Week Three - May Your Head be Clear…
April 19th, 2026
Spring time is a dangerous time for male volleyball players in New England. Whether it be high school or college players, the weather morphing into the beautiful summer months provides challenges. Keeping your head clear and focusing on the tasks in front of you becomes harder to do when it’s 78 degrees, sunny, and grass / beach volleyball nets start popping up. This is when you truly are tested for the idea of delayed gratification…and many do not pass the test.
It’s understandable, to be fair. Who wouldn’t want to just go outside and enjoy the beauty that only New England can provide? Play some volleyball, hit a beach, take a hike, get lost in the crashing of the waves…all while school work needs to be done… I used to think that the goal for all of my teams was to be playing their best volleyball at the end of the season (which, by the by, is still the goal), but there is more to it now. Let’s still want to play indoor volleyball despite the weather and Summer begging you to come outside.
The school work thing is vital. Guys will neglect their work, risking grades, graduation, eligibility, for the summer vibe. Again, it’s not something to be shocked by. We all get it. However, this is where you can’t just do what you like. You have responsibilities. You have to eat your vegetables before you get dessert. You also have a dedication to your team, teammates, and coaches, to be available and present for the entire season. I can’t think of a worse scenario then to battle with your teammates for a month plus on your seasonal adventure only to be ineligible when it matters most. If it’s a team full of good people, they’ll probably still talk to you, but the connective tissue that makes it all worth while is probably frayed if not cut.
Everyone sacrifices for the team. They sacrifice time, fun, sometimes enjoyment, significant others, food, etc. The less selfish you are, the better teammate you become. School is a part of that. Certainly, assignments and classes, can be a drag when there is so much out there to do and explore…but your teammates are counting on you. That sentence has to matter to you…my teammates are counting on me…
The summer fun will still be there when you are done with school for the year. So, remember that your team needs you…no matter what your role is. Get the school work done. Attend every class. Work hard on your projects. Do not be the reason your team is short staffed when they need all hands on deck. Schedule your days well and come through. Trust me, because if you do that…the summer will be far more sweeter.
I promise.
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Zachareus Desrosiers - Achievement First - Pin - 10 kills, 5 blocks, 8 digs against Hope
Malik Senepha - Pawtucket - Pin - 12 kills, 3 aces, 10 digs against Portsmouth
Cooper Markley - Pawtucket - Middle - 10 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks, 9 digs against Portsmouth
Sean Peters - North Kingstown - Middle - 17 kills, 11 blocks, 3 assists against Hendricken : 14 kills, 3 blocks against Cranston East : 13 kills, 4 blocks, 6 digs against Classical
Mark Sardelli - North Kingstown - Setter / Pin - 5 kills, 7 blocks, 13 digs, 18 assists against Hendricken : 12 kills, 6 digs 18 assists against Classical
Ethan Pereira - East Providence - Pin - 12 kills, 10 digs, 2 blocks against Cranston East : 16 kills, 2 blocks against Coventry
Connor Berndt - East Providence - Pin - 14 kills against Cranston East
Cam Gates - East Greenwich - Pin - 16 kills, 3 aces, 11 digs vs. Cranston West : 15 kills, 9 digs against North Smithfield
Milo Sy - East Greenwich - Pin - 11 kills, 5 blocks, 10 digs vs. Cranston West
Rainen Paquet - East Greenwich - Setter - 38 assists, 6 digs, 3 blocks, 3 kills, vs. Cranston West : 38 assists, 6 digs against North Smithfield
Jayden Simao - La Salle Academy - Libero - 22 digs, 2 aces against Taunton
Cooper Amaral Morris - La Salle Academy - Setter - 34 assists against Taunton
Cam Marcotte - Coventry - Utility - 21 kills, 13 digs against East Providence
Zackary Rzemien - Coventry - Setter - 40 assists, 7 digs against East Providence
Alex Robinson - East Providence - Setter -37 assists against Coventry
Ean Williamson - East Providence - Libero - 20 digs, 2 aces against Coventry
Bryan Leon - Pawtucket - Pin - 12 kills, 11 digs against Lincoln
Cal Oberacker - Barrington - Pin - 14 kills, 3 digs against North Smithfield
Lucas Marland - Chariho - Pin - 16 kills 2 aces, 8 digs against South Kingstown
Andrew Ramos - Bishop Hendricken - Pin - 15 kills, 2 blocks, 9 digs against North Smithfield
Henry Kenyon - Westerly - Middle - 18 kills, 8 blocks, 8 digs vs. Juanita Sanchez
Grady Auth - Westerly - Setter - 24 assists, 11 digs, 7 aces, 4 kills vs. Juanita Sanchez
ResV Team of the Week…
Week Three!
