Kingstown
Thanantkul Chan - Central - Setter - 36 assists, 4 blocks, 3 aces at South Kingstown
Chase Wolstencroft - South Kingstown - 45 assists, 12 digs, 2 kills, 2 aces vs. Central
Ezra Lanz - South Kingstown - Pin - 21 kills, 19 digs vs. Central
Dylan DeOliveira - Mt. Hope - Setter - 18 assists, 10 kills, 7 digs against Burrillville
Aj Kue - Achievement First - Setter - 18 assists, 8 aces, 2 kills, against Mt. Pleasant
Jairon Nunez - Achievement First - Pin - 13 kills against Mt. Pleasant
Jean-Lucas Barroso - Pawtucket - Setter - 44 assists, 6 digs, 4 blocks and 3 kills at Classical
Big Matches Coming Up…
North Kingstown at Cranston East and Bishop Hendricken this week!
Bishop Hendricken on the road against Chariho and Classical with that home match with North Kingstown.
La Salle Academy at Chariho and then playing some out of region matches.
Chariho seeing both Bishop Hendricken and La Salle Academy at home this week.
East Providence needs a sweep week against East Greenwich and Classical
Classical seeing East Providence and Bishop Hendricken after last weeks 13 sets of volleyball.
Westerly hosting Pawtucket, going to West Warwick, and then testing Portsmouth.
East Greenwich can prove they’re for real when they see East Providence and Coventry this week.
Coventry and Barrington’s last stand for the board with matches against each other plus East Greenwich for Coventry and North Smithfield for Barrington
Cranston West seeing La Salle and Cranston East…need to have at least one good showing here
Pawtucket at Westerly!
Portsmouth gets to battle St. Rays and Achievement First before going to Westerly.
The Tops…
Top Kill Guy of the Week – Ian Nascimento – Classical – 34 kills on Coventry
Top Dig Guy of the Week – Jeraldy Santos – Classical – 43 digs on Pawtuckett
Top Assist Guy of the Week – Jacob Agramonte – Classical – 60 assists on Coventry
Top Ace Guy of the Week – Santiago Giraldo Marin – Davies – 6 aces on Exter-West Greenwich
Top Block Guy of the Week – Jackson Colton – 11 blocks on Johnston
ResV Team of the Week…
Pin – Ian Nascimento – Classical – In a big week for Classical, Nascimento was a monster…topping off with a 30+ kills effort against Coventry!
Pin – Masiah Prak-Preaster – Coventry – returned the favor and dropped 30 kills on Classical…earning Honorable Baller of the Week accolades.
Middle – Dennis Dixon – Cranston East – Huge week for the big guy. 17 kill, 5 blocks on Chariho is top tier and he’s causing all sorts of problems for everyone at the net.
Middle – Jackson Colton – Lincoln – Monster match at Johnston and he’s solid play all year has been a huge key to his team’s undefeated first half of the season.
Pin – Ryan Harrington – North Kingstown – 18 kills on East Providence…the silent killer continues to flourish, especially when his team needs him most.
Setter – Caleb Xum – Cranston East – 55 assists on Chariho means the whole offense was cookin…and don’t discount the his involvement in the huge win at La Salle.
Libero – Jeraldy Santos – Classical – Lots of digs and spectacular plays from him this week.
Utility – Jim Terry – Pawtucket – In a week where his squad went 2-1, but had awesome showings in all three matches, Bornelius was a gigantic reason things were going strong.
ResV Top 10…
1. North Kingstown (8 – 0) – At the halfway point, the Skippers have only dropped two sets. Both of those set losses for were on the road…Cranston East and East Providence. I think the most interesting thing for this NK side is how they keep everyone happy. Cody Tow is having his standard season…and just recently became the all-time kills leader in North Kingstown history, surpassing Mason Andrade. Tow has 612 kills in his career and has eleven more regular season matches to play plus probably three more for playoffs, if they go the distance. If he gets 10 kills a night for all of them, he’d finish around 752. That’s pretty legit for a high school career. Ryan Harrington is right behind him. Harri is about to pass Mason, if he hasn’t already, and if we’re talking the same clip as Tow, Harri would finish roughly with 610. Again, pretty solid HS career. Right now, this Skipper side has zero fear and is playing solid ball…not sure who could take them apart enough to stop this fleet.
