By Michael Letendre
What should we expect when the 10th ranked volleyball program from Bristol Eastern and No. 3 Farmington square off against each other in a Class L semifinal bout on Wednesday evening?
Here’s a special look at the showdown between the Lancers and River Hawks:
Semifinal Round – Class L Showdown: The Kingstreeters go back to work.
The Teams: No. 3 Farmington vs. No. 10 Bristol Eastern
Match Time: 4:30 p.m.
The Place: Naugatuck High School
Records: Farmington comes in with a sterling 20-4 record while Eastern hung in over a grueling schedule at 15-8.
On the Line: A Class L state championship berth.
Road to the semis: The River Hawks earned a first round bye before defeating Platt (3-0) and Simsbury (3-1) in the quarterfinal round; The Lancers defeated Waterbury Career Academy (3-0), Stratford (3-0) and No. 2 Waterford (3-1) in the quarters to get to this point.
Tournament Fact – Farmington: This will be the third straight CCC opponent Farmington will play in the postseason. A win by the River Hawks could mean a fourth and final bout against CCC opposition if No. 9 Bristol Central advances against No. 12 St. Joseph in the other semifinal showdown.
Tournament Fact – Bristol Eastern: The Kingstreeters won eight straight postseason sets before dropping the third set at Waterford on Saturday evening before rebounding and closing out the match. And, boy, would Eastern like to advance to the finals and take on a familiar, local opponent.
Three Facts about…Farmington
One – Brook Jones and Lucy Scudder are excellent swingers and a menace on the front line. The duo are two of the best the conference has to offer and will challenge Eastern’s Andrea Martir Perez and that back row defense which has been so sharp over state tournament play.
Two – Setter Aubrey and Abby Schipper each average about four assists per-set and have done well getting the River Hawks into their offensive schemes. As we’ve seen in Bristol between Central’s Alex Rivera and Eastern’s Naseem Hennouch, a fiery floor general can make all the difference between a win and a tough loss.
Three – Farmington defeated Eastern on October 11 by a 3-1 final (25-21, 17-25, 25-19 and 25-14) from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium in Bristol. Jones ramped up 12 kills, Scudder nabbed seven while Zadrozny dropped in six aces and pushed up 18 assists. That victory could work both for and against the River Hawks in the rematch.
Closing Thought: Farmington enters this showdown with a boatload of confidence and are looking forward to the match against Eastern. The River Hawks have the edge and expect to put it to work on Wednesday. But they can’t be overconfident against the surging Lancers.
Three Facts about…Bristol Eastern
One – Adrianna Reay and Gabby Caucci are simply on fire right now and the duo knows what it takes to get to the semifinals. The Lancers were in the semifinal round two years ago, falling to Simsbury. Reay, heading to Lenoir Community College next season to play a little volleyball, has 433 kills on the season while Caucci (258 kills) isn’t a second fiddle in the least. Farmington knows what they’re up against when dealing with those frontline aces.
Two – Hennouch has been a tremendous under-the-radar setter with over 700 assists to her name this year. The sophomore isn’t playing like an underclassman as the passer has established herself as one of the unsung athletes in all the CCC. She’s added 159 digs, flashed in 35 aces and does all the little things extreme well along with plenty of hustle and guile. When Eastern is struggling with serve-receive, her nose for the ball helps the team get out of that funk.
Three – Who is going to step up in this one? Against Waterford, Samara Paranzino put down some huge serves and Andrea Martir-Perez had that amazing over-the-head save that eventually lead to a point for Eastern. Kaitlynn Beaulieu also slipped in some serves, Jamayrie McRae-Arroyo had a late point while the entire team rose to the occasion to leave Waterford a 3-1 winner. Each one of those athletes are capable of big moments on the court for the locals.
Closing Thought: The Kingstreeters are absolutely rolling at the right time of the season. This is not the same team Farmington defeated back in Bristol just a month ago. Eastern wants this one, it was evident when the squad picked off Waterford – the second ranked opponent in the bracket – last Saturday and the Lancers can win this match and qualify for the final round on Saturday.
However, Eastern is only one part of the equation on Wednesday with Bristol Central waiting for its turn to take the court later that day.
And we want a rubber match between the Bristol programs.
Semifinal Round – Wednesday (at Naugatuck High School)
*No. 12 St. Joseph (16-7) at No. 9 Bristol Central (19-8), 4:30 p.m.
*No. 3 Farmington (20-4) at No. 10 Bristol Eastern (15-8), 7 p.m.
Class L Finals – Saturday from East Haven High School, 3 p.m.
*Bristol Central/St. Joseph winner vs Bristol Eastern/Farmington winner.
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