Pin- Cam Gates - Jr. - East Greenwich - Continues to fill up the stat sheet as the Mid-State Knights continue to get wins.
Pin - Andrew Ramos - Sr. - Bishop Hendricken - The monster from BH that really cannot be stopped. Best of luck to all…
Middle - Sean Peters - Sr. - North Kingstown - Generally, I don’t put the POW in the Team of the Week, but 11 blocks…
Middle - Jack Casey - Sr. - Portsmouth - The focus of 14 sets of volleyball…Portsmouth’s top weapon, earned a 2-1 record.
Pin - Ethan Pereira - Jr. - East Providence - Lefty hammer whose efforts garnered another perfect week.
Setter - Mark Sardelli - Jr. - North Kingstown - Starting to fill up the stat sheets as NK finds their course.
Libero - Ean Williamson - Sr. - East Providence - Quietly have a huge season. Cleans up everything and keeps them in system.
Utility - Cam Marcotte - Sr. - Coventry - Had a big stat week. Though the results aren’t there, everyone knows they have to worry about him at all times.
ResV Top 15…
La Salle Academy (6- 0) - Only the Rams deviate from Rhode Island competition during the season to “test their might.” Yes, I saw the new Mortal Combat trailer… Anyway, this week they saw Taunton and Iona Prep. Didn’t get to see the results against Prep, but Rams handled Taunton. Not much more to say here, as we won’t know much more till La Salle sees Hendricken, EG, and East Providence…which doesn’t happen until May. Still, the trio of Flavio, Jayden, and Cooper are putting on flawless show to date.
Bishop Hendricken (5 - 0) - Wait, I just checked the schedule…Hendricken saw Iona Prep too! How about that... I am intrigued by this whole going to other states and playing stuff. It’s certainly cool to see how your level matches up with schools from different states. Really, that what all-state teams should do. When ResV comes out with the teams, the idea in my head is who would be the team(s) I’d want representing Rhode Island…which you can’t do if you just put the top players on the first team. “Representing RI, four Liberos and six outsides!” We’d get crushed with that team as an example. That’s why it’s called an All-State Team! lol. Ahh, but RI politics will always RI politic. Anyway, this Hendricken side is more dangerous then expected and I think everyone knows it. They see Chariho and the CW next.
East Greenwich (6 - 1) - The Mid-State Knights are the Wittenberg of RI boys volleyball. Wittenberg, if you don’t know, has made the final four for D3 men’s volleyball. They went through Wentworth, Juniata, and Messiah to get there…that is a no joke run. Interestingly, Wittenberg is the 18th seed in the tournament. There were only 21 seeds. More interestingly, there were some that had them unranked. So, how does Cinderella go to the ball? With brute force and a shear unwillingness to cater to the top dogs in the country. They also serve the piss out of the ball. EG has that unsuspecting feel to their program, but this year they have almost all the pieces. Now, can they dislodge La Salle? Don’t know. They did take Hendricken to five…if not for some heroics by Mr. Ramos, Hendy would have had their first loss. The future is untold, of course, but for now… I think EG feels they can beat anyone…
+2 East Providence (6 - 1) - Townies scores come to me like an airplane going on a bombing run in WWII. You know the event is happening. The silence and waiting for the result are deafening. When the news finally comes, it’s another devasting result for the lads from EP. Only Barrington has touched them, and it took a five-set thriller and Herculean efforts from Cal and Donny to get it done. Probably the most impressive win to date, though, was dispatching Cranston East in three. That type of no-nonsense winning will give even more confidence to a side that already has plenty of it. Ethan, Ean, Alex, and crew see a resurgent Cranston West and North Kingstown next…
Barrington (5 - 2) - What a difference a couple of weeks makes. It felt like only yesterday I was hearing madness and discouragement about this Eagle side. Now, they’re 5 - 2 and on a five game heater. I’ve seen these guys play a little bit on film and they’re at their best when simplification is the law. Serve well, maybe get a dig, find a high flying pin, put it to the floor. Standard volleyball because you have the standard pieces. Taking down EP in five was the statement game needed to give this crew the drive to make a go. Point of fact, after the EP match there was no taking their foot off the gas, as many teams tend to do after a huge vic. The match with EG will be the top match of the week to be sure.
