There were some state tournament appearances and wins for local volleyball squads last season. Some significant coaching changed took place. Anna Duquette takes over in Athol, while Abby Loynd takes the reins in Turners Falls.
Brian Campbell is now the coach in Greenfield. In Buckland, Bob Mastorakis takes over the Mohawk Trail squad who won its first sectional title in program history just two years ago.
Pioneer Valley Regional won in the Division 5 preliminary round. Turners Falls ran into a tough opponent in PVCA in both the sectional tournament and the state tournament, leading to early exits. Mahar and Franklin Tech made the Round of 16 in Division 5.
Frontier made the semifinal round of the Class B sectional tournament before an early exit in the state tournament. The Redhawks play a tough schedule in the Northern Division. Greenfield lost in the Division 5 Round of 32.
With some new talent emerging, area teams hope for deeper playoff runs in tournament play. Here’s a closer look at each team.
Athol
Coach: Anna Duquette
League/Division: Western/4
Last Year’s Record: 8-12
Roster: Giana Vaillancourt, Madeline Desrosiers, Heidi Dunford, Bella Barton, Morgan Brailey, Savannah Cordio, Emmi Decoteau, Dakota Dustin, Lacie Hermes, Mackenzy Leger, Kaylee Meuse, Reese Nelson. Ella Reed, Giana St. Andre.
Outlook: Anna Duquette takes over for longtime coach Donna Lajoie in Tool Town. Giana Vaillancourt and Maddie Desrosiers are both seniors who could have big seasons for the Bears. Vaillancourt had more than 100 kills last season. Giana St. Andrew brings a steady and calm hand to the Athol defense. Duquette wants to build volleyball intelligence and strengthen the team’s fundamental skills in her first season as a varsity coach.
Franklin Tech
Coach: Jade Cuevas
League/Division: Western/5
Last Year’s Record: 15-7
Roster: Seniors —Emma Petersen, Taylor Underwood, Janiylah Wan; Sophomores — Lily Baldwin, Sarah Beckwith, Laura Fuess, Madison Pettingill, Kenra Steniner; Sophomores — Taylor Chase, Charlie Knight, McKenzie Stafford.
Outlook: Emma Petersen brings athleticism to the outside hitter position. Sarah Beckwith and Madison Pettingill are two other players to watch for the Eagles.
Frontier Regional
Coach: Courtney Parent
League/Division: Northern/4
Last Year’s Record: 7-14
Roster: Seniors — Kesenia Miller, Madeline Day; Kaelyn Johnston, Gracie Johnston, Olivia Donovan, Avah Spearance, Olivia Peabody, Karinna Kostov, Anna Conklin, Sophia Kwader; Sophomores — Aimee Talbot, Josephine Silva; Freshmen — Gemma Parson, Grace Baronas.
Outlook: Aimee Talbot flashed as a freshman last season and should improve even more in her sophomore season. Karinna Kostov is new to the team but has some skills that can help the Redhawks. Anna Conklin has some height that can help at the net on offense and defense. Grace Baronas has promise as a hitter for Frontier.
Greenfield
Coach: Brian Campbell
League/Division: Western/5
Last Year’s Record: 14-7
Roster: Seniors — Yerializ Collado Bonilla, Alice Wondoloski, Bianca Reynolds, Amy Mihailicenco, Ashlyn Koscinski; Juniors — Charlee Vera-Fellows, Sarah Marchefka, Rose Fortin; Isabella Disciullo, Paradis Benz; Sophomores — Elizabeth Derivolkova; Amelia Prescott.
Outlook: A lot of players will get a chance to step up and play some varsity minutes for the Green Wave. Bianca Reyonolds has leadership skills for the squad. Amy Mihailicenco and Paradis Benz are strong two-way players. Ashlyn Kos is another leader who affects the game positively and can transition from defense to offense quickly.
Mahar Regional
Coach: Maeve Powell
League/Division: Western/5
Last Year’s Record: 13-9
Roster: Seniors — Scarleth Aranda Lebron, Madelynn Burgess, Kamryn Hart, Mckenzie Scribner; Sophomores — Abigail Daly, Layla Lamarche, Jeneal Marks, Serenity Packard. Freshmen— Anabelle Esparza, Rorey Mathews, Nastasia Sanders.
Outlook: The Senators reached the Division 5 Round of 16 last season. Madelynn Burgess is a four year starting setter for the Senators. She will continue playing volleyball next fall at Holyoke Community College. Mckenzie Scribner led the team in digs last season as the starting libero. Kamryn Hart brings the power as an outside hitter after playing the middle last season.
Mohawk Trail Regional
Coach: Bob Mastorakis
League/Division: Western/5
Last Year’s Record: 4-15
Roster: Senior — Morgan Raffa; Juniors — Riley Dyer, Maddie Finn, Grace Stevens, Claire Johnston, Aurora Moynihan; Sophomores — Zoe Mojallali; Emmalee Inman, Anna Whitake; Freshman — Zoey-Mae Shearer.
Outlook: Even with a young team, the roster consists of mostly returning players for the Warriors. Morgan Raffa returns to the team after taking a year away. Shearer got the call, moving up to the varsity level as a freshman. Emmalee Inman is an excellent weapon at the net for the Warriors.
Pioneer Valley Regional
Coach: Shannon Connolly
League/Division: Western/5
Last Year’s Record: 6-12
Roster: Kiara Gruszkowski, Greta Lewis, Sophia Wood, Lana Gagnon, Cori Glenn, Serenity Brown, Evangeline Lewis, Ryleigh Goodwin.
Outlook: The Evangeline sisters are two players to look out for on the front row as well as the serving line. Lana Gagnon can bring some power in the front for the Panthers. Serenity Brown is an excellent all-around player for Pioneer. The team won a preliminary game in the state tournament, and the goal is to build off that this season and perhaps go deeper.
Turners Falls
Coach: Abby Loynd
League/Division: Western/5
Last Year’s Record: 12-7
Roster: Autumn Thornton, Myaa Reed, Kaiya Adams, Jakhia Williams, Abby Moffatt, Sato Bazemore, Shelby Beck, Maddie Haight, Gianna Marigliano, Addi Talbot, Keira Feeley, Layla Mathieu.
Outlook: Abby Moffatt and Maddie Haight are the captains for the Thunder. Haight is the primary setter but can attack at the net with an improving jump serve. Abby Moffatt leads the backend of the defense and has an impressive ‘screwball’ feel to her serve. Gianna Marigliano defends the net and is poised to become a weapon offense.