2. +2 Cranston East (6 – 3) – The Bolts could have taken this week to wallow in self-pity after dropping their match against North Kingstown at home. Spoilers, they did not. In fact, I’m happy to report that the North Kingstown match may have been the best thing to happen to this club. Premier losses create change. When you’re coaching a team that has a lot of talent and you get smoked…you have two choices. You can stay and enjoy getting run over, or you can change and find the right combination to compete. Cranston East did this, took the first set NK has dropped this season, and in the process may have found the right line up. You know what you’re going to get with the big three…Sir Charles, Xum, and Dennis. Sam Rivera has come on and is playing his best volleyball, which is great to see. Darien Peterson has developed into a pretty solid pin and Jordan Frisone has worked his way into the line. The formation I saw against NK when CE won is the one I would use, so now I’m curious can that crew go on a real run make those NK guys uncomfortable…
3. –1 Bishop Hendricken (5 – 2) – There is an argument to be made that the Hawks should have dropped further down the list when Chariho stunned them this past week. Trust me, I thought about it hard. What only made them drop one, was that every team, for the most part, is allowed to have a bad night. Getting upset doesn’t necessarily mean a pattern. Anyway, it’s proven my theory that Chariho, with all of their parts now on the floor, is not a fun time. The Hawks have a huge week ahead of them with Chariho again, Classical, and North Kingstown…you get a sweep here, the earlier Chariho loss is easily forgotten. Ben Warr and Andrew Ramos are as formidable a duo in the league, while Ryan Narcessian has really come into his own these last couple of weeks. With so many good Liberos this season in the league, it’s easy to forget that Santiago Harrington is right there as well. Ryan Yin can play and Zach Roebuck is coming along. So, still lots to like here with this Bishop Hendricken side…but this week will tell the tale.
4. –1 La Salle Academy (3 – 4) – The Rams are way more dangerous then their record indicates. That’s where we’ll start. I think they are built to do more damage then most teams realize, but they have had some tough losses. The toughest one was the opener at Coventry. Since then, you have battles with NK and Cranston East that have not gone their way…but the Rams are building none the less. I think the biggest thing for La Salle is to find a way for David Green, Jahmir Evans, and Flavio Tavares to all get 10 or more kills a night. This is possible. All three guys are dynamic and can really thrive with speed to the pin. If Steve Buco and Cooper Amaral can get the ball there a tic faster and a little lower…good things are going to happen. Chris Benell is having a great year, and the trio of ball control guys…Eli Nogueras, Ty Cotta, and Jackson Potter are better than anyone in the league not named Dufour or Vachon. All the Rams need is something to pull it all together…like that rug that was stolen from The Dude…
5. Lincoln (8 – 0) – This Lion side is the best team that Lincoln has put up since the start of the ResV rankings. I know what you’re thinking, “But Coach Reslow, they won the championship in 2023!” This is true, but that doesn’t mean that team is better then this one. In fact, if the 2023 team were to play the 2025 team, I would put my money, my house, and my vintage 20 gauge Browning shotgun bequeathed to me by my grandfather…it’s a very sweet and rare rifle with some heavy sentimental value on top…that the 2025 team would win in three. Why? Well, that 2023 team was solid in a bunch of ways, but a lot of those dudes were unorthodox players as they were primarily basketball guys. They caught fire at the halfway point and won games through grit, determination, and ignorance. This 2025 team, is mostly volleyball guys. I could do a whole article about the different matchups at each position, but there is no time…only 24 little hours… Jackson Colton is having a monster year. Sebastian DeCubellis has played himself into a college prospect. Tyler Biddle is surehanded on the pin and Brian Gugel is having a breakout year. Sure, there is still a half of season of volleyball to be played and sure, both Westerly and Pawtucket pushed them to five, but I don’t see anyone stopping the Lions this year, especially in the playoffs…but they do play the games for a reason…
6. +2 Chariho (5 – 3) – The dark horse in this RI boy’s volleyball race has to be Chariho in my mind. The Chargers have a team that features many of the pieces necessary to make a deep run in the playoffs, capped off with one of the toughest barns to play in as we start the second half of the season. Landon Marland and Kody Poplaski are volume hitters who can do work. Jaxon Vachon is as sure handed a lib as there is in the league, while Carter Stolt is a work horse in the middle. Kasey Poplaski has proven he can dish the ball well and even turn and attack when necessary. So, there is a lot to like here. It’s taken the Chargers a long minute to get everyone available, since they’re on now, why not Chariho? The Hendricken win on the road is proof that the Chargers can mean business. The real test will be the date with La Salle, but there can certainly be a hiccup before then as the Hawks are eager for the rematch.
