Week Seven - Will the World Change…
Mostly written on Monday, 5/18/26
For the first time in five years, I don’t have anything really to say here. Feels weird. I genuinely like to use my opening “monologue” for lack of better word, to give my two cents on something that moves me. There isn’t anything like that this week…I think.
I chose the title…Will the World Change…mainly because I was hoping it would spark a topic for me to riff on.
It didn’t seem too…
The other part that made the title work for me, is that we’re rapidly coming to the end, and I’m not sure I can make everything happen like I’ve done the previous four years. Things have become so expensive, and with my position at Wheaton, I’ve not been able to be a broadcaster, referee, sell coffee, and do all the little things I’ve done in the past to pay for the matches to occur in the form everyone knows. Gym time, Insurance, Shirts, Awards…I just don’t have the capital to do it all…
ResV has been one of the coolest things I’ve created. I love that people care about it, read the articles, and the matches give all the top volleyball players in the state one more good match before the summer…and most of them before they head off to college. It’s also allowed me to challenge some items in the volleyball sphere, while also pontificate on life, sports, advice, etc…those that know me best, know that I’m never short on that stuff, for better or for worse. ResV also gave me a voice when mine was stripped away in 2020 when JWU dissolved the men’s volleyball program. It kept my name in the volleyball world and probably had a little something to do with Wheaton hiring me. Lastly, ResV is the way I get to hang out with a large part of my friend circle. All of my friends help run this thing, by feeding me information, comings and goings, scores, stats, etc. It’s all that, but also I get to talk shop every week with them about this or that. I truly enjoy it.
Lastly, I love to write. The hardest thing for me this past year has been the degenerative situation with my eyes, which has made it hard to read and write. Reading books was a passion for me…no longer. Writing has become dangerous, as a migraine is around every corner, but I’ll probably never stop. In fact, my goal this summer is to finish a fiction novel I’m writing entitled “Leaving Ground”…it has nothing to do with volleyball and I’m stoked about that.
So, the world is changing…and changing fast. And, look, I have written some things. I still got it. I’ll also share a quick secret, which I find hilarious…the ResV website was attacked three times this season by what Squarespace called outside entities! How about that! All three times, Squarespace fought them and got my website back. I’m not saying that I’ve been late to deliver articles, but that didn’t help.
I will try to get something to happen with the ResV All-Star event. It’ll probably be a little different, but I do hope you all come out and either participate or be a fan if I can pull it off. I am thankful for all of the readers and players that dig ResV. Please know that regardless of my selfish reasons for it all, ResV exists to highlight you and your play. RI is still considered a secret hotbed of volleyball because of all the work you all have put it. Really, all I do my best to amplify that signal…and it’s been a pleasure to do so.
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Rainen Paquet - East Greenwich - Setter - 51 assists vs. Chariho : 41 assists, 12 digs, 4 kills at La Salle Academy
Matt Rosemark - East Greenwich - Pin / Middle - 17 kills vs. Chariho : 13 kills at North Kingstown : 10 kills at La Salle Academy
Cam Gates - East Greenwich - Pin - 22 kills, 14 digs, 2 aces vs. Chariho : 10 kills at North Kingstown
Aiden Acuna - East Greenwich - Middle - 10 kills vs. Chariho : 6 kills, 8 blocks, 5 digs at La Salle Academy
Donny Park - Barrington - Pin - 20 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs at La Salle Academy : 11 kills, 7 aces against Cranston West : 22 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks, 22 digs against Classical
Cal Oberacker - Barrington - Pin - 10 kills, 2 aces, 4 digs at La Salle Academy : 24 kills, 3 aces against Classical
Logan Lane - Barrington - Setter - 36 assists, 12 digs at La Salle Academy : 64 assists, 4 blocks against Classical
Jayden Simao - La Salle Academy - Libero - 30 digs vs. Barrington
Alex Robinson - East Providence - Setter - 30 assists vs. Bishop Hendricken
Aaron Uttley - Woonsocket - Pin - 11 kills, 3 blocks, 6 aces against South Kingstown
Caden Hicks - North Providence - Middle - 14 kills, 5 blocks, 4 assists vs. Mt. Hope : 13 kills, 2 blocks against Block Island
Timileyin Durojaye - North Providence - Middle - 12 kills, 4 blocks vs. Mt. Hope : 9 kills, 7 blocks against Block Island
