By Michael Letendre
The Class L volleyball championship finals, pitting No. 7 Bristol Central against No. 1 RHAM, is going to be an epic battle on Saturday.
The showdown, emanating from the gymnasium at East Haven High School, is going to be a fast-paced, back-and-forth affair that is sure to be a classic.
Here’s the lowdown of between these two Class L powers:
What to expect: Central has played every good team in the CCC, and then some, over the course of the regular season.
And the CCC is – hands down – the most competitive volleyball conference in all the state of Connecticut from top to bottom.
Barlow is a tremendous program from the South West Conference and has all the makings of a championship squad.
“I think Barlow is a tough team. They’re a good team,” said Central coach Lance Pepper. “They only lost a handful of sets all season and there’s a reason why that happens. You don’t do that without talent.”
Barlow has yet to taste defeat and is always a state power in the SWC.
The reality is that the Falcons dropped four sets over its first four regular season games and then won 18 of its final 19 contests with perfect 3-0 scores coming into the Class L title tilt.
The Falcons have outstanding hitting weapons as Libby Grob (235 kills) and Katherine Czerkawski lead the charge from the outside.
However, Barlow is battling a strong Central team that is peaking at the best possible time.
Central was going to watch some film on Barlow at practice on Thursday and Pepper was prepared to make a few adjustments.
But the key to everything is doing the big – and little – things on its own side of the court.
“I think the big thing about volleyball is if we don’t control our side of the court, no scout or anything else matters,” said Pepper.
That control is going to start with Alex Rivera, the outstanding junior setter, who has wrangled up nearly 750 assists this season.
The senior trio of Brooke Valentino, Olivia Clingan and Maddie Lodovico – along with sophomore Grace Higgins and freshman Lily Kirk – are proven commodities at the net.
And Rivera knows exactly where they want the ball.
Whether it’s a long toss up for Clingan to blast or a short stack set-up to Kirk, Rivera is the motor that powers the offensive attack.
“She’s been our leader the entire season running the offense and spreading the ball around,” said Pepper of Rivera. “I still don’t have enough positive comments about that kid from where she was last year where I was on her a lot to where she is now. She takes control of the floor, and she demands control. She takes a leadership role, and she spreads the ball around.”
Central will also do a credible job defensively as Sam Sklenka, Lodovico, Rivera and crew attack the backline with fire as well – bumping up all those tough swings that drop over the net on the Rams’ side of the court.
When things are clicking on both sides of the floor for the Rams, the team from Bristol is hard to top.
Bottom Line
What should we expect on Saturday at the championship tilt in East Haven?
“A team that’s never going to give up,” said Pepper about Saturday. “And the one thing you can’t teach is heart and resilience. When we get down, we’re never out of any game. We fight to the final whistle and what’s gotten us this far is our heart.”
“You can’t coach that.”
And his players have also echoed those same statements.
“We’re going to come in and we’re going to play hard, we’re going to be loud and we’re going to try to win this thing,” said Kirk.
Central’s seniors are looking forward to Saturday and will help lead the group.
So, what do Sam Sklenka and Lodovico expect come Saturday?
“A big game,” Sklenka and Lodovico said at nearly the same time.
“[There’s going to be] a lot of energy and I think we’re really ready,” added Sklenka.
One last thing to consider
I think a quote by Coach Norman Dale, played by the outstanding Gene Hackman in the movie Hoosiers, summarizes how Central should take this match against undefeated Joel Barlow on Saturday.
And before the big game, Dale talked to his basketball team in the locker room, providing his squad with a little inspiration:
“Forget about crowds, the size of the school, their fancy uniforms and remember what got you here. Focus on the fundamentals that we’ve gone over time and time again. And most importantly, don’t get caught up thinking about winning or losing this game. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we’re going to be winners.”
The other three championships on Saturday:
Class LL – No. 1 Darien vs. No. 14 Trumbull, 10 a.m.
Class M – No. 2 Woodland vs. No. 4 RHAM, 7 p.m.
Class S – No. 2 Hale Ray vs. No. 4 East Hampton, 4 p.m.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access eight (8) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access eight (8) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.
