Week Six…We’re Way Past the Point of No Return…
Written on May 11th, 2026
Caught a movie called Mr. K this weekend.
It was a strange one. It was about a failed magician, played by Crispin Glover, chasing a gig that perhaps would put him back in the spotlight…if he had ever been there at all. As with most events to work, one tries to find a place to stay close to where it’s held…so that it’s incredibly hard to miss or be late. Mr. K finds a hotel…but Mr. K is also down on his luck, so he requires a hotel that is inexpensive. The hotel he chooses is run down, eclectic, but worn thin. There is a small tinge that pokes him as he’s looking at the door…like perhaps you don’t want to do this…but he ignores and enters.
Inside the hotel, he traverses stairs to the main lobby where a dog sits near the front desk. The women running the table, only has a single eye, the other clouded. She ignores his questions, checks him in quickly, and whisks him away to his room. Once there, Mr. K appreciates his surroundings, preps for his big day coming up, and then falls into a troubled sleep. Upon waking, and after packing his belongings, he finds that he cannot find the exit to the hotel. The floor plan he remembered is completely different. In a panic, Mr. K tries to find someone, anyone, to speak with. He learns that all of the people are trapped in the hotel and most of them can’t remember why, or how, they are there.
From learning that he’s trapped to discovering all the people that are in the hotel with him, Mr. K decides to figure a way out. He tries to mark the hallways and doors to create some sort of map to perhaps gleam an exit. Meanwhile, people in the building lore him to their own issues. He’s playfully robbed and then dragged into employment in the kitchen. He plays along for a bit, then orchestrates a mutiny on the lead chef, in hopes someone on staff can get him to the exit. Other trapped visitors hear of this coup, and start to realize that he wants to escape…factions are created. Some want to follow Mr. K, others will do anything they can to stop him, including wiping off his markings and destroying his DIY designed maps of the complex. All the while, anytime Mr. K gets close to figuring something out, a marching band emerges from the floor boards and chase him away.
This is my kind of movie. It’s strange, bizarre, whimsical, and thought provoking. It’s clearly an ode to Kafka and the themes and storylines that run through his work. It also felt pretty real to me. The idea of searching for that last chance while simultaneously getting caught up in world that one can’t seem to emerge from. Worse yet, you see the flaws and cracks in said environment…but no one else does. You try to show them, but they don’t believe you. It dawns on you that it would be better if you were like everyone else and just were ignorant to it all…or at the least willingly blind.
My favorite scene in the movie is after he discovers that his markings have been wiped away, his map destroyed, and his revolt crushed…he looks out the window, of which he’s somehow on like the 10th or 15th floor in the building, seemingly alone and abandoned, and screams, “I’m not done yet!!!” The camera shot is from across the courtyard and thus his rage and defiance feels small and thrown into the void. It’s this part that is truly valuable for this article.
The world is full but empty, meaning there is far fewer people that care about your decisions and trajectory they you think…yet there are people everywhere. Thus, it is vital that you have this spark of rebelliousness in you. For when everything has not gone your way and it feels like you are alone…that is when you throw open the window and shake your fist at the world and proclaim, “I’m not done yet!!!” with as much insolence as you can muster. Even if it’s to the void, your decisive stance and proclamation that you will not be broken completely, demonstratively fires up the machine of action and resourcefulness. This “I’ll show you!” attitude is the marker that defies failure and ultimately is the genesis of self belief in this perceptively lonely, crumbling, world.
Enjoy the movie, if interested, and always keep fighting. Remember, you’re not done yet.
