RHAM Volleyball » News

RHAM Seniors Set New Career Records

rhamvb — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:43:19 +0000

In addition to winning 3 back-to-back state championships, the Lady Sachems have set new career records!

Kelsey Welling now holds the new career high number of kills (739), followed by Shelly O’Keefe (692) and Tessa Smolinki (676).

Tessa Smolinski holds the new hitting record of 1303/1462, followed by Shelley O’Keefe 1294/1568 and Kelsey Welling 1120/1419.

Tessa Smolinski and Kelsey Welling took over spots 1 and 2 for career aces, with 212 and 175 respectively, followed by Abby Rosen’s 158.

Kelsey and Tessa also lead in points scored with 1204 and 906, followed by Shelley O’Keefe with 860.

Mallory Grosso holds the new RHAM record for serve receive with 674/778.

Kelsey Welling tops solo blocks with 272.

Tessa Smolinski and Mallory Grosso hold the RHAM career record for digs, with 765 and 665 respectively.

Ellie Linden now holds the RHAM record for setter assists with 1594.

Post Season Honors

rhamvb — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:55:39 +0000

Kelsey Welling and Tessa Smolinski have been selected for 1st team All-State.

Captains Mallory Grosso, Ellie Linden, Tessa Smolinski and Kelsey Welling have been chosen for the CCC All-Conference team.