+1 North Kingstown (3 - 3) - Speaking of figuring it out and finding the ground to stand on…though they are water explorers by mascot... The Skipper feel like they’re righted the ship a bit now. I love that Sean Peters is having himself a year. Great kid who works really hard…the 11 blocks against Hendricken was awesome. Pushing the Hawks to five gave some belief. Capping the Purple in five gave drive. Skippers see Coventry and East Providence next and both of those could be statement games for this crew. East Providence especially, because once the halfway point is reached…well, everyone is a potential playoff opponent. Could be likely EP and NK see each other in win or go home rounds.
—3 Cranston East (2 - 4) - David Essex wrote a song called Rock On that just popped into my head as I start writing this blurb. Middle of the song he says…Where do we go from here? Which is the way that’s clear? That’s the vibe right now with the defending champs. I don’t think anyone suspected CE would be two up and four down entering week four. That’s where they are at, though, and things look tough at the moment. The three set losses to EP and, especially, NK mean things are absolutely not clear. So, the path forward may mean change. Aggerson is still a force and Sean and Jordan have pop. There needs to be a healthier way to get all three of those guys good swings and steady volume. They have the rematch with La Salle coming up next following by Chariho and Juanita Sanchez…
Westerly (5 - 1) - Because I’m a simple creature, we’ll continue about the songs that pop into my head. This will probably be the last one, though. Nobody wants to hear my music selections. “You’re an old, Coach Reslow…” I’ll argue the music was better during my day…but again no one wants to hear it. Go yell at a cloud. West End Girls. That’s the song. Yes, it’s as simple as West and Westerly, but follow me for a second… I’m hooked on “Call the police, there’s a madman around.” I mean, that’s how opponents must view this Westerly side. They have two guys who are just doing crazy stuff…Henry and Grady. Also, Nate is having a superb senior season. There was a block I saw from Henry that seriously led me back to “Call the police, there’s a madman around!” They see South Kingstown next and then a really intriguing matchup with Portsmouth following. Jack Casey vs. Henry Kenyon…call me curious.
+1 West Warwick (6 - 0) - While watching the Wizards play the Rebels, I was impressed by how many quality swings West Warwick got all over the net. They have a nice attack that puts pressure constantly on the opposition. They serve well and generally keep the ball in play in good spots. The key, however, for this club is the blocking level of Colin Kelly. Kelly covers the net really well and his block is 100 percent formidable. His three rotations are crucial for the Wizards, because he funnels all attacks…or he blocks them. Kelly can score as well, but his blocking is top tier and is the game changer for this club. They’re going to need it when they see Portsmouth next. Inspired by the Book of Mormon (and the Westerly blurb)…Jack Casey vs. Colin Kelley? I’m interested. Pawtucket, then follows…
+1 Classical (2- 3) - In trying to figure out what this Purple team has, I’m discovering that it’s taking them some time to get going. This is not unusual but I truly feel that this is not the finished product of Classical. To this point, they’ve only played five matches, and only East Providence blanked them. They pushed NK to five sets and stole a set from La Salle as well. This tells me that once they hit their stride… no one is going to want to play them. Ian and Caden are problems and their home court advantage is very real. Just need a couple of guys to turn the corner…and they’re already starting to do that. They see Barrington and Coventry next and getting both could catapult them quite a ways.