Dylan Shaw - Mt. Hope - Pin - 15 kills, 3 aces, 11 digs at North Providence
Matt Moran - Mt. Hope - Middle - 13 kills, 6 blocks, 11 digs at North Providence
Dylan DeOlivera - Mt. Hope - Setter - 40 assists, 3 kills at North Providence
Jovanny Lopez - Central Falls - Setter - 32 assists, 5 aces against North Smithfield : 31 assists, 5 kills, 6 digs against Central : 47 assists, 16 digs, 2 aces, 2 kills, against Westerly
Emmanuel Tavares - Central Falls - Pin - 10 kills, 5 digs against North Smithfield
Ziyue Wang - Cranston West - Pin - 10 kills, 4 digs, 3 blocks against Classical
Ashton Mak - Cranston West - Setter / Pin - 20 assists, 4 kills, 3 blocks, 4 digs against Classical
Milo Sy - East Greenwich - Pin - 17 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 17 digs at La Salle Academy
Flavio Tavares - La Salle Academy - Pin - 21 kills vs. East Greenwich
Jackson Souto - La Salle Academy - Setter - 31 assists, 2 aces vs. East Greenwich
David St. Ong - La Salle Academy - Pin - 12 kills, 9 digs vs. East Greenwich
Connor Whitaker - La Salle Academy - Middle - 9 blocks vs. East Greenwich
Ford Ernst - Block Island - Pin - 15 kills 8 digs, 2 blocks vs. North Providence
Landon Marland - Chariho - Pin - 16 kills, 2 aces, 11 digs against Westerly : 16 kills, 8 digs against Coventry
Jaxson Vachon - Chariho - Libero - 18 digs 2 aces against Coventry
Reid McCann - Chariho - Pin - 15 kills, 9 digs against Coventry
Kody Poplaski - Chariho - Setter - 44 assists, 15 digs against Westerly : 35 assists, 10 digs against Coventry
Caleb Locke - Chariho - Middle - 15 kills, 2 aces against Westerly
Rafael Borges - Central Falls - Middle - 8 kills, 6 blocks against Central
Andrew Ramos - Bishop Hendricken - Pin - 24 kills, 3 aces, 11 digs at East Providence : 24 kills, 5 blocks against Cranston East
Ty Karten - Bishop Hendricken - Pin - 14 kills, 16 digs, 2 blocks against Cranston East
Zack Roebuck - Bishop Hendricken - Middle - 15 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks at East Providence
Ryan Yin - Bishop Hendricken - Setter - 51 assists, 9 digs, 3 blocks, 2 aces at East Providence : 48 assists against Cranston East
Jake Brock - Bishop Hendricken - Pin - 11 kills, 11 digs at East Providence
Nicholas Goncalves - Central Falls - Pin - 18 kills, 2 blocks, 12 digs against Westerly
D. Rojo Rodriguez - Central Falls - Libero - 29 digs against Westerly
Emanuel Tavares - Central Falls - Pin - 10 kills, 22 digs against Westerly
Aggerson Vetiaque - Cranston East - Pin - 25 kills, 5 digs against East Providence
Jordan Frisone - Cranston East - Pin - 15 kills, 6 digs against East Providence
Rodney Dickerson - Cranston East - Pin - 14 kills against East Providence
Robbie Daniels - Cranston East - Setter - 54 assists, 14 digs, 3 aces against East Providence
ResV Top 15…
La Salle Academy (11 - 2) - Rams suffer their first defeat on Rhode Island soil. It was bound to happen, I suppose. It’s truly hard to keep the wolves at bay the entire time in this sport. Regardless of the loss to Barrington and the shaky outing against East Greenwich, I still have the Rams at the top of the list. If someone else can get them next week, we can adjust, but to me this La Salle team is the top seed in the tournament.
+1 Barrington (11 - 5) - The two left hammers were on point the night the Eagles went to the mountaintop. It was a gutty, three-set performance to knock off the Rams, but if there was a team to do it…why not Barrington? In this league, it’s often all about the leftside attackers and the best ones in the land live in Barrington. So, now what? They’re the two or three seed in my mind, but remember the ResV ranking aren’t always the same as the RIIL ones. Still, who would want to play this Eagle side? They serve tough, have all the heat on the left, and can grind with anyone. We’ll wait and see how it all falls into place.
Update - Eagles get clipped by the Avengers in four!
+1 Bishop Hendricken (12 - 3) - The Hawks had the week they needed to get back into championship conversations. Dispatching Cranston East twice and handing EP a loss…almost can’t get a better week then that. So, now this Hendricken side looks to the playoffs. I think RIIL wise they basically have the second seed, but one never knows. RPI rankings and what not seem wonky to me every year. Still, Hendricken does have a lot of what will win you games in the playoffs. Good banger on the left, solid middles, decent ball control, stout at the net, and tough serving…not a bad recipe. One of the beautiful things about this year is the different styles and comparative level of teams…Hendricken will join that cacophony of sound and will be one of the hardest notes to squash.