RHAM nets another Class M crown by Rich Zalusky

rhamvb — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:01:37 +0000

Tessa Smolinski had dreams about it on Friday night.
Dreams about how her final high school girls volleyball match at RHAM High would play out with the opportunity to close out her career with three consecutive CIAC Class M state championships.
“I just felt my heart pounding,” Smolinski said. “It was like we have to win and what a great way to end things. And I didn’t want to be crying afterwards when it was over.”
Those dreams came true.
Smolinski (13 kills, 12 digs) earned most valuable player honors for the second straight year as No. 1 state-ranked RHAM (25-0) completed its second consecutive undefeated season with its third straight Class M title, a 25-11, 25-22, 26-24 victory over 11th-seeded Joel Barlow (21-5) at Berlin High School.
The victory extended the state’s longest winning streak to 53 straight matches dating back to a loss in the 2007 Northwest Conference final against Farmington.
And for the Sachems to finish things off in a sweep, they had to rally from a 24-20 deficit in Game 3.
“It hasn’t even hit me yet,” RHAM senior libero Mallory Grosso said after the Sachems received their championship medals. “It feels like we just won a game. It hasn’t felt like we’ve won three straight state championships.
“That’s just ridiculous.”
RHAM had rallied from a 7-1 deficit in Game 3 and caught the Falcons at 10-10 before opening up a 20-15 lead on an ace by Chelsea Fenton.
It was about that time when the RHAM student section summoned the Sachem fans opposite the team benches to stand up as well in anticipation of wrapping things up.
Joel Barlow had other ideas.
First, senior Emma Cheal blocked Smolinski to force a side-out.
Eight points later, all on the serve of Maria Kokenos during a run that featured two aces and two blocks from Emily D’Alessandro, Joel Barlow was on the doorstep of forcing a fourth game with a 24-20 lead..
Trailing by four points during practice is nothing for the Sachems.
Coach Tim Guernsey uses that scenario frequently in practice, putting his first team down 24-20 on the scoreboard and making them find ways to put together 4-, 5- or 6-point runs.
Smolinski even remembered a time when they ended up pulling out one of those scenarios, 36-34.
Doing the same thing with the pressure of a state championship on the line is another thing entirely.
“Coach told us, ‘This is what we do in practice.. We can do it. We know we can,’ “ Grosso said. “I was very nervous. I didn’t know if we were going to actually make a comeback especially knowing that just one mistake on us would give them the game.”
RHAM immediately forced an error, putting senior Kelsey Brault on serve, down 24-21.
Smolinski followed with a kill, forcing a Barlow time-out.
The time-out didn’t stop the momentum.
Jocelyn Taylor won the next point for RHAM on her 11th block of the match and, when Ellie Linden (30 assists) set up Smolinski on the right side for a booming kill between two players, the Sachems had tied things up at 24-all.
RHAM moved to match point when Barlow hit a kill attempt out, setting the stage for Smolinski, who punctuated her MVP performance with her final kill off another set by Linden that landed perfectly on the sideline.
And once the RHAM bench and the crowd realized the referee signaled the ball in, the celebration could commence.
“The kids don’t give in or get nervous,” Guernsey said. “They have the same mentality every time and know that they’re good enough to come back no matter what the score is. They do it all the time in practice and it’s exactly what they did today.
“Not that you want that to happen, but on the biggest of stages they made things exciting and more memorable.”
It was Taylor, standing 6-1 in the middle, who presented an ominous presence that put RHAM in commanding position in Game 1.
Taylor had two kills and two blocks in a 9-point serving run from Brault as the Sachems built a 19-5 lead.
And with senior Kelsey Welling also making life difficult for Joel Barlow, her blocking prowess along with four kills down the stretch closed out things at 25-11.
“Whether people want to admit it or not, the first line of defense is the block,” Guernsey said. “It changes what hitters want to do on the other side of the net. Both Jocelyn and Kelsey, on the biggest of stages, really stepped up. They did a phenomenal job.”
The Sachems led by as many as four points early in Game 2, 11-7, but then Barlow caught them at 15-all in what became a see-saw affair.
Later, the Sachems crept ahead 22-19 before the Falcons made them squirm by winning the next three points to tie things up at 22-all.
Barlow had a chance to take the lead on the next point, but a set attempt hit the antenna on the side of the net.
What hurt even more were three consecutive service errors after forcing side-outs on balls that sailed long without RHAM having to make a play.
“You can’t do that, especially against a talented team like RHAM,” Barlow coach Steve Antal said. “You can’t give them three points in a row and get none. That hurt us in Game 2.”
Now, a third banner will hang in the RHAM gymnasium.
And for the senior group of Grosso, Smolinski, Linden, Brault, Fenton, Welling and Alie Carlson, what a way it was to finish off their high school careers.
“What people will remember when they see this year’s championship banner is our senior group,” Guernsey said. “Last year, with a junior-laden team, the 2008 banner reminds you of our one senior, Kelly Stratton. That was special for her. Now, our seniors have one of their own, even though they had a lot to do with all our accomplishments last year.”
“You can’t do what we’ve accomplished without having talented players. They work hard in the offseason, in the winter and summer. All the credit goes to them for their dedication. They knew what they had to do in order to get ready to play.”
For Grosso, she couldn’t have asked for anything more.
“This is the way you want to go out,” Grosso said. “Having an undefeated season and winning another championship. It was like the perfect ending.”

Senior All Star Game

rhamvb — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:34:22 +0000

Kelsey Welling, Tessa Smolinski, and Ellie Linden helped the “Black Team” defeat the “Pink Team” 3-2. Supported by Farmington fans cheering all of the black team on, the black team came back from a tough first game! Great show of fun, talent, and good sportsmanship. Congrats to all.
_________
PINK TEAM