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Emmanuel Tavares - Central Falls - Pin - 16 kills, 4 blocks, 10 digs against West Warwick
Nicholas Goncalves - Central Falls - Pin - 18 kills, 3 blocks, 9 digs against West Warwick
Jovanny Lopez - Central Falls - Setter - 38 assists, 8 digs, 4 blocks against West Warwick
Aggerson Vetiaque - Cranston East - Pin - 18 kills vs. Classical : 12 kills, 10 digs vs. Barrington
Jordan Frisone - Cranston East - Pin - 11 kills, 2 aces vs. Classical : 14 kills, 7 digs, 3 aces vs. Barrington : 15 kills, 8 digs at East Greenwich
Sean Dolan - Cranston East - Pin - 7 kills, 6 aces, 2 blocks vs. Classical : 6 kills, 6 blocks at East Greenwich
Robbie Daniels - Cranston East - Setter - 38 assists, 2 aces, 7 digs vs. Classical : 38 assists, 5 blocks, 13 digs vs. Barrington : 35 assists, 6 blocks, 4 aces at East Greenwich
Mike Gallo - West Warwick - Pin - 16 kills, 4 blocks at Central Falls : 21 kills, 2 blocks, 5 digs against South Kingstown
Ian Degnan - West Warwick - Setter - 31 assists, 4 blocks against South Kingstown
Ethan Pereia - West Warwick - Pin - 8 kills, 6 blocks at Central Falls
Henry Kenyon - Westerly - Middle - 31 kills, 9 digs, 6 blocks at Central
Grady Auth - Westerly - Setter - 42 assists, 11 digs, 5 kills, 6 blocks, 4 aces at Central
Pablo Valdez - Central - Setter / Pin - 12 kills, 15 assists, 5 aces vs. Westerly
Dewa Putra - Central - Libero - 22 digs, 8 assists vs. Westerly
Sean Peters - North Kingstown - Middle - 12 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks at Cranston West : 15 kills, 4 blocks against Barrington
Jayden Yang - North Kingstown - Setter - 37 assists, 8 digs, 3 aces at Cranston West : 34 assists, 9 digs, 3 blocks, against Barrington
Owen Schneider - North Kingstown - Pin - 12 kills, 10 digs at Cranston West
Ashton Mak - Cranston West - Setter - 17 assists, 5 kills, 3 blocks, 7 digs vs. North Kingstown
Ean Williamson - East Providence - Libero - 20 digs against North Smithfield
Chase Wolstencraft - South Kingstown - Setter - 20 assists, 3 kills, 3 aces, 5 digs against Juanita Sanchez
Luke Brock - South Kingstown - Pin - 11 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs against Juanita Sanchez
Armando Ramirez - Juanita Sanchez - Pin - 18 kills against South Kingstown
Eliah Torrez - Juanita Sanchez - Pin - 17 kills against South Kingstown
Landon Marland - Chariho - Pin - 15 kills, 3 aces, 5 digs vs. East Providence
Zachareus Desrosiers - Achievement First - Middle - 12 kills, 5 blocks, against St. Raphaels
Sebastian Fernandez - Achievement First - Pin - 10 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks against St. Raphaels
Donny Park - Barrington - Pin - 21 kills, 3 aces, 5 blocks, 19 digs against North Kingstown
Logan Lane - Barrington - Setter - 40 assists, 8 digs against North Kingstown
ResV Team of the Week…
Week Six!
Pin- Donny Park - Barrington - Sr.
Pin - Landon Marland - Chariho - Sr.
Middle - Henry Kenyon - Westerly - Sr.
Middle - Zachareus Desrosiers - Achievement First - Sr.
Pin - Michael Gallo - West Warwick - So.
Setter - Robbie Daniels - Cranston East - Jr.
Libero - Dewa Putra - Central - Jr.
Utility - Jordan Frisone - Cranston East - Jr.
ResV Top 15…
La Salle Academy (11 - 1) - The Rams have all the cards, and I think everyone knows it. Truthfully, I was skeptical at the beginning of the campaign, on whether La Salle had the juice to run the table. Today, I stand and ask, who can beat them? They have the best ball control in the state…full stop. Jayden Simao may be the most important player in the league. He’s arguably the top passer and defensemen. He cleans up everything for the Rams. Cooper Amaral Morris, CAM from here on out, runs a solid offense, but also is cut from that grind it out cloth. Flavio is the tip of the spear, no question, but La Salle gets pops from everyone, including Daniel Ayorinde, who doesn’t get enough exposure. So yeah, I’m not sure who can get them. East Providence and Barrington will give it a go this week…
+5 Cranston East (10 - 5) - The Bolts are indeed back. I think I wrote something like that in the last article, but it felt more tongue and cheek then. Today, it’s a full on fact. Cranston East played four matches last week and won all of them. They saw Classical, Barrington, Coventry, and East Greenwich…#5, #6, #15, and #4, respectively…though those were last week’s rankings. It’s different now). It was a grueling scheduled week, but an important one. CE struggled out the gate this year, and some of those loses were hard to stomach. So, it was vital for the Bolts to make a dramatic, “I’m done with this” statement week. Jordan Frisone has come alive and may be the top weapon for Cranston East. Daniels and Vetiaque ultimately are the engine that make it go, but when Frisone and Sean Dolan get going as well…it’s really tough to stop. A double dose of Hendricken awaits them this week, along with a date with East Providence.