+1 Pawtucket (8 - 3) - They’ve played the most matches to date over anyone else in the state. For the most part, they’ve handled their business in those eleven contests…for the most part. They do have an interesting set-back, though. Losing to Lincoln in four felt a little surprising. Though maybe not. Lincoln is the defending champs and they beat Westerly as well… It’s always hard to figure out when you’re dealing with the guys who won the belt the season before. Still, this Pawtucket side is a force. Bryan and company can come at you in a variety of ways and get the job done…and the lads have no issues with playing volleyball all day. They see Woonsocket and West Warwick next.
(New) Cranston West (4 - 5) - The CW, like the network, is back from the dead! Wait, no, The CW network is actually gone…I think. I liked their version of The Flash. Arrow was solid too…everyone loved that salmon ladder stuff. I felt Arrow lived so the salmon ladder could become a thing, so American Ninja Warrior could fly. Meanwhile, Cranston West is playing decent volleyball right now, and I’m here for it. It was a rocky a start, but now, the CW is not a fun match-up for most teams in the state. Granted, they never want to play EG again, which I understand. They did, however, get revenge on Chariho and also pushed EP to five. I like the idea of Ashton setting and hitting while Z is the truth on most of occasions. I suspect their win total will grow a little and an unexpected win is coming soon. Unfortunately, the schedule is not kind with EP and Hendricken next.
—4 Chariho (2 - 5) - Oh Chariho. What is going on with thee? Little known fact, I was the head boys basketball coach at Chariho in 2008. I loved it there and the support I got from the administration and parents was second to none. Thus, I do have a fondness for the Chargers. It does appear, though, at the moment, that Chariho is in a bit of free fall. Prior to their recent win against South Kingstown (a much needed vic) the Chargers dropped four in a row. Some tough scores in there to boot. I cannot precisely put my finger on their issues…but I do think pieces to the puzzle are there. Just like in the Big Lebowski, they need something to tie the room together. Hendricken and Cranston East await them this upcoming week…they’ll need big matches from Jaxson, Landon, and Kasey to get a signature win here.
+1 Portsmouth (5 - 1) - The Patriots 5-1 start in division two ain’t bad for a team that was in D3 last year. They do appear to love playing volleyball as to date they’ve balled in 24 sets. The last two were both five-set thrillers with North Providence and Pilgrim. They were also able to take a set off Pawtucket who is a sure fire playoff team, so I think this Portsmouth side is bound for a playoff run should things fall similarly to the first half of the season. Jack Casey is legit and he’ll see two of the top middles in the state next in Henry and Colin…Westerly and West Warwick respectfully. If Portsmouth is able to snag one of these (or both), they’ll rocket up the charts. Regardless, though, these are good tests to see how the Patriots could fare once the playoffs appear.
—2 Lincoln (2 - 5) - Look, let’s be honest with one another…I was going to pull Lincoln from the top 15 once they were upset by Central. It was their fifth loss, and though they had the huge win over Westerly, I couldn’t keep a 1-5 team on the board. It was looking worse to boot, considering they had Pawtucket next and that match could easily not go their way (as it had done before)…perhaps even probable considering how they had been playing for most of the season thus far. Instead, the Lions stunned the Tigers and earned their second win with a four-set hammering. This leaves Lincoln in a truly weird spot. They have beaten the top two seeds in D2 (Westerly and Pawtucket in my opinion), and nobody else. Granted, one of the losses was against Barrington and another was to Pawtucket earlier on. The worst loss was probably to West Warwick. Thus, the Lions hang on to the board, but by a paw. They see Central Falls and Johnston this week and need a clear sheet to keep confidence in that they can do.
