By Michael Letendre
Are you ready for some volleyball?
It’s October and that means Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern will be throwing down to start the month and if you’re anywhere near the area of the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium on the campus of Bristol Eastern on Monday, the battle between the Rams and the Lancers is going to be a good one.
Here’s the lowdown on all the action from what should be another epic showdown between CCC South powers:
Bristol Central (7-2) at Bristol Eastern (8-1)
Time: The match is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Location: Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium (BEHS)
Players to Watch: Bristol Central – Brooke Valentino (sr. outside hitter, 89 kills, 85 digs), Grace Higgins (so. Right side, 29 kills, 22 aces, 48 digs), Lily Kirk (fr. middle blocker, 36 kills, 19 aces, 11 blocks, 26 digs), Olivia Clingan (sr. middle blocker, 54 kills, 15 aces, 21 blocks, 23 digs), Maddie Lodovico (sr. outside hitter, 74 kills, 30 aces, 77 digs), Alex Rivera (jr. setter, 33 aces, 70 digs, 243 assists), Sam Sklenka (sr. libero, 128 digs).
Players to Watch: Bristol Eastern – Lauren Bender (sr. outside hitter, 124 kills, 25 aces, 45 digs), Emily Valentine (so. libero, 23 aces, 90 digs), Adrianna Reay (jr. outside hitter, 39 kills, 21 aces, 24 digs), Lilli Lowe (sr. middle hitter, 31 kills, 25 aces, nine blocks), Alyssa Valentine (sr. setter, defense, 14 aces), Gabby Caucci (jr. right side, 32 kills, 24 aces, 41 digs), Jenya Hatcher (jr. middle hitter, 13 kills).
Central’s season to date – After going 1-2 to start the campaign, which included 3-1 set losses to both RHAM and Cheshire (both extremely good programs), the Rams have won six straight matches – all by 3-0 tallies.
Starting with a sweep against Middletown on September 16, Central has beaten Plainville, Farmington, Berlin, Platt and won at East Hartford this past Friday.
Eastern’s season to date – The Lancers rolled off five straight victories to open the campaign, defeating the likes of South Windsor (3-0), Edwin O. Smith (3-1), Farmington (3-1), Lewis Mills (3-0), and Berlin (3-1).
After dropping a tough 3-0 decision to Simsbury back on September 21, the Kingstreeters have won three straight.
Wins over that three-pack of matches came against Plainville, Maloney and Newington, the final going all five games.
The Bristol Streak – The Bristol Eastern volleyball program has beaten Bristol Central 55 straight times.
Last Season – Eastern defeated Central three games to one back on October 3 at the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium while in the rematch from October 29, the Lancers swept the Rams 3-0 over on King Street.
Last Bristol Central victory over Bristol Eastern – The Rams defeated the Lancers 3-2 back on November 3, 1994.
In that last Rams’ win over the Lancers, the squad picked up the victory via set scores of 3-15, 17-15, 11-15, 15-9, and 15-11.
If you notice, scores went only to 15 back then and Central needed ‘overtime’ to seize game two.
That match easily could have been a 3-0 sweep by the Lancers and a streak that could have reached 57 straight matches (Central swept Eastern in 1993 over two epic five game sets).
In that 1994 win by Central, Kristen Mullin racked up nine kills and 12 aces while teammate Danielle Drury was impressive with eight aces as the Rams moved to 12-5 overall.
Gera Birdsey and Sloane Pagani each led the Lancers offensively as 1994 was the last season the Eastern program failed to make the postseason, falling to 8-10.
What to expect on Monday – Bender is lethal on the outside and her swings are loud and explosive.
She knocked around Berlin for 22 kills and added 23 in the five-set thriller against Newington.
Eastern averages 9.6 kills-per-set and have players on the line that can get the ball over the net.
Reay, Caucci and Lowe will all chip in kills and Valentine is solid in back while helping put the offense in motion.
Central is a little better at 10.1 kills-per-set which makes those offenses pretty even between the Bristol programs.
It’s a little more spread-the-wealth offense as Valentino, Lodovico and Clingan all have 50-plus kills for the Rams.
Clingan will block shots (that ability apparently runs in the family) and Kirk is an impressive freshman who already has 30 sets of experience in the tank.
Rivera is an excellent setter and Sklenka bumps up just about everything from the back row.
And both programs are well coached with Lancer Pepper leading the charge at Central and Stefanie Reay running the squad at Eastern.
Bottom Line – Every winning streak ends.
The Central girls basketball team made a losing streak to Bristol Eastern, that stretched all the way from 2004, disappear last season.
But volleyball is a different animal and the 55 stretch of games is now generational in scope (The First PlayStation console was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment in Japan back on November 3, 1994, for reference).
Every season Central inches closer but just can’t over the hump.
Over the last ten tries against the Lancers, the Rams have forced a fifth set three in three matches.
Will Monday night finally be the match in which the Rams finally topple the Lancers?
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