By Michael Letendre

WATERFORD – The Bristol Eastern volleyball team always seems to be very successful during postseason play.

It’s been a staple of the program for years.

And after all the wars the Lancers wage on a nightly basis in Central Connecticut Conference battles, the team is always ready to roll once the Class L’s get underway.

On Saturday night, No. 10 Eastern, behind a complete team effort, battled its way out of the quarterfinal round with a stirring 3-1 victory over second ranked Waterford.

The bout, from Waterford High School, saw the Kingstreeters (both teams are nicknamed the Lancers) rope up scores of 25-21, 25-23, 21-25 and 25-21 to qualify for the semifinals.

Eastern squares off against No. 3 Farmington in a huge CCC semifinal event from Naugatuck High School at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Against Waterford (20-5 overall), the Kingstreeters (15-8) won the first two sets, absorbed a tough loss in the third game, before snaring the final set to earn another trip to the semifinal round – the second time in the past three seasons Eastern qualified for the semis.

This match could have slipped south after Waterford grabbed the third set and refused to yield over fourth period play but the visitors found the will and a way to win in the end.

“They were fighting for everything,” said Eastern coach Stefanie Reay of her team. “The girls did a fantastic job of pursuing the ball, taking advantage of the space that they had and the height that we had in the ceiling and doing exactly what we practiced and exactly what they promised to do.”

The Kingstreeters got contributions from everyone on the court which included big swing after big swing from the senior duo of Adrianna Reay and Gabby Caucci.

Reay collected a game-high 33 kills to go along with 13 digs while Gabby Caucci nabbed 15 kills and 12 digs to pace a lethal attack.

Kamila Mateo Rivera, Kaitlynn Beaulieu and Jamayrie McRae Arroyo also made contributions to the winning effort.

Naseem Hennouch kept the offensive moving with a 42 assist/12 dig effort, libero Andrea Martir Perez added 16 digs and three assists while Samara Paranzino (three aces, three digs) came up huge on the serving front.

“It feels really good,” said Adrianna Reay of the win. “I feel like our team has just grown so much from the beginning of the year and we still have so much to go. Even coach was saying being at that point and this close to the end of the season, it’s just a great spot for the next round and setting us up for next year.”

“It’s just so fun to be able to play with these girls and experience that amazing feeling at the end of the game.”

Waterford played extremely well from the front line, blocking shots and finishing well from both the left side and middle of the floor.

And when the Kingstreeters were a little fatigued, that forward play frustrated the visiting aggression.

Jennie Macca-Barnes led Waterford with 11 kills, Emerson Lane had 10 and Lucy Walker added eight to pace the offense.

“They were super fast with the one balls,” said Reay of Waterford. “They were putting it in smart spots that were open. They did a great job.”

The squads went back and forth to open the first set as the Kingstreeters were clinging to an early 9-7 push.

But a 6-1 run, highlighted by a couple Reay kills, propelled Eastern to a 15-8 edge.

Waterford dropped the deficit down to four moments later but the Kingstreeters zipped off six straight points as Beaulieu put up some quality serves and when a Reay slam from the left side found pay dirt, the visiting aggression steered up a 21-11 cushion.

Eventually, the home team collected 10 of 13 points over a late push but when a failed kill by Waterford’s Brielle Kenney went long, Eastern secured a 25-21 first set triumph.

The second set was another tit-for-tat affair that saw nine ties with a couple of those stalemates coming late.

Knotted up at 7-7, Eastern hit for five straight points with more kills by Reay to post Eastern to a 12-7 lead.

“A lot goes into all of those balls. We have to have a great pass and a nice set to put the ball down,” said Reay of the kills generated by Eastern. “Caucci did a great job as well. Both of them [Reay and Caucci] are just so smart with the ball that I can tell them what spot to put it in and they’ll swing at it. They’ll push it right there, they’ll tip it right there and they’re both just so ridiculously coachable that when you want to be that good and you’re willing to take coaching and have your own motivation, it’s so hard to stop them.”

The Kingstreeters never trailed the rest of the way but Waterford tied the match up three times late with the last stalemate coming off a 23-23 score when a kill attempt was slapped into the net.

Coach Reay quickly called timeout, had the unit take a breath and the squad picked up the final two points to close out the set.