Colby Billhardt/Darien Laurie LaRusso

Lexie Broytman/Southington Richard Heitz

Katie Byrnes/Southington Richard Heitz

Michelle Carilli/Coventry Matthew Hurlock

Kate Centofanti/Greenwich Steve Lapham

Jennifer Escobido/NFA Bill Howard

Kastine Evans/NFA Bill Howard

Sarah Gorski/Darien Laurie LaRusso

Maddy Kalb/Staples Bruce Betts

Brianna King/Sacred Heart Academy Dave Alexandro

Erynn Miller/Bunnell David Jockle

Courtney O’Hara/Fitch Steve Banks

Lauren Ostafin/Avon Curt Burns

Coaches: Dave Alexandro/Sacred Heart Academy
Janet Giampaolo/Torrington

BLACK TEAM

Sarah Beres/Ellington Mike Stiles

Megan Casey/Newtown Tom Czaplinski

Casey Dulin/Jonathan Law Stacy Loch

Jessica Frankowski/Farmington Laura Arena

Dianne Gan/Conard-West Hartford Kerry Roller

Ali Krikau/Fairfield Ludlowe Meghan Skelton

Ellie Linden/RHAM Tim Guernsey

Krystie Luczynski/Berlin Bob Tarigo

Carli Matrisian/Foran-Milford Julie Johnson

Mariah Roussel/Newington Jen Micowski

Tessa Smolinski/RHAM Tim Guernsey

Caity Van Camp/Joel Barlow-Redding Steve Antal

Kelsey Welling/RHAM Tim Guernsey

Coaches: Julie Johnson/Foran-Milford
Kerry Roller/Conard-West Hartford

Class M Volleyball: RHAM Wins Third Straight Title

rhamvb — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:51:25 +0000

With a 2-0 lead against Joel Barlow and his team down 24-20 in the third game and on the verge of losing only its second game all season — its first in the Class M tournament — RHAM coach Tim Guernsey called a timeout. But there was no need to panic.

“That’s something we’ve done all year. We don’t ever give in,” Guernsey said. “We don’t ever break or get nervous. We know we can come back no matter what the score is. It’s something we work on all the time in practice.”

The top-seeded Sachems (25-0) came out of the timeout and scored the next six points — the final one on a hit from senior Tessa Smolinski — to win their third straight Class M title on Saturday.

The 11th-seeded Falcons did their best to keep it close — taking the lead in every game — but the floor coverage of RHAM proved to be too much.

“They’re very disciplined and they cover the court very well.” Joel Barlow coach Steve Antal said. “They serve very well, too. They only served two out and we served seven or eight out.”

RHAM’s success was due in large part to the serving of senior Kelsey Brault, who went 23-for-23, including the final five that finished off the third game. Fellow senior Jocelyn Taylor made it hard for the Falcons to attack with 11 blocks.

After dominating the first game 25-11, RHAM was pushed much harder in the next two games. Barlow (18-5) kept the second game close when it tied the score at 22 but three straight points by the Sachems ended the threat.

While most of RHAM’s seniors have been on two state championship teams, this one is different. This is one they can call their own.

“It means so much to everybody,” Smolinski said. “Coming back from last year we felt a lot of pressure.”

Smolinski finished her career with a 13-kill, 12-dig performance and was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

RHAM only lost one game this season — in the CCC final against Southington.

“Last year we had the same group of girls and we got everybody back and everybody works hard. We come in for six o’clock in the morning practices,” Smolinski said. “We had a lot of confidence. We just go for it.”

By KEVIN VELLTURO, The Hartford Courant

RHAM a win away from Class M three-peat

rhamvb — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:09:04 +0000

Tessa Smolinski will wake up Friday morning at 5:15 for the last time in her high school volleyball career.

And the RHAM senior is actually very unhappy about it.

“I love volleyball so much that I’d get up at any time to play,” Smolinski said.

Smolinski’s and the Sachems’ dedication may not be the only reason they have separated themselves from much of the state, but it certainly goes a long way in explaining their success.

Unbeaten and top-ranked RHAM moved to within one win of a third straight Class M tournament title with a 25-23, 25-19, 25-22 sweep of No. 4 Jonathan Law Wednesday at Middletown High.

The Sachems (24-0) will take on No. 11 Joel Barlow (18-4) Saturday at 1 p.m. at Berlin High. It will be a rematch of the 2007 final, won by RHAM in a three-game sweep.

“This means everything,” RHAM senior Kelsey Welling said. “We’ve practiced so hard and played so hard for this and now we have a chance to get what we want.”

The Sachems advanced but not without a challenge from Jonathan Law (18-3).

In Game 1, RHAM took a 24-23 lead on Allie Carlson’s kill and put it away on a mix-up by the Lawmen on the ensuing serve.

In Game 2, the Sachems used an 8-2 run to break a 14-14 tie and took the win on a dink shot by Smolinski.