7. –1 East Providence (5 – 5) - The Townies may be at seven for the moment, but I suspect they may rise. Currently, they’re a .500 ball club, but like Chariho, there is a lot of talent in the right spots here. Jordan Rodriguez and Brian Mimande are two real tough pins to deal with. Alex Robinson is running a pretty good show while Naya Phillip and Antonio Varela are doing strong work at the net. All of this adds up to a team that can score a lot of points when things are working properly. So, why the five losses? Well, passing seems to be a bit of thing for this EP side. Add that there have been moments where they were unable to field their proper team (another similarity to Chariho) and you have some unusual pitfalls. The passing thing worries me though. They can serve, they can score, they can block…but if passing is not where it’s supposed to be, it won’t matter. Still, I like this EP side. They took a set from NK, which shows it’s in there, and wouldn’t it be cool for them to get hot at just the right moment and have a classic dual with someone in the semis?
8. –1 Classical (6 – 2) – Necessity is the catalyst for invention. The Purple, in a theme that is now a three-team and counting story, were having a hard time putting their players on the floor. Why their players were unavailable is not my business, but unavailable they were, nonetheless. So, what to do… Well, let’s take one of our top weapons in Jacob Agramonte and make him the setter. Sure. Let’s take another guy we play everywhere but Libero and put him where he’s most comfortable…at Libero in Jeraldy Santos. Nice. Let’s take Ian Nascimento off the opp and make him our volume left. I like it. Jasper Hoefferle, want to go back to middle…ish? I bet you do! Emmett Taylor let’s put you on the right? Bingo. Holy schnikies this might work! A three-win week later with two ridiculous five set thrillers thrown in there as well…plus some are arguing that their five-set win over Coventry is the match of the year…well, you got something. I cannot believe how much I like Agramonte with hands! It’s where he’ll thrive, and I’m so stoked to see it. Nascimento can ball and Jeraldy has always been a revelation as the Lib. So, just like that, Classical is now very scary and I’m here for it.
9. Westerly (6 – 2) – The Bulldogs are kind of a guilty pleasure team to follow. For example, I would never tell anyone that I love listening to Lady Gaga. I mean, me, Coach Reslow, the coach with an orchestratic ear, liking Lady Gaga? Preposterous! I would agree, except when Just Dance comes on…all of a sudden I’m singing it. Telephone, my toe is tapping. Bad Romance may be a masterpiece! The new one, Abracadabra…God it’s terrible, but wonderful. Poker Face is my least favorite but I can’t help but smile when it’s on. This, my friends, is the definition of a guilty pleasure…and I think Westerly applies. My volleyball coaching instincts are a flame when I see them play, but I can’t stop watching either. Henry Kenyon is a monster in the middle. Full stop. He’s got to be in the conversation for top middles in the state. Chase Wycall, Tyler Brayman, and James Manfredi Jr. are all athletic and compete at a high level. Nate Paciga is unconventional but effective too! I like seeing this team go at it and they’ve been successful thus far. Like Bad Boy Ben always says (and it’s a strategy I’ve utilized many times) bring each team down to your level and beat them with experience…or a more serious way of saying it – If a team is better at the conventional things, make it uncomfortable for them and beat with things that they don’t normally see. Make it weird and see if they can adapt.
