Week Three…There are Wolves in this Forest…
9/22/25
Withe the five-set win over Barrington, Mt. Hope stakes their claim as the top D2 team for week three. This is significant in a couple of ways…
First, the domino effect. With Barrington taking the loss at home to Mt. Hope…Cumberland, Lincoln, and Westerly all view the Eagles now are catchable prey. Confidence can turn the tide in all of those matches.
Second, the ipso facto premise. Mt. Hope beat Barrington at the Eagle’s nest…and Barrington beat East Providence at the Townie barracks…thus Mt. Hope has the edge on both Barrington and EP. The mental games of who can beat whom could cause outcomes as well.
Lastly, it’s more proof that D2 has the stronger league than D1 which hasn’t been seen in these parts since…since…well, I don’t know when. There have been strong D2 teams which college level players on them to be sure…sometimes even the top player in the state on them. However, I can’t remember a time were the actual league was just stronger then the other.
It’s a new wrinkle and I’m here for it…as all men and women who have been in the game for a long time yearn for…some unique and new.
Some Stats I Found that were Solid!
Lyla Auth - Westerly - 18 kills, 10 digs, 16 assists against Classical
Dara Agramonte - Classical - 21 assists, 8 digs, 4 blocks against Westerly
Maisy Naff - La Salle Academy - 15 kills, 2 aces against South Kingstown
Ella Vaughn-Hellene - South Kingstown - 23 assists, 4 aces against La Salle Academy
Big Matches Coming Up…
Monday - 9/22/25 - Westerly hosting Barrington - 6:30pm
Wednesday - 9/24/25 - Mt. Hope hosting Cumberland - 6pm
Thursday - 9/25/25 - Cumberland hosting Barrington - 6:30pm
ResV Top 15…
North Kingstown (5 - 0) - The Skippers took care of business in week three with wins over Portsmouth. This match at Portsmouth, however, appeared to be an adventure, which brings up the question…can NK continue their run with bad nights? Off nights happen all the time and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for them. Also, Portsmouth at Portsmouth is no fun no matter how you spin it… Off nights are where many teams can lose their spark, which is why you train to battle those tough times. Mental toughness and all that. Though it didn’t happen this time, it is out there in the gloomy deep. It’s often that the best teams only lose when they beat themselves… Something the Skips need to be aware of and think about.
La Salle Academy (4 - 1) - Following their first loss of the year in the previous week, the Rams got back on track with wins over South Kingstown and Chariho. Both the Rebels and Chargers couldn’t find their footing and La Salle was able to run away with both matches. This made sense as though the prior week did not go as planned, the Rams are still the second best team in the state and shouldn’t be flustered too much by their outing with the North. Now, they have an adventure today at Portsmouth, which is always a challenge, and Coventry later on in the week. The Oakers shouldn’t be able to push them over, though…though we play the games for a reason. I do think La Salle learned a lot from the North Kingstown match and may be chomping at the bit to see those mariners again.
+2 Mt. Hope (7 - 0) - I’m a big fan of a club going into the top team’s barn and taking the pole position from them…which is exactly what Mt. Hope did to Barrington. Perfect conditions! It was a Friday night and it was prime time…the two top teams in D2. It was also a five-set thriller with good volleyball being challenged from start to finish. When the dust settled, Mt. Hope had stunned the Eagles…which may lead to a chain reaction in the D2 world…”Well, Dude, we just don’t know.” So, Mt. Hope now sits atop the leader board. They’ve handed the defending champs a loss at their own barn, they have wins against D1 opponents, and they’ve dispatched two other D2 threats in Bay View and West Warwick. Cumberland is next on the agenda and if the Huskies put the Clips in the book…well, trouble has come to all of D2 to be sure.
East Providence (7 - 1) - The Townies did the job this week. So much so that the memory of the loss to Barrington is just that…a memory. Still, even with a three win week, the lessons of the Barrington debacle have to be maintained. The fact of the matter is, East Providence will most likely be a final four contestant. Now, if they are to make the true run, the passing game has to be shored up. How do you get there? Well, there is passing rep after passing rep. Just all out train on the pass and nothing much else. In fact, EP scores pretty well and serves pretty tough. Probably don’t need to train that up much more. So, that’s one way. The other way is to move pieces on the board. This could be a more complicated fix, but also a more permanent one. I could easily see Mullen on the left and the primary passer. I could see Vest on the right as a terminator and blocker…as examples. That’s the beauty of pins as they can be interchangeable. Also, sometimes just a different look changes the situation entirely. Anyway, EP will be there…they just need to figure out that one component to land at Rhode Island College.
