What seemed impossible for to achieve after a poor start in the 16-team Rhody Boys Volleyball Invitational turned into silver at the finish for them.
Oakers captured the Silver Team medal by upending St. John’s Prep of Danvers, MA, splitting the first two games and winning the final one, 15-8, in a best-of-three finals at the fourth annual Rhody Boys Volleyball Invitational held at Bryant University on Saturday.
The tourney, sponsored by the Rhode Island Boys Vollleyball Coaches Association, involved 16 Division One teams- eight each from MA and RI with teams divided into four-team pools.
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Earlier, the Oakers had a chance to avenge a regular-season defeat to league rival La Salle Academy, but lost twice to the Rams and then twice to Haverhill. They would win seven of their last nine games against five opponents.
Their first two wins came against Milford (MA) , including a Dean Sadowski ace to clinch its second victory, before competing in the Silver Medal round of eight teams with even or losing tourney records.
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Coventry gathered momentum with a win in a single-game elimination contest over Minnechaug HS before battling East Providence for three games, winning the first, losing the second and then finally subduing the feisty Townies to advance to the finals.
St. John’s Prep, Mass. have been Division One state champions three times in the last decade and with nine players over 6 feet, including two 6’7” (compared to the Oakers tallest player at 6-1), were caught off-guard in a first-game loss against the scrappy Oakers.
With All-Tournament selection Kyle Carpenter, as usual, spearheading the squad, setting up players on short sets or cross court passes and devising last-second improvised shots for winners, they captured the first game with several contributions from many other players.
St. John's recovered to win the second game, setting up a finale in which the first team to reach 15 points claimed the championship medal.
But front-row players, Jeffrey Bennett, Brandon Tordoff and Dean Sadowski delivered several resounding and accurate hits at net with libero Shane Kirkland in the back row often consistently digging up hard shots or saving points.
P.J. Stringfellow, a 5-8 outside hitter, also executed several hard and accurate hits for points over and past opponents six inches to a foot taller, while Zach Zymkowitz pushed or directed a variety of winning shots at net. Jake Colvin’s hard and curling jump serves and back row play kept St. John’s Prep and other squads off-balance throughout the tourney.
“At the beginning of the day our defense was pretty shaky and we really improved on that,” said Carpenter. “Shane (Kirkland), our libero, got a lot better as the day went on. Serving wasn’t good, but our energy was great which is always key.”
“Coach Bartlett told us to pick up energy because we weren’t going to win without it,” Carpenter continued. The Coventry setter says this will help the Oakers who resume Division One play against East Providence again in an important road contest on Wednesday.
Tourney Postscript.
In the Gold Medal round involving a battle of 2010 Division One state champions, Chicopee Comp (MA) bested Bishop Hendricken, currently undefeated in Division One RIIL competition, winning the last three points in a 16-14 thriller in the third game of a best-of-three finale match. Hawks setter and outside hitter, J.J. Bessette, of Coventry, was named to the All-Tournament team along with teammate John Kane, an outside hitter.
"We were one swing away from winning the championship and they came up with the big plays," acknowledged Hawks head coach Mike Harrington.
Tolman High School boys volleyball head coach Neil Nachbar, of West Warwick, also a RIBVCA vice-president, founded this tournament three years ago. "The tounament ran smoothly and there were great displays of talent by the teams from Rhode Island and Massachusetts," he said.