10. East Greenwich (5 – 4) – Speaking of guys I’m stoked to see doing well…East Greenwich has a bunch of them. The Avengers had a real tough schedule coming out the gate, but as the terrain got a little more stable, they’ve excelled. While Cranston West came out the shoot with wins, EG had to battle for every yard. They do own The CW which is a fun little victory. They’ve also shown North Smithfield the door twice. So, they’re doing the job against the teams they need to take care of. The question will be can they get a signature win? Chariho, East Providence, Classical feel like the most within reach, but if it all connects, who knows? Zach Gessman is playing solid ball and he’s teamed up with Cam Gates who is serving very well thus far this season. Aidan Huff is running middle well, while also being a guy you can put anywhere if need be. Luke Moio and Zion Sun are doing a nice job at the Libero spot while middle Matt Rosemark is doing a good job. To me, the whole thing revolves around Milo Sy. Sy is the most physical guy for the this crew and if he gets 12 kills, they got a great shot to get the dub. They’re a fun crew to watch and it’ll be interested to see if they make a run.
11. +1 Coventry (2 – 7) – The Oakers get the nod over The CW for eleven mainly because at any moment Coventry can put on a show. They lost to Classical at the Purple’s barn, but it was probably the match of the year! Overtime left and right and just exquisite play from Masiah Prak-Preaster… Cam Marcotte is growing into a real problem for opponents too. Cam Dotter is as competitive as anyone and has a strong ball control skill set plus the rest of the crew have some skill. Now, with all that being said, the Oakers desperately need consistency in their game. They have all the ability to cause issues for practically everyone, but if you make serving, passing, and hitting errors…especially in big moments in a match…there is just nothing to do. Normally when these things are happening, it’s because guys are doing more then they should. This type of pressing is due to the desire to stop losing, which I get. No one likes to lose, but if you are pressing too hard and creating more errors then positive plays, you create a doom loop where the losing just continues. The focus needs to be on one rally at a time and making the appropriate play each time. Easy to say, hard to do, but that’s where the Oakers are at.
12. –1 Cranston West (5 – 5) – The trend is not going great for Cranston West. They played pretty good ball out the gate, but trouble has followed them after their second loss to East Greenwich at home. East Providence and Bishop Hendricken both showed them the door in three…and we still don’t talk about that West Warwick loss the week before. So, where does The CW go from here? Ashton Mak is a premier set of hands and Ziyue Wang is a guy who can light up the stat sheet offensively. Lionel Alvarez can score in bunches and Henry De La Zerda has shown flashes of excellent Libero play. So, I think it comes down to spreading the ball around early and then finding Z late in matches. Makes sense on paper to be sure, but the execution will be challenging. Mainly because when it matters most, everyone in the building knows where the ball is going and blockers are already moving to the attacker…so Wang, and other pins, have to develop a chop off the block or go high hands expand to generate points late in sets. Tougher serving can also help the cause. The Falcons are hanging on…unfortunately, their schedule is getting harder.
13. Barrington (2 – 7) – This is the Eagles last stand on the ResV board. They see Coventry and North Smithfield this week and they have to get at least one to remain. If you had told me at the beginning of the season that Barrington would struggle to get their first D1 win at the halfway mark, I’d say it’s not probable…but perhaps. Well, here we are. What I don’t understand is how Barrington is unable to get Donovan Park ten plus kills a night. At a minimum, Park should be getting 20 swings a match. Cal Oberacker should be getting close to that many swings as well and just jumping over the block…Cal has springs to be sure. Now, to be fair, I’ve not caught many of their matches and haven’t had the time to really dissect what’s going with the Eagles. When you’re not in a team’s gym day in and day out, it’s really not a great way to analyze their situation. Regardless, this Eagle side has some talent and should be able to break through this week. Pump the ball to Park and Oberacker, swing high hands and deep and keep the serves in. Good things will follow.