Even though RHAM has lost just one game in 24 matches (72-1), Jonathan Law still refused to go away. It took a 20-16 lead in Game 3 as the Sachems took time out.

But they had learned a lesson from the one game they lost — to Southington in the final of the Central Connecticut Conference tournament on Nov. 7 — and showed they had learned it well.

“After Southington took a game from us we knew we had to pull together and get it done,” Smolinski said. “We’ve been there and we know we can do it.”

A 6-1 run put RHAM in front by a point. A kill by Caitlyn Stapleton tied it at 22 for Jonathan Law, but senior Mallory Grosso then came up with the decisive play of the match.

Grosso’s dig on a spike by Casey Dulin kept a point alive. Dulin would later misfire on another spike and the Sachems were ahead for good.

“Mallory is used to getting to balls like that,” Welling said. “She can read the ball and just has that mentality to make the play.”

A Welling kill brought RHAM to match point and Welling’s block on Stapleton ended it.

“I got a little nervous at the end when Stapleton started hitting the ball straight down to the ground,” RHAM coach Tim Guernsey said. “But (after Grosso’s play) you could look across and see their faces. The Law girls didn’t seem like they had any fight left. Once we got that ball back I knew they were in trouble.

“Our girls love playing together. There’s great camaraderie on the floor. They never give up and they chase down a lot of balls. They’re relentless.”

Senior Ellie Linden had 25 assists for the Sachems. Classmate Chelsea Fenton had 10 digs and six kills. Smolinski (10 digs, seven kills, four aces), Grosso (six digs, five aces), and Welling (13 kills, four blocks) were also standouts.

With their high expectations does come some pressure. But the Sachems have been there and done that and handle it well.

“I think the pressure is just us wanting to be the best we can be,” Smolinski said.

RHAM’s winning streak now stands at 52.

All the Sachems are looking for is one more.

By Carl Adamec
Journal Inquirer
Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:51 PM EST

Sachems net berth in semis

rhamvb — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:41:03 +0000

Senior Alie Carlson had a career-high nine kills along with three blocks as the top-seeded RHAM High girls volleyball team rolled into the CIAC Class M state tournament semifinals with a 25-15, 25-14, 25-16 quarterfinal-round victory Friday over eighth-seeded East Catholic.

Tessa Smolinski ( 8 kills, 13 digs, 13-for-13 serving), Kelsey Welling (8 kills), Jocelyn Taylor ( 5 kills, 7 blocks), Mallory Grosso (10 digs) and Ellie Linden (22 assists) paced the Sachems (23-0).

RHAM will meet Jonathan Law, whom they defeated in last year’s Class M final, on Wednesday night in the semifinals at a site and time to be determined.

Law, the No. 4 seed, advanced with a 25-12, 25-16, 23-25, 2522 victory over No. 5 Woodland Regional.

From the Chronicle

RHAM tops Bacon in 3

rhamvb — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:59:39 +0000

RHAM moves on to quarterfinals on Friday vs winner of East Catholic-Plainfield match.

RHAM tops Farmington in CCC Tournament

rhamvb — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:51:58 +0000

25-16, 25-15, 25-19

Kelsey Welling came out swinging 11 kills, 4 blocks

Lady Sachems are the only undefeated team in Class M!

rhamvb — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:56:48 +0000

The RHAM girls continue to sweep through the 2009 season, defeating both Tolland and E.O. Smith in 3-0 matches this week. Now 15-0, the Sachems are seeing stronger teams than they saw earlier in the season and are happy to step up to the challenge. Outside Hitters Smolinski and Fenton joined by MH’s Welling and Taylor continue to dominate the competition, with outstanding setting from Ellie Linden, superb defense from libero Mallory Grosso and defensive specialist Kelsey Brault, and attacks from powerhouse Alie Carlson on the right. Sophomores Laura Smolinski, Kara Trippel, Kelsey Kirkpatrick and Alicia Tripoli will be stepping into some big shoes next year, but are already preparing for the challenge. The JV squad looks solid and will undoubtedly help the Sachems reload!