—2 Cranston East (11 - 7) - Strikes and gutters, highs and lows, for this Bolt team. Started off in a challenging way, made a run in the middle, just had a tough week…losing to Hendricken twice, though did get by EP…and now the future. With that said, there are still tough plays that need to be made to bounce this CE side out of the playoffs. They are also pretty mailable. With all the lineups they’ve tried, they could probably put pieces almost anywhere, especially with strategy on the mind, and get the same level of play. This is valuable as it will allow the Bolts to get matchups that could elevate them to wins. Shuffling the deck and moving the pieces is always a dangerous proposition, but if they’ve done it all year, why not? It could lead to a fascinating playoff run for the defending champs.
Update - Bolts handle Chargers in three sets to strengthen case for playoffs seeding.
North Kingstown (7 - 7) - The most deceiving win loss record to day award goes to the the current volleyball royalty of North Kingstown. The .500 club that I would want nothing to do with…is no question going to be a pain to dismiss when it’s win or go home time. Now, it did take them half the year to figure out the plan, but now, this Skipper side is aggressive and will make waves. Passing may be the last hurdle for them, and as most know, that could be the hurdle that sinks the ship. If they can weather that part of the storm, why not North Kingstown? It would be the least fanfare team from NK to make a run, which would make it the sweetest win.
Update - Skippers survive Townies in five!
+1 Classical (9 - 6) - Of the Purple…the true Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the teams this year. There are moments when things look bleak for Classical…then there are moment when I don’t think anyone can’t beat them. Which team is it? Neither, probably a combination in the middle. When they have things going, there is a lot to like…dangerous pin, athletic play at the net, solid defense. The problem is that it can fall apart just as quickly it appear. Now, if anyone catches them when it’s rockin, they’re going to be in a world of trouble…and I believe that is what Classical is betting on. If it’s our night, there will be nothing you can do. Let’s hope that’s what happens when the chips are pushed to center of the table.
Update - Purple face a tough injury and still rally to stop Oakers…
—1 East Providence (9 -7) - Very tough week for the Townies. If memory serves, this is the first winless week for them. Now, the schedule was really challenging. Not many teams make it through a gauntlet of La Salle, Hendricken, and Cranston East. The CE match is the one, I’m sure, that EP would love to have back. That one was at CE, which is a tough place to play and it went five. Good showing, just ended on the wrong end of the stick. I still like this EP team to do some damage in the playoffs. They’re armed with good ball control, scoring on the right, and middle play that can dominate. They also play their standard tenacious ground defense that East Providence is known for. So, tough week…they’ll need to bounce back, but still a scary opponent in the tournament.
Update - EP falls to NK in five in valiant effort.
East Greenwich (9 - 8) - Avengers finally got back in the win column this week when they stalled the Chariho train at home. Boy, did they need that one. Following it up, they wrestled the top seed, La Salle, to a five-set loss on the road…which is absolutely something to build on. To this point, it’s been a tough road for the Mid-State Knights as they started a top five team, and then had the challenging stretch in the middle where nothing was working, to where we are now. It’s hard to tell what the future holds for this crew, however there are signs that the rebound is happening. Chariho was one of the hotter team in the state when EG beat them. Taking the top seed to five is another encouraging sign. Due to the strong start this crew had, all it will take is one or two big wins and they’re back in business.
Update - Avengers take Barrington down in four! Huge vic!
Lincoln (10 - 5) - I know West Warwick only has two losses, and Westerly is also underneath them as well in the loss column, but something is telling me that Lincoln is the team to beat in D2. I could be wrong…it has happened many times…but the way Lincoln works when things are on full blast is a better level then anyone else in the conference. Now, the key is “when” things are working. There have been plenty of times it has not been working and things looked, well, awful. You can say that about 90% of the teams in the state as well. Wizards and Bulldogs have been a tic more consistent, but Lincoln has been hot this second half of the campaign. Now, we’ll find out tonight, as Lincoln sees the Wizards, how the Lions fare…however, even if they lose, I still just have this feeling come playoff time that the defending champs might be the hardest out of all.
