By Michael Letendre
How topsy-turvy was the scholastic volleyball campaign for the public schools in town?
Both the programs at Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern played a tough slate of Central Connecticut Conference games, took part of the grueling CCC Tournament and then squared off against all the top squads in Class L postseason competition.
The Rams and Lancers, along with St. Joseph and eventually state champion Farmington, made for a very good block of Class L semifinalists that played well over postseason competition.
Central coach Lance Pepper and Eastern mentor Stefanie Reay both did a tremendous job in 2023 – posting wins against several tough programs along the way.
Central wins another CCC South title
Central completed an incredible two year run as back-to-back CCC South champions.
Going 19-9 overall, the Rams were able to knock off Eastern in its own gymnasium – an extremely rare feat – while splitting the season series with the Lancers 1-1.
The team went to the finals of the CCC Tournament for the first time ever while falling to a talented St. Joseph squad in the semifinal round.
Setter Alex Rivera, along with fellow CCC South, All-Conference mates Lily Kirk, Grace Higgins and libero Daigelis Figueroa, led another historic charge into the postseason.
Rivera ended her career with 2,163 assists and helped her squad get within two sets of another Class L title tilt.
It was one heck of a campaign for the Rams, playing all of their home games from the Pepperdome (Charles C .Marsh Gymnasium).
Eastern follows suit
After a tough loss to Simsbury in the CCC Tournament, the Lancers made a run in the Class Ls – getting within an eyelash of the championship title bout.
Eastern lost to eventual champion Farmington (3-0) but the program had tremendous success over its first three matches in the postseason.
The program knocked off second ranked Waterford three games to one and made it to the semifinals in Class L for the second time in three seasons.
Overall, the Kingstreeters went 15-9, winning nine of their first 10 postseason sets.
The Lancers had three players take home postseason honors.
Naseem Hennouch, Gabby Caucci and Adrianna Reay were all named to the CCC South All Conference squad.
Reay, the senior outside hitter, was tremendous from the start of the season until the last set was completed.
She blasted the competition for 433 kills, an average of 5.5 per set, and competed like a Class L All-Stater the entire campaign.
Who would BE Principal Higgins cheer for if Bristol Eastern squared off against Bristol Central in the finals?
For the first time in Bristol scholastic history, the two volleyball programs had a chance to qualify for the Class L championship round which would have made it all Bristol affair.
That was a situation that didn’t come to pass but would have been incredible to witness.
However, and this was brought up here several times along the way, who would Bristol Eastern Principal Mike Higgins cheered for during that BC/BE encounter?
Remember, it wouldn’t have been business as usual over that BC/BE encounter.
It would have been Central and Eastern in the finals.
Don’t forget, All-Conference stud Grace Higgins, Mike’s daughter, plays for Central while Mr. Higgins has BEHS loyalty as well.
During regular season battles between Central and Eastern, there’s no one squirming more than Principal Higgins along the sidelines.
We all know Mike’s bother, Kevin Higgins, would have cheered for his niece but we don’t truly know what school the principal’s allegiances would be with that day.
Here’s something to consider, Mr. Higgins: back in the day, pirates made traitors walk the plank…
Gail Ericson is Bristol Volleyball
Everyone knows who Gail Ericson is and what she means to Bristol volleyball.
In fact, she is Bristol volleyball.
Just on her Mum City resume, Ericson played scholastically at Eastern and eventually came back to coach the program in 1982.
In 23 years, Ericson won 332 matches, took home 15 league titles and won three state championships – the final coming in her final season (2005).
She been inducted in several hall of fames and is one of the leading forces behind the Bristol’s Crush Volleyball program.
Ericson was even on the Bristol Central bench on October 29, 2020 when Pepper and his staff had to isolate due to COVID.
Pepper was coaching from a TV (you can’t make that stuff up) and Ericson was leading the charge from the Central bench.
Central led 2-1 in the match before losing 3-2 in what could have been the Rams’ first win over Eastern since 1995 with Ericson at the helm for the other team!
It was an incredible scene.
And now, she’s back in yet another capacity as Ericson was one of the officials at the final BC/BE clash on October 23.
The Rams defeated the Lancers 3-0 from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium and it was an extreme pleasure to see Ericson once again working her magic on the sidelines from the campus at BEHS.
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