By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL –  Over the first five installments of the series between the Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern volleyball squads in The Bristol Edition, we’ve learned that the Lancers ruled play on the court despite a few down years.

From 1977 until 1994, Eastern went 30-8 against Central and in any term, that’s domination.

And since 1995, Central has yet to top Eastern on the court as a huge winning streak emerged.

Currently, that tally is 53 consecutive victories by Eastern over Central – giving the Kingstreeters an 83-9 advantage against the Rams since 1977.

And what’s so remarkable about the streak? 

After 1995, there would not be any five-set showdowns between the programs until the end of 2017.

To go along those lines, from 1996 until 2017, Central won one set in nine matches as sweeps became a common occurrence between the schools.

Those five match sets were also rare and over those 53 victories by the Lancers, less than eight-percent of those showdowns – or four matches – went the distance.

Perhaps the gap between the two schools has closed recently with three five-set matches that commenced over the last eight games – highlighted by a huge back and forth battle to end 2020.

However, the difference in skill-level always seemed to tilt in Eastern’s direction.

Central had to battle all sorts of All-State talent during that unbelievable stretch.

The Lancers had Ellen Traverso, Hadley, Stef Aboagye, Sarah Plourde, Audrey Boutin, Taylor Losey, Liz Pacyna, Karissa Smith, Brianna Root, Bailey Wyrebek, Angela Daley, Zoe Lowe, Leah Chipman, and Ryley Plourde – to name a few – all earn All-State honors while playing under the Bristol Eastern banner.

The Rams weren’t without talent either as Holly Richardson and Emily Ericson were All-State talents as well.

But the overall body of work was won by the Lancers because starting in 1995, the Rams have yet to solve the Eastern volleyball puzzle.

That 1995 campaign saw an influx of varsity level talent take the floor of the Thomas M .Monahan Gymnasium at Bristol Eastern and that meant the Lancers would be tough to top.

Glimpses of that ability was on display at the Naugatuck High School Third Annual JV Tournament in 1994 as the Lancers won the event.

Eastern defeated Naugatuck, Platt and Seymour before facing Naugatuck in a rematch for the championship.

The Lancers won the best-of-three contest by scores of 15-10 and 15-4 as the Eastern (16-3 overall in JV play) was led by Hadley and fellow front-liner Michelle Getz.

That JV crew joined returning starters Beth Ponte and Kelly Pomerenke and quickly, the Lancers were back on track and looking for revenge on the Rams.

But Central pushed the Eastern over the first showdown on October 2, 1995.

However, the Lancers ended up defeating the Rams, 3-1, behind scores of 15-11, 15-2, 9-15, and 15-6.

The Eastern seniors ruled that game as Ponte notched 13 aces and six kills while Pomerenke added a double-double of 10 kills and 10 blocks.

Leanne Fournier bumped up 25 assists in the winning effort.

Danielle Drury and Jane Bialosuknia each posted seven kills while Jill Kelley nabbed 15 service points for the Rams.

And in the rematch, the Lancers were engaged in a five-set war with its crosstown rival.

Central won two of the first three sets on November 2 before Eastern eventually pulled out the match.

Set scores were 15-9, 8-15, 13-15, 15-4 before going the distance – and then a little more – over a 16-14 final set war.

Drury collected 12 kills and four blocks for the Rams while Ponte blasted in 16 kills and Pomerenke added 10 kills for the Lancers.

The win, Eastern’s ninth straight at the time, propelled the Lancers to a share of the CCC South championship.

One year later, Eastern put together a 15-3 regular season, swept the regular season from the Rams and made it to the finals of the Class L championship as the 10th seed.

Central fell to Eastern, three games-to-one, on October 5 by scores of 16-14, 15-7, 13-15, and 15-4.

Traverso zipped up 11 kills and Kristina Lyons added eight as Eastern won yet again.

Drury rejected nine shots in the losing endeavor.

The Rams were then swept on October 29, 1996 as the Lancers won 15-4, 15-8, and 15-4.

Eastern ended the year at 18-4 as the squad fell in the finals by Newton, 3-0 (15-12, 15-8, and 15-9), in the Class L championship.

Those battles over 1995-96 would prove the be the template of the series for quite some time between Central and Eastern.

The final installment of this scholastic rivalry hits the pages of The Bristol Edition tomorrow.