Update - Lincoln falls to West Warwick in four…
West Warwick (14 - 2) - If you read the above blurb on Lincoln, and you’re a Wizard fan, you’ll think I’m nuts. You may be right, I may be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for… How dare I quote Billy Joel here? Look, part of being a volleyball pundit is going with hunches and vibes. It’s a boring article, and a boring commentator, if I just say the top seed is going to win every time. Variety is the spice of life, I once heard. Regardless, West Warwick is the top seed right now for a reason. They have the top overall offense at the D2 level and they’re very physical at the net. Those two items guarantee a playoff run of sizable proportions. Can they run to the top? Sure. Could things falter? As much as it could for anyone in the state, I presume. Still, if seedings hold, they will see Lincoln in the second round and we’ll get to see how solid my prediction is…which will be fun.
Update - Wizards zap the Lions in four to prove a top seed point! What does Reslow even know these days?
+2 Central Falls (12 - 6) - The Warriors had a bit of a slow start this year, but, boy have they made it up for it fast. They still probably have a too many losses for comfort, but I like the style of volleyball they’re playing now and the results of late speak for themselves. Of their last four, they have wins over West Warwick, Westerly, North Smithfield, and Central. Three of those opponents are potential playoff teams, with North Smithfield being the lone outlier. Yeah, I think this Central Falls side is a good enough bet in a wild D2 world. Naturally, but it could go all sorts of ways this playoff season, but CF belongs in the mix without question. The Warriors do have as a good a shot as anyone and it wouldn’t be surprising if they made it to the final match. As with most teams, it all depends how they play when the lights are the brightest.
—1 Westerly (12 - 4) - The Bulldogs have two of the top players in the state and they’re able to hang and bang with anyone. The big red flag, however, is their losses. They were unable to figure out Lincoln, West Warwick, Central Falls, and Portsmouth got them the second time through. Those four teams are the playoffs, basically, for D2. Certainly, Pawtucket is another threat, but they’ve not had the year they generally have…kind of wild they’re looking the third seed in the playoffs and have more losses then the 7th seed…while Central and Juanita Sanchez can also provide difficult puzzles for the Bulldogs. Still, I like Westerly’s approach…we have big dogs, we’re going to use them. I also like that each week the supporting cast has gotten better and better. That’s what it supposed to happen. Thus, I’m interested to see how far this Bulldog team goes and it should be fun to see them make the fun.
Update - Bulldogs outlast tough Juanita Sanchez side to stay at the top.
+2 Chariho (6 - 11) - Chargers need to regroup and get it going one more time. It’s been a Roller Coaster ride for this Chariho side all year. The beginning was tough, very tough…not a lot of positives. When all hope felt lost, though, the Chargers suddenly caught fire! For a bit, they were the team you did not want to see because they were taking down everyone. Then, as quickly as it came, East Greenwich became the wall that stopped their roll, beating them in four at home…now, it’s back to the struggles. Thus, I propose what I stated in the beginning of this little blurb…get it going one more time. Playoffs are all but here, so it’s basically two weeks of concentration and all out play. Of all years, this is the “why not us” year for practically every team in the playoffs, so gather the pieces, pull it together, and make it happen for two weeks…because, if nothing else, it’ll beat the alternative.
Mt. Hope (13 - 3) - Huskies continue to sit in the pole position in D3, however the stunning loss to North Providence does give pause. How much pause, though? It’s not like NP swarmed them and let em have it. The match went five and North Providence finished the fifth set ahead. It happens. So, where does this leave everything? Kind of in the same spot it started. Mt. Hope is the top seed. I do think the win mattered a lot more to North Providence as it proved they belonged in the top five and are a threat. Mt. Hope does also now have to worry about North Providence as well as Exeter / West Greenwich in the playoffs…though I have a feeling both teams will play each other at some point just to get to Mt. Hope. Maybe. One never can tell this year. As with D1 and D2, I think almost anything can happen with the top 5 to 7 teams in the playoffs. Mt. Hope is the top dog, but will have to be ever vigilant to repeat.
—2 Coventry (5 - 10) - The Oakers have travelled the similar path to Chariho in that struggles started the season, the pivot happened and they were massively dangerous, and now the vibe has settled back down. It is interesting to me how that ebb and flow I’ve described is a pathway that many have followed this year…perhaps even most have followed this year. Who has truly played consistent ball this campaign? Not many, to be sure. So, where does this Coventry team sit? Like Chariho, they hold one of the last playoff positions. Still, I think Coventry is dangerous. They have some pop, they’ve upset some people, and play about the same level whether they’re on the road or not. That’s not a bad recipe. It just comes down to whether they can have a crazy night when it matters most…like us all.