Receiving Votes: Mt. Hope, Exeter/West Greenwich, Central Falls, Coventry, Central, Burrillville
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 - Huge matches from the biggest Skipper on the squad! 11 blocks in a match (against Hendricken) is ridiculous! He’s also scoring north of 13 kills per match and is a huge factor for NK getting back into the swing of things.
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 - First setter to put up 40 assists! Had this great outing against East Providence. As Coventry continues to battle this season, look for Rzemien to continue to put up big numbers.
Playoff Races Through Week Two…
D1:
La Salle Academy - Rams steer off the RI opponents to tackle a couple of MA side.
Bishop Hendricken - They continue to clear the decks…
East Greenwich - Solid week that continue to showcase they are real.
Barrington - Are pretty steady now and can torch you with their pins.
East Providence -Gritty and tough, the Townies are a match no one wants.
D2:
Westerly - Still think they hold the cards at the moment…for how long, we’ll see.
West Warwick - With their style of play, they are very hard to stop and can score from anywhere.
Pawtucket - When on, there isn’t much to be done…but they’ve had some tough days…
Lincoln - Have too many losses and some bad ones, but the wins are impressive.
Central Falls - Have wins over Juanita Sanchez and Central which keeps them in the loop.
D3:
Mt. Hope - The Mount Pleasant loss was weird, but otherwise they are the class of the division.
Exeter/West Greenwich - They are undefeated to date and they have the win over Burrillville.
Davies - Five wins with only two set backs. Intrigued to see how they fare against the top two spots.
Burrillville - They lost to Toll Gate, but the Titans have more losses. Need to go on a run this next week.
Toll Gate - Titans feel like a solid bet, yet they have four losses…two of them were to Portsmouth and Cranston West though…
ResV Coaching Tip of the Week:
I’ve talked before about when to abandon a set, but after seeing some of the elite eight action from D3 men’s volleyball this weekend, it is probably a good one to talk about again.
I’ll keep it simple.
In a match, all you have to do is win three sets out of five. What the scores are of those sets…no one cares about. This is something you have to teach your players…losing 25-11 means nothing in the whole scheme of things. If we lost two sets 25-4 and won three sets 29-27, we still won the match. Nobody cares about the score except players / coaches / fans with ego and lack of emotional control.
With that understanding, the next part is do not let your starters get hammered throughout a set. If you’re down 15-6, put other people in. Some consider it conceding a set…perhaps…but it’s more about getting your shell-shocked players off the floor (hopefully getting a reset for the next set) and getting your reserve guys an opportunity. The reserve guys are on the team for a reason…get them out there. The set will probably unfold outside your favor, but perhaps one of the reserves impresses and you elect to stay with them. Perhaps your starters come out hungry for the next set as well.
All you have to do is win three sets…how you do it doesn’t matter…so let sets go if it makes sense.
ResV Player Tip of the Week:
I started my college season off this year explaining to my team a bunch of things that were going to happen and how I wanted them to handle those situations. One of them was…Every single person on the team will be subbed off at some point in a match. This idea is critical because I wanted everyone on the team to act the same way when they are subbed for.
Background info. No matter what happens during a campaign, there are going to be players who play more then others. Unless you are playing in the YMCA leagues where everyone has to play equal time as it’s a rule of the league, there are going to be discrepancies of who plays and who doesn’t. This is ok, as all roles on the team matter…and some roles matter way more they you realize.
Back to subbing. When a sub is called for you, I want the player to run to the sub line, give the incoming player a hug, and perhaps some info, and then come to the bench and five everyone on the bench up. I also like the guy who came out to sit next to the coaches and get some feedback about their performance to date.
What we don’t want is a slow, woe is me, wtf, feel for the sub. Show your on-coming teammate respect and support. Also show that you trust your coach…even if perhaps you may not. Again, decisions get made based on a variety of variables and you want to understand and respect those calls. Once out, go to the bench and clear your head, and then prep for your next opportunity.
This is all part of what a program looks like and how players respect one another. So, if you are to come off, act like a pro so your program and you look awesome.
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!