14. +1 Pawtucket (7 – 2) – In week three, the lads from the Bucket took down Woonsocket, then upended the surprising Wizards of West Warwick, before falling to Classical in five sets. Pretty fun week of volleyball! Certainly, there are moments in that Classical match, they’d love to have back, but putting the fear into Classical is a nice feather to add to the cap, regardless of the result. Classical has ballers, so to push them to five…good stuff. Hayson Ortiz and Jim Terry give Pawtucket a solid one / two offensive punch that is pretty difficult to slow down. Both guys have good arms and block well, so nothing comes easy for the opponent. The flexibility this team has is pretty stellar too. They have multiple guys who can swing from multiple positions, plus they’re loaded at the setter position with Fernando Baptista and Jean-Lucas Barroso in their 6/2. I like this team and they’re going to make a run at it by the end.
15. –1 Portsmouth (8 – 0) – Nothing much to say here. They had the week off and their strength of schedule is what it is. They’re doing the job, though, and it’s been fun to watch Jack Casey and Sean Wilkey do work. Regardless, they dropped a spot as Pawtucket had themselves a great week and the Patriots were idle.
Receiving Votes… Central Falls, Mt. Hope, Hope, West Warwick
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 – I called him the anchor on that Skipper squad last week, and it’s absolutely the truth. Over the past seasons, you could count on taxes being collected and Tow getting ten plus kills. He’s off to his standard season again, and this week he put up big numbers on EP and Coventry. Thus, hats off to the current all-time kill leader of the historic North Kingstown boys volleyball program!
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 – Once again, the Oakers find themselves in the strange land of trying to piece together a win streak. Oddly enough, they have two giantic wins over La Salle and Cranston East…just no one else. Regardless, during this time frame, Masiah has been a baller. This week, in a five-set loss to Classical, Masiah put up 30 kills, 12 digs, 7 blocks in a monster effort!
Halfway Point Recognition…
The Pinnacle Pin (s)… Ryan Harrington, Cody Tow, Andrew Ramos, Charlie Pincince, Landon Marland, Masiah Prak-Preaster, Hayson Ortiz, Ian Nascimento, David Green, Tyler Biddle, Sean Wilkey, Jordan Rodriguez, Brandon Mimande, Jahmir Evans, Eli Torres, Ziyue Wang, Darien Peterson, Ryan Rathbun, Eli Torres, Jamilson Almeida, Zach Gessman, Flavio Tavares, Kody Poplaski
Bane of Existence Blocker (s)… Henry Kenyon, Dennis Dixon, Jackson Colton, Chris Benell, Carter Stolt, Ethan Pereira, Connor Valois, Antonio Varela, Sean Peters, Jack Casey, Aidan Huff, Cam Marcotte, Mustapha Ndoye, Jim Terry
Outrageous Orchestrator (s)… Ben Warr, Caleb Xum, Sebastian DeCubellis, Evan Shea, Stephen Buco, Kasey Poplaski, Ashton Mak, Jean-Lucas Barroso, Cooper Amaral, Alex Robinson, Rainen Paquet, Jacob Agramonte
Different Jersey Dynamo (s)…Stphen Dufour, Eli Nogueras, Santiago Harrington, Ty Cotta, Jeraldy Santos, Jaxon Vachon, Sam Viera, Luke Moio
Coach of the Year Candidates…Brian Hesford, Ridge Porter, Mike Harrington, Lyndsey Larson, Ka Men, Josh Malloy
Playoff Races Through Week One…
Division One:
North Kingstown – The Kings look destined to do it.
Cranston East – Has had real good showings of late. Have the talent across the board to win it.