Receiving Votes: Cranston West, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Central, Exeter/West Greenwich, North Providence
ResV Player of the Week…
Week One - Aggerson Vetiaque - Cranston East - Jr. - Pin
Week Two - Cam Gates - East Greenwich - Jr. - Pin
Week Three - Sean Peters - North Kingstown - Sr. - Middle
Week Four - Eli Lopez - Cranston West - Sr. - Pin
Week Five - Ryan Yin - Bishop Hendricken - Sr. - Setter
Week Six - Henry Kenyon - Westerly - Sr. - Middle
Week Seven - Donny Park - Barrington - Sr. - Pin - Had a monster match against La Salle and was a major factor in Barrington handing the Rams their first RI loss. Park has been arguably the top left in the league are year and that Rams match made it an easy call for this.
ResV Honorable Baller of the Week…
Week One - Ziyue Wang - Cranston West - Sr. - Pin
Week Two - Luke Brock - South Kingstown - Sr. - Pin
Week Three - Zackary Rzemien - Coventry - Sr. - Setter
Week Four - Caleb Locke - Chariho - Jr. - Middle
Week Five - Henry DeLa Zerda - Cranston West - Sr. - Libero
Week Six - Armando Ramirez- Juanita Sanchez - Sr. - Pin
Week Seven - Ford Ernst-Block Island - Ernst put up a 15 spot on North Providence as Block Island fell. 15 kills, 8 digs, and 2 blocks to be exact. That’s real good work against a top seed in the playoffs and well worthy of mention.
Playoff Races Through Week Four…
D1:
La Salle Academy - Tasted defeat for the first time from RI, wobbled against EG, but still own the top spot.
Barrington - The La Salle win gives them a huge bump, but can they hold it?
Bishop Hendricken - Back on the right track and playing good ball…
Cranston East - Tough week for the Bolts, but it was solely at the hands of the Hawks and CE could miss them in the playoffs anyway.
North Kingstown - One of the many teams, I wouldn’t want to see in the playoffs…
D2:
West Warwick - Top seed for a reason. Only question left is can they do it on a neutral court…
Lincoln - Have battled all the way back…and you know what they say about any defending champs…they ain’t out until the very last whistle.
Central Falls - They grind and ball well. I think they could make a substantial run in the playoffs.
Westerly - Probably the most dangerous team in D2. If they get rolling, they have pieces that are incredibly hard to stop.
Pawtucket - Still a threat, but they have a lot of losses and have not faired well against the top four.
D3:
Mt. Hope - The class of the league…but that North Providence loss makes me wonder…
North Providence - NP has had a ridiculous season and they were able to get Mt. Hope when EWG could not. I’m excited to see what they do in the playoffs.
Exeter/West Greenwich - Still a huge threat in D3. They play pretty good ball, can score, and are pretty
Toll Gate - Titans have had trouble with Mt. Hope (who hasn’t?) but also EWG. They can ball, but can they limit their errors enough…
St. Raphael’s - From left field, St. Rays is in the mix and certainly have a puncher’s chance…just like everyone.
ResV Coaching Tip of the Week:
With time almost up on the season, it is key to tighten up the line up in preparation for the playoffs. What does that mean? Well, know your “Go Crew” and then have your first two moves ready, should anything go wrong. You don’t want to be guessing at this point of the campaign, nor do you want that in the playoffs.
Now, with that being said, I highly recommend planning out a pathway for all the players on your varsity roster and make sure your practice a couple of times. When things go wrong, you may get a gut feeling that a certain player needs to go in and grab the moment…it could be anyone on the roster, especially if things are at the point where you need to throw the kitchen sink to stay alive. It is for this reason that it’s crucial you get those reserves some looks in tough practice moments, so they have some confidence and you have a couple of bullets in the gun when things are at it’s bleakest.
ResV Player Tip of the Week:
It’s always around this time that I get a little misty eyed with the end of the road…which is great because my eyes need all the moisture I can muster. With the season officially rounded third and heading home, just take a moment to enjoy the moment and reflect on all the cool stuff that’s happened. Gratitude and appreciation is important here, as it will arm you with a desire to not let the ball hit the floor and not let down the team. This is a powerful thing in our sport where most of the time it’s the goal of the opposition to break you mentally so you just fall over. If you care about your teammates and the program, you won’t be so easy to knock over. Moreso, you can be not only satisfied with your effort, leaving it all on the floor, but also there is nothing less dangerous then a team with nothing to lose and love for it’s teammates.
Finish strong and go get em. This year is all about the unknown creating fireworks. Go create some sparks!
NOTE- Thank you to everyone sending me information! This year it’s harder then ever to find stats from matches and obtain relative information. I may not respond to your email, but I am grateful for the data.
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!