Reay dropped over a ball that was never returned and when Paranzino planted a huge serve that did not come back, Eastern won the frame 25-23 – making it a 2-0 match and needed just one more set victory to end the affair.

Waterford took the third set to task, flying out to an 8-1 lead before making it 15-6 off an ace by Lane.

Eastern chipped away at scoreboard as Hennouch pushed a ball from the back row over the net, falling to the court on the flip side, as the deficit was chopped to 16-12.

Neither squad could seize any real momentum but the Kingstreeters could only close the deficit to three late.

Down by five, Caucci dumped over a kill and an error got Eastern to 24-21.

One final kill from Jennifer Macca-Barnes gave Waterford a 25-21 victory in set three – slicing the match deficit to 2-1.

However, the fourth and final game was all-out action with five lead changes and six ties – all coming early on in the tilt.

Eastern was down 6-5 in the fourth before a 6-1 burst by the Kingstreeters gave the set to the visitors for good.

And then, the play of the game came and went.

Eastern was ahead 8-6 when a ball came from the Waterford side of the court which was booted by the Kingstreeters in the wrong direction.

Reay was able to track down the ball and blasted it up to the ceiling like a rocket ship, deep in the back row.

Martir Perez, facing opposite the net, somehow, someway found the ball, blasted it back – from over her head – to the Waterford side of the court.

Eventually, the home team sent the ball into the net as the Kingstreeters made a huge play and instead of being up one, they were leading by three.

“We were, specifically, working on that in practice,” said Adrianna Reay of the play. “We’ve been drilling the pursuit and Adrianna has everyone’s back on the court. I would not want anyone else to be in the libero jersey than [Martir Perez]. She did amazing and she’s just has everyone’s back.”

“I could not ask for a better teammate and a better team in general.”

Later in the set, Caucci generated a couple loud kills, Hennouch nabbed a couple aces and off a loud swing by Reay, Eastern was up 18-8 and nearing the finish line.

And the Kingstreeters were sitting at 24-16 – one point away from winning the match – but Waterford notched five straight points to get within three (24-21).

On the final play of the game, another volley was completed when McRae Arroyo hit a ball over the net from the middle that was never returned as Eastern got to the pay window – winning the set 25-21 and took the match three games to one over one heck of an effort.

“It’s just getting back to where we should be again,” said Reay of Eastern qualifying for the semifinals. “I can’t say enough about this group of girls that I have this year. They literally soak up every bit of coaching and every piece of information. It’s all attributed to their hard work, their motivation and coachability.”

Bristol Eastern Volleyball – Class L, Quarterfinal Round challenge

No. 10 BRISTOL EASTERN 3, No. 2 WATERFORD 1

from Waterford High School

Set Scores: 25-21, 25-23, 21-25 and 25-21.

Lead Changes: Seven

Ties: 19

Highlights: Bristol Eastern – Adrianna Reay 33 kills, 13 digs; Gabby Caucci 15 kills, 12 digs; Naseem Hennouch 42 assists, 12 digs; Andrea Martir Perez 16 digs, three assists; Samara Paranzino three aces, three digs; Waterford – Emerson Lane 10 kills, six digs, three blocks; Jennie Macca-Barnes 11 kills, 15 digs, two blocks; Lucy Walker eight kills; Ava Majeski 27 digs; Danica Agsalud had 37 assists.

Records: Bristol Eastern 15-8 overall; Waterford 20-5. 

Class L Volleyball Bracket

Quarterfinal Round – November 11-12

*East Lyme 1, Bristol Central 3 (25-22, 29-27, 30-32, 25-23)

*Woodstock Academy 2, St. Joseph 3 (13-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-20, 15-6)

*Waterford 1, Bristol Eastern 3 (25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 25-21) *Farmington 3, Simsbury 1 (26-24, 16-25, 25-20, 25-20)

Semifinal Round – Slated for Wednesday (Neutral sites)

*No. 12 St. Joseph (13-6) at No. 9 Bristol Central (13-7)

*No. 3 Farmington (16-3) at No. 10 Bristol Eastern (12-7)

Class L Finals (this Saturday from East Haven High School)

*Bristol Central/St. Joseph winner vs Bristol Eastern/Farmington winner