By Michael Letendre 

For the first time in program history, the Bristol Central volleyball team has advanced to the semifinal round of the CIAC Class L tournament bracket. 

The battle-tested squad took on all comers in the regular season – prepping itself for a long postseason run. 

And look where the Rams are now. 

No. 7 Bristol Central can qualify for its first ever championship tilt with a victory over No. 3 East Lyme. 

This match is going to be a classic as the Rams will be looking to top a loaded Vikings squad for a chance at the finals on Saturday from East Haven High School. 

Here’s a special look at the semifinal tilt between Bristol Central and Easy Lyme: 

No. 7 Bristol Central (18-7) vs. No. 3 East Lyme (19-6) – Class L Semifinal   

Time: 6:00 p.m.  

Location: Cromwell High School  

Path to the semis: The Rams have been cruising through the tournament, etching up a 3-0 postseason ledger. 

Over a five-day stretch, Central dispatched No. 26 Ledyard (25-13, 25-15, 25-11) in the first round, defeated No. 23 Edwin O. Smith (25-12, 25-17, 25-9) in the next match before sinking second ranked Suffield (25-10, 25-8, 10-25, 25-16) last Saturday in the quarters.
On the flip side, East Lyme enjoyed a first round bye, one of five programs that did not have to play in the opener. 

The Vikings have not dropped a set over postseason play.

The squad spun No. 19 Jonathan Law (25-9, 28-26, and 25-9) in second round play on November 10 and then in the quarters, East Lyme topped No. 11 Bristol Eastern (25-12, 25-16 and 25-10) – preventing an All-Bristol semifinal which would have been absolutely wild. 

Players to Watch: Bristol Central (Stats through the Suffield match) – Brooke Valentino (sr. outside hitter, 266 kills, 44 aces, 243 digs), Grace Higgins (so. right side, 87 kills, 61 aces, 137 digs), Lily Kirk (fr. middle blocker, 92 kills, 37 aces, 38 blocks, 58 digs), Olivia Clingan (sr. middle blocker, 101 kills, 49 aces, 67 blocks, 74 digs), Maddie Lodovico (sr. outside hitter, 194 kills, 24 blocks, 69 aces, 263 digs), Alex Rivera (jr. setter, 58 aces, 218 digs, 703 assists), Sam Sklenka (sr. libero, team-leading 426 digs, 21 assists), .  

Last Match: Central belted No. 2 Suffield, three matches to one. 

Valentino etched up 13 kills, Clingan added 12 while Higgins flashed in 10 over a tremendous offensive effort last Saturday. 

Kirk rejected five shots, Sam Sklenka zipped up 28 digs, Lodovico bumped up 17 digs while Rivera dished out 46 assists. 

Another total team effort led to a sterling quarterfinal round victory.  

Central’s season to date – The Rams are 18-7 overall and have all the makings of a state champion. 

With RHAM, the last team Central lost to in the CCC Tournament and out of the Class L picture, the field was suddenly wide open in 2022. 

Since starting the campaign at 1-2 – with losses to RHAM (3-1) and Cheshire (3-1) over a very loaded first seven days of the regular season – the Rams proved they could compete with any program in the state, winning 17 of 22 matches to get to the semifinals of the Class L bracket. 

And those losses along the way, including setbacks against Eastern, Simsbury, Southington, Conard, and RHAM again, only made the team stronger. 

When your regular season revolves around the CCC and then that squad makes a run in the postseason, anything is possible. 

And battling the likes of Cheshire and North Haven gave Central plenty of different looks at programs all over Connecticut.  

A look at East Lyme: The Vikings boast good size and are a skilled program at every position. 

Addison Soleau (10 kills versus Bristol Eastern), Chloe Vaglio (two kills, ) and Carolyn Place (three blocks) are tough in the middle with loud swings and rejections.  

Shaelin McMunn (21 assists, 13 digs) is a quality setter directing traffic and Skylar Bell (six aces, 14 digs) is a do-it-all libero and a threat from the back line. 

Other contributions will come from Meghan Nagle, Abigale Parulis and freshman Finnley Wilson.  

Eastern actually had more kills than East Lyme (25-21) in its tournament showdown but the Vikings seemingly capitalized on every mistake made by the Kingstreeters. 

Like so many of the squads from the Class L bracket, the Vikings – or Bristol Central – could win it all. 

The victor of the contest takes on the winner of top-ranked Joel Barlow and No. 12 Woodstock in what will be a tremendous event. 

Of note, East Lyme split with Woodstock this season and could be a possible final’s showdown.

What to expect on Wednesday – Don’t kid yourself in this one. Central has the ability to play on championship Saturday. 

East Lyme has lost just once at home this season (13-1), but this round is from a neutral site – making it a huge deal for the Rams. 

Central has taken on all comers this year and the Vikings will be competing against a program that has the talent to be elite. 

The fact of the matter is Central is one of 16 teams still left standing in postseason play in all the state of Connecticut. 

It’s a position the Rams have never been in before and you can expect Central to bring it all against a surging East Lyme program. 

If you enjoy any kind of scholastic sports, this is a no-miss match you’ll want to find a way to see. 

And the reality is the Bristol Central volleyball program is on the cusp of something very big.