—2 Barrington (3 - 2) - Tough, tough week for the Eagles. They tasted their first loss against Bishop Feehan and then the Mt. Hope debacle followed. Lots of errors and miscues in that Mt. Hope match, I’ve been told. I watched some of the first set and there were a lot of balls hit out of bounds, to be sure. There was also a lot of attempts to run complicated plays in the middle of the net for the Eagles. Now, if you’ve read my stuff for a while, North Kingstown boys likes to do that as well…off of free balls…and I’ve been against that strategy for a while. Why? Well, first, for those plays to be somewhat effective, you need to set the table for them and actually not use them at first…decoy them… A stack or an X is a play to be run when the other team is worn down to the end. They’re basically mentally drained gotcha plays. The opposition is so tired and beat, run the X and push them over completely. There in lies the first and major hurdle…you don’t run them early…because the blockers do not have to move…they just have to wait and gauge the set height and snuff the play. Secondly, pun intended here, everyone tries to set the second option… The legendary Kevin Harrington once remarked on the stack or X…the high school JV setter sets the second option on those plays, the varsity high school setter sets the first option on those plays, and the college setter sets the pin option away from the stack that has the one on one. Point of the story is you have to make the blockers move. Get the ball to your pins in comfortable spot by the antenna and run the middle in the gaps…once you have your opposition broken and worn down, then play around the the stack.
Westerly (5 - 0) - As I write this, Westerly is down three to Barrington at home, 17 -14 in the first set. This is Westerly’s first real test, so there is plenty of interest to see how the Bulldogs handle the Eagles. It’s also the best time for Westerly to see Barrington for Westerly’s sake. The Eagles are coming off a tough week, with the loss to Mt. Hope in their minds. Now, it’s not like Mt. Hope took complete control of the situation…far from it, actually. It still was a five-set grinder match and Barrington made a lot of errors. Thus, no matter what happened that week, the Eagles are still plenty dangerous and Westerly will have their hands full. Rechecking the score, and Barrington is up 23 - 18. Barrington looks sharp, especially from the service line…which was their key to upending East Providence. Westerly will need to pass the ball better to battle, but this match is long from over…at least hopefully for the Bulldog’s sake. Hold the phone! Westerly has battled back to 24 all… 26 - 25 Westerly with the serve… And just like that, Westerly wins set one 28 - 26!!! Hit the music!
Cumberland (6 - 2) - The Clippers are on the march indeed. Dispatching Lincoln was a huge dub for Cumberland and with it comes even more confidence. They outlasted and played near equal defense to the defense minded Lions. So, all good things for the Clips since their last loss to Barrington on September 4th. Since then, they’re riding a five game win streak and playing very good ball. This week will provide some challenges though as they travel to Mt. Hope on the back end. Getting a strong showing, even a win, at the Husky den would put them even more on the map. The coaching addition of JJ Bessette (the all-time assist leader in JWU men’s volleyball history!) has proved a huge pick up for Cumberland as the offense for the Clips is running full speed. That Mt. Hope match up seems like an even more fun one now…
Lincoln (5 - 1) - The Lions have one blip on the radar and it’s Cumberland to date. Lincoln lived up to their scrappy reputation for the match, but could not stop the Cumberland offense enough times. I think with this team, all they need is just one more tic higher on the offense side of the house and good things are going to follow…also there is only so many times I can call them the Michael Chang of the girls volleyball. For those that are not ancient like I am, Mr. Chang was a top level tennis player during the Sampras, Agassi, Lendl, McEnroe, Borg days. Chang would always make the semis, but just couldn’t seem to get over the top. Why? Well, he had trouble putting the ball away. He was a defensive wizard in the sport. He was liking hitting a wall…it was always coming back. He’d have these legendary rallies with all the guys mentioned, but rarely put them away. Chang was also a fan favorite, as Chang gave his all in every match. The theory was always…if he could just get a little more offense pop…