Bishop Hendricken – Chariho upset hurt, but still one of the better squads in the hunt.
La Salle Academy – Having some issues putting the ball away, but when they’re clicking…very tough to stop.
Division Two:
Lincoln – Most complete team in D2. Can’t see them losing a step.
Westerly – Unorthodox, but brilliant. It’s going to be show no matter the result.
Pawtucket – Similar in style of play to Westerly…though they have more heat on the pin.
Central Falls – If the big dog is healthy, they’ll make a run.
Division Three:
Portsmouth – Top one/two combo in D3. No one in the division has the net play these guys do.
Mt. Hope – Feel like the only D3 team that has a shot to push Portsmouth out of the way.
Hope – Stacking up wins, but can they compete against the top two?
Achievement First – Having a good year, but may be just on the outside looking in.
ResV Coaching Tip of the Week:
Was speaking with a coach from Minnesota the other day… Kind of a Letterkenny opening… She asked how do I get players on the bench in games as her teams, both in club and high school, seem to have a lot of issues with the bench guys not being happy. Good teams with good players on the bench is a good problem to have. It’s what you’re really trying to do as a coach when creating a roster. The challenging part is keeping everyone moderately happy. First, lead with honesty. Let players know where they stand and what their role is. Once I’ve done this, I immediately schedule a meeting with them to sit down and cultivate a plan for them to get to their next level and what it will take for them to break the lineup. I also have to teach what I’m looking for, so that goes in with the plan we’ve created together. Lastly, I try to create for each match we play a gameplan for not just winning, but also if we get blow out sets. Whether we’re winning big or losing big, those become the moments to get guys on the bench time. One of my major rules is don’t let your starters take a beating in a set…get them off the floor and let them reset for the following set. Who is a starter is earned in the practice gym, and you should have some metric that you can show the players there why you’ve made the decisions you make…but when things go sideways for your starters the bench guys know this is an opportunity for them. It’s kind of like a long innings relief pitcher in baseball. Come in during a blow out, battle, and let the chips fall. Plus, if you go to the bench and they perform better then the starter, you can absolutely stick with them as they are on your team for a reason and sometimes the starter(s) just don’t have it. Lastly, you can give bench guys special roles. Serve Specialists can be monumental! Ask Tyler Jack from Wentworth! Defensive Specialists for middles can pay dividends on the serve. A blocking sub can change the whole thought process of the opponent. In addition, get those bench guys dancing and having fun so they’re warm, you have fans on the road, and their positive energy radiates to your guys on the floor.
ResV Player Tip of the Week:
For the love of St. Peter, please cease and desist with the tapping the head after a swing that hits the opposition in the head. Add, the OT low height signal to this order as well. Shouldn’t be obviously talking smack through the net, either.
“Why not, Coach Reslow?”
Well, there are many reasons, my sweet summer child, but I’ll give you the two I like the most. First, it ticks off the opposition. I don’t want to do anything to give the opposition an emotional reason to play better. I’ve seen it argued that this type of behavior is considered mild intimidation, and it could throw players off their game…Yeah, only if they’re not very good. Good players, see this and instantly think, “Oh, so it’s going to be like that…try to stop this!!!” I call it bully ball and whether you want to believe it or not, people who are competitors love to slap a bully back and see what happens next.
Secondly, it’s coming back to you at some point. Somebody will do it to you, especially if you consistently do it throughout the season. There is nothing like the hypocritical player, or coach, who cries foul with dudes talking through the net, when they do it every single match and are finally getting a taste of their own medicine.
Now, I do want everyone to have fun. The best way to do the above items is to do it with your teammates in your huddle after every play. You want to represent your team, coaches, family, school, etc. in the best light…so if you want to do the signs and talk trash, complete the play, turn to your team, huddle up, and then do it. Your teammates will love it, the crowd may see and cheer, but you’re not openly showing up your opponent which is the what these things tend to do and really no one likes.
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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