Update - The Bolts succumb to Bishop Hendricken in four to stop the streak.
+3 Barrington (8 - 5) - The Eagles continue to be, like many teams this year, kind of a weird bunch. Barrington has the top two lefts in the state in the tandem of Donny Park and Cal Oberacker…as good as it gets in this league. Park is having a POY campaign, and Oberacker is doing a lot of the dirty work that is essential for this team to fly. Logan Lane is a very good setter that does a nice job locating Park and Oberacker, along with the other attackers in the fleet. Question is, why five losses then? The consistency factor, again, almost all the teams this year are struggling with, seems to be the issue. One moment, the Eagles are crushing a top opponent, the next, they can’t seem to get out of each other’s way. They’re probably ranked a little too high, but I do believe strong lefts should lead to lots of wins, plus Hendricken and East Greenwich just had disastrous weeks. The Eagles will try to get revenge on Classical tonight…and also survive Cranston West and La Salle later on. If you’re an Eagles fan, one would think they need to at least go 2 - 1 here…
Update - Eagles deny Purple an upset with five set vic.
—2 Bishop Hendricken (9 - 3) - When I tell you that last week did not go as planned for the Hawks…I’m not making things up. The only thing that could have made the week worse was if there was an injury. We here at ResV never want to see players hurt, so we are grateful this is not the case. Still, Hendricken is showing signs of fatigue. There was the initial upset loss to Cranston West, the less then thrilling appearance at the Rhody, and now back to back losses with Coventry and La Salle. We’ve been saying for a bit now, the Oakers are dangerous and the Rams are the cream of the crop, so it’s not unheard of to be looking forward to your match with the #1 and then get upset by #15 (at the time). It also appears that Hendricken’s passing has left them for a stretch. This is not good, if not for the sole purpose that they need to pass the ball well to get Zack Roebuck the ball. In my eyes, Roebuck is the key to this team. Yes, Ramos is dominant this season, but if the Hawks are unable to run Roebuck, the block can load up on the pins and create frustrating situations for Ramos and the rest of the pin corps. If Roebuck is scoring at will, blockers will need to help and now the Hendricken pin guys get easier looks. Standard volleyball. Can the passing improve enough to take one of two from Cranston East and then stay strong EP this week?
Update - Hendricken stops Cranston East’s string of wins with a four-set win.
—2 East Providence (9 - 4) - I do my best not to write anything negative in my articles. The ResV writings are to inform, entertain, inspire, and sometimes create depth in thought…not for insulting or negativity. So, in keeping in that tradition, I’d like to politely ask EP, what, in heaven’s name, happened at Chariho? I’ve been watching matches, when I’ve had a moment, this entire season. I’ve seen EP play three or four times, and I’ve seen Chariho play about the same. When I tuned in to see the match last week, it was like a weird role reversal…like Freaky Friday for high school boys volleyball…minus Jamie Lee Curtis. Chariho absolutely let the Townies have it. It was the best I’d seen the Chargers play, and the most struggles I’d seen from East Providence. Wild! On any given Sunday, I guess. I’m not sure if the North Smithfield win lulled EP to sleep or just Chariho had the game of their lives for this season…but it was striking. Now, everyone is entitled to a bad day. I’ve coached matches where no matter what we did, we just weren’t winning that match. It happens. Problem is, now the Townies have the gauntlet. La Salle, Bishop Hendricken, and Cranston East…all this week. Similar to Hendricken, I think the Townies have to get the ball to Riley Wilson as much as possible. Wilson scores at a real high clip in the middle, so if EP can pump him with volume, this will take some of the pressure off of Pereira and the rest of the pin crew…oh, and Williamson will have to stand on his head this week. :)
+3 North Kingstown (5 - 7) - This one is more of feel than perfect data. Let me explain. One could look at the Skipper’s record and recoil in disbelief. How can this club have seven losses and be ranked 6th in the state? Well, similarly to Cranston East, North Kingstown got off to a slow start. This was understandable, as the roster was 80% different then last years…especially those that saw the floor. With only Peters, Harrington, and Yang getting varsity minutes, everyone understood that it was going take some time for this new Skipper team to figure it out. I think they’re close. Is this another case where a team is probably ranked a little high due to other programs having tough weeks…maybe. Still, this NK side has played everyone pretty tough since the middle of April. They’ve played in four five-set matches and four four-set matches. They’ve only been blanked twice, and that was to East Greenwich and La Salle Academy…in the first and second weeks. Sean Peters is having a POY season. I also think Sardelli and Schneider have figured it out. Yang is real solid with hands and Harrington is a premier lib. I’m not sure I’d want to see this team in the playoffs. They have EG tonight and then Coventry later on. Skippers will want two here to be sure.
