By Michael Letendre
EAST HAVEN – What a four-year the Bristol Central volleyball program just made.
And season by season, the team made tremendous strides to eventually make it to the Class L title game.
The senior grouping of Brooke Valentino, Olivia Clingan, Maddie Lodovico, De’Ana Prowell and Sam Sklenka witnessed a lifetime of volleyball triumphs over a whirlwind four seasons.
As freshman, things were turning around as Central went 14-4 over regular season play (17-6 overall) and a first year grouping of scholastic players were just getting started between freshman and JV play.
And then the pandemic hit in 2020, the season got pushed back and then the bizarre eventually crept in.
The Rams lost just two games – both to Eastern – as the program went a sterling 11-2 in 2020.
That season, a talented group of sophomores – with Lodovico already in the varsity mix – pushed the Lancers to a five-game war back on October 29.
That was a match in which the entire Central coaching staff was in COVID protocols and could not be at the school.
In a first from Bristol, Central head coach Lance Pepper and his staff coached the game from a television set that was set up on the court.
And then on the bench was former Bristol Eastern coach Gail Ericson coaching the Central girls in a contest that went into a rare fifth set between the schools.
What a wild scene it ended up being because the Rams had a realistic chance of finally toppling its crosstown rival.
Central was up 2-1 on Eastern, Ericson on the verge of stopping the Rams’ losing streak – from the Central bench! – and then Pepper coaching his troops from his kitchen (remember, I reported Pepper had nice cabinets and was enjoying some sort of tasty beverage from a blue cup. The rumor, not confirmed, was that he was drinking prune juice and munching on tasty Fig Newtons) made for something that you just had to witness in person to believe.
From there, Central went 15-8 overall in 2021 and then posted an incredible 19-win campaign the following year – ending the campaign this year with a Class L title showdown against Barlow.
What an amazing journey from that night from Pepper’s kitchen to what happened just a couple of Saturdays ago.
“You go into coaching, and you thought you’d be at every game,” said Pepper after Central lost to Barlow. “And then, you’re coaching from your kitchen. You can’t say much. Maddie Lodovico was the middle on that team and it’s a testament to even the kids before these kids. They’ve laid the foundation.”
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.
