Girls Volleyball: Coventry Defeats Toll Gate In Opener

Coventry rolled to a convincing win in their match over Toll Gate on Wednesday night in the Division One girls volleyball season opener for both teams in Warwick.

Last year, Coventry was 13-1, making it all the way to the championship game for the first time in eight years before losing to Prout.  

With several returnees from that state runnerup squad, including 2010 All-Stater and outside hitter Samantha Clark, the Oakers got off on the right foot. They never trailed in throttling the Titans, 25-12, 25-8 and 25-15, in Warwick.

“We were very strong in the service department and we were OK offensively,” said head coach Leo Bush. “We were off in our timing and didn’t communicate as well as well we can. We also didn’t play as fast as we are capable of playing.”   

In the first game, the Oakers immediately applied the pressure as they capitalized on several Titan hitting errors to easily control the contest. 

In game two, with Coventry ahead, 12-7, tall lefty Quincie Varin stepped behind the service line to deliver low, hard and often unreturnable hits for 12 straight points. Vanessa Equitani unloaded a hit to the left corner off a set from Alyssa Nahigian and Jenna Swanholm also had a winning hit as Coventry surged ahead 24-7 before clinching, 25-8.

Varin started off in game three where she ended in game two, serving up six straight points. But Toll Gate fought back. Pattie Turner zipped a few strong hits past the Oakers tall front line while Jamie Lavoie served for another few Titans points who trailed, 17-7, in the final game, The hosts captured seven of the next 11 points, including a four-point run, to close the gap to 21-14.

Then the Oakers closed out the Division One South matchup with a 4-1 surge.

The Oakers mentor also praised the efforts of middle hitter Vanessa Equitani, outside hitter Alexis Ruest and libero Lindsey Sweeney. “Quincie (Varin) was our best server and she hit the ball well, too.”

Nahigian finished with 4 aces, 7 digs and 15 assists. “She spread out the offense pretty well,” said Bush of his senior setter and co-captain.

Equitani recorded 5 kills and 4 aces while the versatile Varin had 4 aces, 5 kills and 3 digs.

Toll Gate welcomed back former coach Kelly Harrington. The Titans struggled last season with a record of 4-10. But the Titans mentor says she is “working on getting them to improve every day. I want them to get into position, make a good pass and stay aggressive throughout the whole match no matter what the score is.”

“Pattie Turner is our strongest offensive player,” said Harrington. “Jamie Lavoie is a great defensive player and brings a high level of enthusiasm whenever she plays.”

The effects of tropical storm Irene limited Coventry, which started school almost a week late, to just seven days of practice. So Bush and assistant coach Jillian Krebs welcome the challenges ahead.  “We need to be pushed,” he said. “Our next games are South Kingstown, Prout and North Kingstown.”

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