Update - Skippers hand EG another loss with a four set vic.
—2 Classical (7 - 5) - The Purple sometimes throw me for a loop. It’s often hard to figure out why a team plays the way they do, especially when the level can be high one week and then not so much the next. The overall hope is that by the end of the campaign, everyone is playing their best volleyball…the goal of every team. Classical is doing it in a zig zag fashion, it appears. I say that with a little bit of humor and some love behind it. Look, all teams travel a strange adventure to the final match of their season. The Purple are no different. It’s just this year, I guess. Everything is weird. So many teams are just up and down…parity is certainly here for RI boys volleyball. Though losing two of three last week, I still think Classical has a real good run in them. The Purple have weapons and have a great gym to compete in. To date, Nascimento is have a top tier season and Caden Pina is up for Newcomer of the Year. They’re at Barrington tonight followed by North Smithfield and Cranston West to close of the week. The feeling must be to get two, but boy, would they love three.
Update - Purple unable to dislodge Barrington in five set thriller.
—4 East Greenwich (8 - 6) - Oh boy… Well, the winless week for the Midstate Knights was a little surprising…I think we can agree there. It’s actually been a tough ride for the Avengers…since spring break…ever since the loss on the road at East Providence to get even more specific. The midpoint was not been kind. The Avengers are only one for their last six matches, which was a win over Coventry in three sets on April 30th. That win does look a lot better now that the Oakers are knocking off some teams, but it does appear the league has figured out East Greenwich…for the moment. The Avengers are shaking up the lineup a bit to try to combat this tough trend. They’ve moved Rosemark to the left, are running a 6/2 with Sy and Paquet, while running Acuna and Stark in the middle. With all the changes, they are still relying on Gates to be the hammer while also trying to get a more physical blocking presence at the net. To date, the results are mixed, but change often happen slowly. Should everyone get comfortable, East Greenwich does have plenty of the pieces to make a run…it just needs to get rolling soon. They have North Kingstown tonight, followed by Chariho and La Salle.
Update - Avengers woes continue as they lose on the road in four at NK.
+2 Lincoln (8 - 5) - The Lions are also in that slow start group with Cranston East and North Kingstown. Graduation took it’s toll on this team from last year with only Biddle and Lizotte having a lot of varsity minutes last year. So, with a lot of new faces getting significant run, there were going to be hurdles to figure out. In the sixth week, however, it’s safe to say they’ve got it sorted. They’ve won seven matches in a row and their last defeat was a five-set loss to Central on April 13th. This team has built confidence during that time and now feel like the toughest out in D2. Tyler Biddle is playing his best volleyball at the moment and I like the play of Leidson Centeio in the middle as well. The defending champs are in the mix and woe to anyone who takes them for granted. They have Portsmouth and Woonsocket next.
Update - Lincoln figures out Portsmouth in four to continue their run.
West Warwick (12 - 2) - Hey Wizards, stop throwing fruit at me… That is a song I have a feeling that no one has any idea about. You see, I was at a concert, The Aquabats to be exact, and there was an opening band called Reggie and the Full Effect. I guess the lead singer was the keyboardist for My Chemical Romance, but got booted out? Left due to the creative differences? I don’t know. Anyway, he created a band called Reggie and the Full Effect and one of their top songs was called Wizards. It’s about a show he played where everyone dressed as Wizards, they didn’t like his music, so they started throwing fruit at him. Weird. Anyway, West Warwick appears to be in the driver’s seat for D2…however monsters do lurk. They haven’t seen the new Lincoln side…though they did defeat the Lions at the beginning of the season. Juanita Sanchez is also quietly putting together a good season and they’re on the docket soon as well. The story for this WW team is the play of Kelly and Gallo. Both players provide different skill sets, but with their current level and the solid play from the rest of the crew…it’s going to be tough to end the Wizards season early…regardless if they’re throwing fruit or not.