+2 Coventry (3 - 2) - Set two goes to the Bulldogs! Westerly up 2 - 0 on Barrington! Wait, this is Coventry’s write up. My bad. I’ve not done this before where I’m keeping track of match while writing my article. Moreso, I guess this is as good a time as any to explain quickly why the article is coming out so late. Wheaton men’s volleyball is in the non-traditional season and we’re also working the Wheaton women’s volleyball matches. This weekend, the Wheaton women had a tri-match and not only did my guys work it, but I have to as well. “Have to” is a strong phrase, because I really enjoy broadcasting and I also produce the show. It’s really cool deciding which camera angle to show the audience, which play is worth of a replay, and providing some knowledge on the game. Volleyball geek heaven. Thus, tonight is the only time I’ve had to write…oh man, Coventry… Coventry’s week was a much needed two win venture. They upended Chariho in four and Prout in five…much needed successes for a young team. They have Classical and Portsmouth next…two gettable matches for them should they be playing at their peak. We’ll see how the ball bounces, but the best part about a young team is that each battle they learn and get better…
+2 Portsmouth (2 - 4) - The Patriots got an important second win this past week with a big vic over East Greenwich. It was a turn about is fair play type of thing as EG had traveled to Portsmouth at the very beginning of the season to hand the first loss of the year to Portsmouth. Now, Portsmouth, as I write this, is playing La Salle and I have zero idea how it’s going. I guess I could check…hold on… Couldn’t find anything… I can tell you that Barrington is leading Westerly 21 - 18 in the third. The Eagles need to have to stop the sweep. Anyway, Portsmouth is certainly a different iteration from the years past, but they do have some bite. They just need to control the ball a tic better and serve a tic tougher…which by the by is the goal every team in the state is trying to accomplish…
—1 South Kingstown (3 - 4) - The Rebels probably do not deserve to drop one, but in my head, Portsmouth earned the jump due to avenging their loss to the Avengers. SK is on a good swing at the moment. They had a two win week prior and then on week three they were able to wrangle out a win against Cranston West. The CW would just not go away in the match, so it’s a real good win for the Rebels to get another team that hung around to finally call it quits. They did lose to La Salle, but that is also a very tough matchup for them and is understandable. Set three went to Barrington, by the by. Can Westerly finish this one off, or will it be a five-set heartbreaker for the Bulldogs…the dreaded reverse sweep… The Rebels need to get Prout and Chariho this upcoming week to put them in a position to threaten as the fourth spot in the playoffs is absolutely up for grabs.
+1 Ponaganset (4 -0) - Listen, I’m a simpleton. Every time I look at Ponaganset, my brain thinks Pocahontas, and I want to make a Lewis and Clark joke. That, would be wrong. Instead, I will update you that Westerly is up on Barrington 18 - 12 in the fourth. Now, the Chieftains had themselves a week. They got to see one of their rivals in the division twice in the week and got both of them. I saw this happening in the D3 and D4 sectors where there are these back to back home and away events against a singular opponent. Kinda weird, but it does give each team an opportunity to quicky have a new crack at the team they lost too. For Scituate, this did not work out. For the Chieftains, they slayed a potential playoff opponent permanently in the regular season and probably have them marked if they see them again in said playoffs.
—4 East Greenwich (2 - 4) - Update, Westerly takes down Barrington in four. How about that! Ok, the Avengers had themselves a tough week. I can’t fault them for the East Providence loss, but getting swept by Portsmouth at the castle was pretty tough. East Greenwich is one of the many programs in the league this year chasing consistency. It’s something all clubs are after, but EG, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, and Coventry all seem to be in the same boat. On any given day, it can look right and good things will happen. On that same night, the floor can fall out the opposition will get the upper hand. So, that’s where EG is at this moment. I think the roller coaster will go back up for this club and some more wins will come…but the consistency thing is the main focus and the difference between a good playoff seed and perhaps not getting in.
+1 Tiverton (8 - 0) - I cannot wait to see how Tiverton fairs when they see Pocahontas, I mean Ponaganset. The Tigers have been under the radar in my opinion, racking up wins without anyone really noticing. Well, Tigers, I have noticed. Their best win is against Juanita Sanchez, though, while the rest of the wood stacked is more programs in the rebuilding stages. Nonetheless, wins are wins, and I’ve done the noticing….so let’s talk about the future. They have a date with Narragansett in week four and I think that one will be a game. The following week, Week Five, we get to see the matchup with Ponaganset. From there, the winner will take control of the division and decide whether to help the two guys navigate the undiscovered country…terrible joke. I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself… I’ll stop now.
