From the Willimantic Chronicle:

RHAM sweeps the Hill

ROCKY HILL — Tessa Smolinski went 30- for- 30 on serve, winning 25 points while also having 12 digs and 10 kills as RHAM rolled to a 25-16, 25-12, 25-18 Northwest Conference girls volleyball victory over Rocky Hill.
Ellie Linden (24 assists), Kelsey Welling ( 12 kills, 2 blocks, 6 digs), Chelsea Fenton (6 kills), Jocelyn Taylor (4 kills, 3 blocks) all provided strong contributions for the Sachems (7-0 overall, 50 NWC), who went 57-for-60 on serve.
What made Smolinski’s serving effort even more impressive was that they were all on jump serves. “Tessa has been jump serving since she was a sophomore and is one of the most well- conditioned players we’ve had in the program,” RHAM coach Tim Guernsey said. “She really doesn’t get fatigued.”
The Terriers fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the NWC.
RHAM, ranked fourth in the state, continues its NWC schedule when it hosts Middletown on Monday afternoon.

From the Hartford Courant:

RHAM’s defense was a key in a 3-0 victory over then-unbeaten Berlin in an NWC match Friday, but the fifth-ranked Sachems — last year’s Class M champions — also played well at the net. Kelsey Welling and Jocelyn Taylor combined for 18 blocks. “It was the biggest game we have played in so far this season,” RHAM coach Tim Guernsey said in an e-mail. “Having a young team, you worry about how players will react to the added pressure of it being an important game. I knew if we played well, we would have an opportunity to win.”  Photo by Barry Ralston

Sophomore Middle Hitter Jocelyn Taylor

RHAM 3, NFA 1 (15-25, 25-20, 25-11, 25-15)

By LORI RILEY |Courant Staff Writer

NWC: RHAM lost only one match last year, but lost five starters from its Class M championship team. Still, there are a number of good juniors, including outside hitter Tessa Smolinski, middle hitter Kelsey Welling and libero Mallory Grasso. Middle hitter Kelly Stratton, [is] the lone senior.  [Kelsey Welling] is the returning kills leader and is one block away from the school record.

“Even though we’re young, there are times we look really, really good,” coach Tim Guernsey said. “Then there are times we show how inexperienced we are as a group. It’s a matter of me being patient with them.”

Berlin lost to RHAM twice in a 16-4 season, but the Redcoats expect to be in the running for the conference title.

“It’s going to be an interesting battle,” Berlin coach Bob Tarigo said.

Berlin is big — senior hitter Sarah Burns is 6-2, junior hitters Katelyn Zarotney and Krystie Luczynski are 5-11 — and has an experienced setter in senior Erica Bukowski.

Caitlin LeMay, last year’s team MVP, leads five seniors for Rocky Hill, which went 9-9. Three starters are back. … St. Paul has a group of juniors back, including Rebecca Leonard, Sylvia Cavero and Ashley Sulewski, and hopes to improve on an 0-17 record. … Serving and defense are Middletown’s strengths. Dania Gomez and Teresa Wichowski are senior captains.

High School Volleyball: Players, Teams To Watch

Nora Bahgat, Cheshire, hitter, sr.: MVP of the Class LL championship game

Kara Fillion, Morgan, hitter, sr.: One of two juniors on All-Courant team

Becca Loftis, Coventry, hitter, sr.: Team leader in blocks

Erin Moriarty, Haddam-Killingworth, hitter, sr.: Helped H-K to the Class S final

Tessa Smolinski, RHAM, hitter, jr.: Athletic leaper and passer, All-Courant