Update - Business as usual for Wizards as they amaze past Johnston.
+1 Westerly (10 - 3) - When healthy, the Bulldogs are not fun to play with. Even when not healthy, Westerly will provide some resistance. So, what does this all mean? Well, with only three losses on the year, Westerly is once again in prime position to make a run at the D2 crown. Health will be the concern, but I suspect when it matters most, all the players will be on deck and ready to rock. Kenyon is having superb year while Auth has become one of the top setters in the state. Paciga is having a strong senior year while the rest of the kids have figured it out. Now, the three loses include Lincoln, Portsmouth, and West Warwick…which could be a concern. You’re going to have go through at least one, if not two of them, to get the job done. Still, I think this year’s D2 playoff world is shaping up to be really interesting / high level, and Westerly is certainly a part of that. Central Falls, Johnston, and Chariho are next.
Update - Unexpected setback befalls Bulldogs as Central Falls clips them.
+3 Coventry (4 - 8) - The Oakers have a lot of losses. It’s the elephant in the room, so we might as well address it…get ready for the same sentence when we get to Chariho. However, when you look at their wins…Cranston West, Bishop Hendricken, Classical, and Barrington…it’s hard to ignore the level they bring. Cam Marcotte has been one of the best players in the state night in and night out. Some of my contacts have alerted me that he’s hitting the best backrow attack of anyone in Rhode Island. Smith has come on of late as well, giving Coventry a one / two punch that is formidable. Plus, with this RPI power ranking thing, all of the big wins matter a lot more, and have thrust the Oakers into the playoffs…I think. Hard to tell really. Still, one would think that they’d need at least one more win, if not two, to secure that playoff bid. They see Chariho, North Kingstown, and North Smithfield next.
Update - Oakers can’t handle the wrath of the reborn Chargers in three set loss.
Central Falls (9 - 6) - The Warriors got the clutch win over West Warwick this past week…the first D2 team to do so. That is a vic to build on. Central Falls does have too many loses as well but a lot of them are from D1 opponents. Plus, they are the only D2 team with wins over Central, Juanita Sanchez, Portsmouth and West Warwick. Lincoln got them, as did South Kingstown, and they’ve not seen Westerly yet. So, the resume does fit the playoff bill. Central Falls is led by setter Jovanny Lopez, who does a real nice job of putting up hittable balls for his attackers. The Warriors are also pretty scrappy as they grind for almost every point. One way or another, Central Falls will earn points and cause a tough outing for you which means they’re going to be fun in the playoffs. They see Westerly tonight.
Update - Huge win for CF as they topple Westerly!
Mt. Hope (12 - 2) - At the top of the D3 mountain sits hope…Mt. Hope it’s now called? That felt cooler in my head. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take…and I sure missed there. Anyway, let’s get to the meat of this… Mt. Hope has only two losses as the playoffs start to come into view. They lost to Westerly (D2) and Mt. Pleasant…and both of those were a long time ago. Since then, they’ve survived two real threats from Exeter / West Greenwich and St. Raphael’s and the rest of have been mostly sweeps. Dylan DeOliveira has had a strong senior campaign and ensures his team is never out of it. I also like the play of the middles, Moran and Gould, plus the up and coming level from Harrington as well. There is a lot to like on this Husky side and I’m not sure who can really get them. If I had to make a guess, I think EWG will give them the toughest match…but of course the playoffs remain to be seen. In the meantime, North Providence is up next.
Update - Huskies take care of business in a three set sweep on Mt. Pleasant.