—1 West Warwick (4 - 1) - At the time of this writing, I’ve learned that West Warwick has lost to Lincoln in three, La Salle beat Portsmouth in four (good showing for Portsmouth!), and Cumberland beat Pilgrim in three. Not sure I love writing these articles while things are happening… Oh well… West Warwick, I’ve learned, also has suffered some injuries, so they are depleted a little. Injuries are outside of anyone’s control. We never want to see them, but they are part of sports. Unavoidable issues… The hope is that the players go as injury free as possible, and if they do get hurt, they heal fast and do not miss significant time. It is truly one of the tough parts of the job of coaching…maneuvering these uncontrollable situations. The Wizards are dealing with it now, and we wish a speedy recovery to their players…and all players across the state nursing injuries.
Receiving Votes… Classical, Johnston, Scituate, Toll Gate, Cranston West, Bay View
ResV Player of the Week…
Week One - Kiera Mullen - Sr. - East Providence
Week Two - Kayleigh Garrepy - Jr. - North Kingstown
Week Three - Emma McCrann - Sr. - Barrington - Though the Eagles fell twice in the week, McCrann had high level play throughout. She put up 18 kills, 5 aces, and 14 digs in the loss to Mt. Hope!
ResV Honorable Baller of the Week…
Week One - Tayla Schneider - Jr. - North Kingstown
Week Two - Lyla Parmentier - Jr. - Cumberland
Week Three - Lila Moffit - So. - South Kingstown - The sophomore attacker, Moffit came up huge for the SK when they needed it most this week. She registered 11 kills and 2 aces to give the Rebels a much needed win against Cranston West.
Playoff Races Through Week Two…
D1-
North Kingstown – Pole position is theirs and the question is now can anyone get in their way?
LaSalle Academy – Bounce backed pretty well from the NK defeat…but have they learned enough from that adventure?
East Providence – Took care of business and got three wins, but the passing question remains.
Coventry – Got two hard fought wins to bring them into the playoff picture.
Portsmouth – The revenge win against EG was crucial to their playoff image.
D2-
Mt. Hope – Went to the Eagles nest and took the entire pot home.
Barrington – First time in a while they’ve tasted defeat for a week. What will the rebound look like…at Westerly?
Westerly – Probably testing their might as you read this vs. Barrington!
Cumberland – The Clip join is licking their chops as Barrington feels wounded and Mt. Hope might not like seeing them.
Lincoln – Loss to Cumberland hurt, but they still have a team that can cause anyone in D2 nightmares.
D3-
Ponaganset – Nothing like taking out one of your top contenders back to back on the home and home…
Tiverton – Another week, two more wins…but do they have the juice to stun Ponaganset?
Scituate – Brutal week for them, getting to cracks that the top seed and missing both. Recovery begins with Burrillville.
Johnston – Still lurking in the woods, after taking Central Falls out twice, waiting for their moment to strike.
Juanita Sanchez – They did their double shot on Mt. Pleasant to success…but can they knock out anyone from the top three?
D4-
Toll Gate – Dispatching everyone they see. Is there anyone in the league to give them a setback?
Hope – Have key wins over Central and North Providence and tested the waters against Cranston East.
Woonsocket – Have a win over North Providence which is huge. From there they’ve taken care of business and took lumps from Toll Gate.
North Providence – They’ve put some wins on the board and have cause some headaches to date.
Central – Hanging on, but need to put a couple of wins on the board…and Toll Gate is coming up.
ResV Coaching Tip of the Week:
Coaches, teach your players the concept of “If / Then” so that recognition can be at the top of their minds. The game is all about recognizing the play and making the proper decision. This year especially, there have been so many instances I’ve seen…and I’m not watching a ton of tape, just enough to get the gist…where players are trying to make something out of a completely bad situation. It’s noble to want to do that, but the game is about errors, so the intention doesn’t matter if you error every time. Teach them that…this is not a killable ball, so let’s free it over…not to the Libero…and put it in a spot that might take out an attacker or, better yet, the setter, and let our defense make a play. If this happens, then we do this… it’s the whole ball of wax.
ResV Player Tip of the Week:
Everyone wants to be more mentally tough. The hardest part of that is sort of understanding what that actually means. It means you are able to perform under stress. Sometime the stress is from the environment…playing in a tough gym with rowdy fans. Sometime the stress is from inside…you put pressure on yourself to play well and it’s just not happening tonight. Regardless, mental toughness is recognizing the stressor, breathing well, and focusing on the job at hand. I also like to include the idea of focusing on the small steps to give you small wins to lead to big wins. Focusing on the steps allows your to block out the stress, do the things you know how to do, and then execute the play and make things happen. Remember to breath.
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!
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