(New) Chariho (5 - 9) - I’m unable to figure out exactly what has happened with this Charger side, however, one cannot argue with the recent results. Formerly a squad that fell from the board as most teams in the league were getting the better of them, Chariho is now the hottest team on the block. Cranston West had this run, then Coventry, and now Chariho has the ball. Chargers absolutely dominated East Providence last week, which was surprising to be sure. Now, they did it at home…Chariho does have one of the best home court advantages in the state…but that doesn’t change the fact that Landan Marland was outstanding in the match…as was McCann and Vachon. That performance against EP was the Chariho team we expected to see at the beginning of the season. So, better late then never, I guess? Yes, they have nine losses, but I still don’t want to play this team in the playoffs. Consider, they have two high flying pins, a brilliant Libero, solid middles, and a sure-handed setter…there really isn’t much to dislike. Yes, they’ve not played to potential often…but they are now. They’re playing their best volleyball when it matters most, and that’s what it’s all about. Chargers see Coventry tonight…East Greenwich and Westerly to follow.
Update - Chariho stuns Coventry in three to make it three in a row.
Receiving Votes: Cranston West, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Central, Exeter/West Greenwich, Davies
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 - Kenyon put up 31 kills on Central in a five-set brawl that ended with a Bulldog win. 31 is a crazy number, especially when you consider Kenyon is taking his swings from the middle as well as the back row as opposed to being on the pin. He also had six blocks in the encounter.
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 - Ramirez posted an 18 kill performance against South Kingstown this week. The win over SK, along with Armando’s work, is a part of a five game burner Juanita Sanchez has been on since succumbing to Lincoln in five at the end of April.
This is what I think for the ResV Awards to date. My mind can always be changed, and just because a name isn’t on this list does not mean that they’re out of consideration. All this is showing is where my head is at with two to three weeks to go…
ResV 2026 Player of the Year Candidates:
Jayden Simao - La Salle Academy - Libero - Jr.
Sean Peters - North Kingstown - Middle - Sr.
Henry Kenyon - Westerly - Middle - Sr.
Donny Park - Barrington - Pin - Sr.
Andrew Ramos - Bishop Hendricken - Pin - Sr.
Cam Marcotte - Coventry - Pin - Sr.
Ethan Periera - East Providence - Pin - Jr.
Ashton Mak - Cranston West - Setter - Sr.
Ian Nascimento - Classical - Pin - Sr.
Aggerson Vetiaque - Cranston East - Pin - Jr.
Flavio Tavares - La Salle Academy - Pin - Sr.
Cam Gates - East Greenwich - Pin - Jr.
ResV 2026 Coaching Staff of the Year Candidates:
North Kingstown
La Salle Academy
West Warwick
Central Falls
Exeter / West Greenwich
Mt. Hope
Bishop Hendricken
Cranston East
ResV 2026 Setter of the Year Candidates:
Robbie Daniels - Cranston East - Jr.
Cooper Amaral Morris - La Salle Academy - Jr.
Logan Lane - Barrington - Sr.
Ashton Mak - Cranston West - Sr.
Jayden Yang - North Kingstown - Jr.
Grady Auth - Westerly - So.
Jovanny Lopez - Central Falls - Sr.
Dylan DeOliveira - Mt. Hope - Sr.
ResV 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Candidates:
Jaxson Vachon - Chariho - Libero - Sr.
Jayden Simao - La Salle Academy - Libero - Sr.
Henry Kenyon - Westerly - Middle - Sr.
Sean Peters - North Kingstown - Middle - Sr.
Colin Kelly - West Warwick - Middle - Sr.
Ean Williamson - East Providence - Libero - Sr.
Jack Casey - Portsmouth - Middle - Sr.
Zack Roebuck - Bishop Hendricken - Middle - Jr.
ResV 2026 Newcomer of the Year Candidates:
Reid McCann - Chariho - Pin - So.
Caden Pina - Classical - Pin - Fr.
Aiden Acuna - East Greenwich - Middle - So.
Will Edwards - Exeter / West Greenwich - Setter - So.
Mark Sardelli - North Kingstown - Pin - Jr.
Cooper Markley - Pawtucket - Middle - So.
Michael Gallo - West Warwick - Pin - So.
Brad Harrington - Mt. Hope - Pin - So.
ResV 2026 Unsung Hero of the Year Candidates:
Ryan Yin - Bishop Hendricken - Setter - Sr.
Nate Paciga - Westerly - Middle - Sr.
Zackary Rzemien - Coventry - Setter - Sr.
Sam Rivera - Cranston East - Defensive Specialist - Sr.
Zion Sun - East Greenwich - Libero - Sr.
Zoltan Libertini - Exeter / West Greenwich - Jr.
Ziyue Wang - Cranston West - Pin - Sr.
Alex Osmena - West Warwick - Utility - Sr.
Playoff Races Through Week Four…
D1:
La Salle Academy- Dominant performance through six weeks. Not sure there is an answer for them.
Cranston East - Surging Bolts appear to have put it all together…even so, I don’t know if they have the juice to stop La Salle.
Barrington - Having the top lefts in the state means the Eagles are never out of it.
Bishop Hendricken - Tough week leaves the Bruising Bishops with some questions to answer…and time is running out.
North Kingstown - Speaking of figuring it out…NK appears to be ready to cause the rough waves in the playoffs.
D2:
West Warwick - When locked in, I don’t think anyone is better in D2…but they have to be locked in.
Lincoln - Have emerged from their struggles ready to brawl with whomever.
Westerly - Injuries have cause some issues, but when healthy, it’s going to take a supreme effort to bounce them.
Central Falls - On any given Sunday, this guys can make your life miserable.
Pawtucket - Have some weird losses, but when it’s all working, just as good as anyone.
D3:
Mt. Hope - They sit at the top of D3, but there are some challenges out there. Still, their type of play is really tough to stop.
Exeter/West Greenwich - May be the only team that can stop Mt. Hope from repeating.
North Providence - Have had a strong season to date. Can they ride it home and secure the third seed?
Mt. Pleasant - Can muscle there way through most…but the top two have been a tall order.
Toll Gate - Had two opportunities to slow down Mt. Hope and could not do so. The hope is lessons were learned and the playoffs will be a different story.
ResV Coaching Tip of the Week:
I started my playing career in the 1980s. Youth sports at that time closely mirrored what was happening in the college and professional leagues. It was a different world. A coach was a guy who didn’t get paid much (that still hasn’t changed today, lol), but his word on things were law. Most coaches weren’t Bobby Knight, per say, but that vibe was the tune that was played until the new millennia. When we hit 2000s, the world changed.
Along with all the crazy moments of history, the internet was probably the likely culprit of the seismic shift in sports. Beforehand, the coach had all the information. Afterward, all the information was freely available. Now, you had players that knew more then the coaches. You also had players having excessive popularity due to social media. The relationship undoubtingly had changed now between the two. It became less of “Do what I tell you to do” and more of a “Let me convince you why this is the best thing to do” sports environment.
Naturally, I’m glossing over a lot of history and circumstances that carved what we deal with today…because there isn’t enough time. However, my coaching tip of the day is that a coach in today’s world must be able to admit when things went wrong. Players know the trajectory of their team and play. They know when things are working out and when things are not. A coach must be able to address this singularly, as well as team wide, and make the case as to why decisions were made...while also showcasing the desire for suggestions and willingness to pivot. It’s not fun, but to keep everyone on board, a coach’s explanation and humble apology can often keep the boat from splitting apart. It happens almost every year, now, and no one is immune. We had to do this numerous times at Wheaton this season.
So, the 80s are long gone and real talk with players is what we have left. Embrace it and lean into the discomfort, especially if wins are hard to come by…for as we know, winning cures all sins.
ResV Player Tip of the Week:
It’s a topsy turvy world right now in boys volleyball. With the possible exceptions of La Salle and Mt. Hope, the predictability of who is going to beat whom is sort of out the window this year. In the professional sports world, it’s called parity, in college, madness. Whatever you want to call it, we’re seeing here in RI volleyball to be sure. Thus, my tip of the week for players is basically mind your mindset.
Most everyone in the league is ripe for an upset, thus every time you, and your team, take the court, your mind has to be in a positive mode and on the task at hand. No matter what has happened the match before, it’s go-time today, so lock in and dispel anything that doesn’t involve playing good volleyball and winning games. Opportunities are everywhere, but only for the teams, and players, that execute and limit errors…which often is all mental.
So, approach each match with the “Can do” thought line. Trust and believe in your program. Keep the negative vibes away and control what you can control. The rest will fall the way it will fall…and if it doesn’t go your way today, grieve quietly, and then forget about it and attack the next day. For the wins are probably coming to those who have the better mental game.
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!