SOUTH DEERFIELD — Many volleyball coaches in western Massachusetts would kill for Sean MacDonald’s problems.
Frontier Regional won its ninth state championship by sweeping Bourne. It was the Red Hawks’ seventh title in eight years. There are three returning starters and eight other players back from that team.
So what’s the problem?
The Red Hawks’ talents have developed to the point of stretching positional definitions. Middle hitter Ashley Telega passes well enough that she could be an option on the outside. Opposite hitter Hailey Orloski could also set. Frontier’s roster is full of players who have added skills in the winter and summer.
“I have some good problems because I have some versatility and some depth that I know a lot of people don’t have,” MacDonald said. “We’ve got people that could do multiple things.”
Lately, all Frontier has done is win. The Red Hawks’ 13-year streak of winning sectional finals remains intact. Streaks like that and the six-year run of state titles from 2010-15 don’t happen with the same players. They take replacing and reinventing. The Red Hawks need a new starting setter and libero in 2018.
The setter directs the offense. She takes every second ball and delivers it to a hitter, developing chemistry with the other players and learning the most effective pass for a situation. Ella Deane held the keys for the past two years until she graduated. That kind of continuity takes time to build.
“You lose that consistency and leadership of the offense,” MacDonald said.
Senior Elizabeth Fuqua and sophomore Olivia Rosewarne will take up the mantle. Fuqua has the first crack, MacDonald said. She learned under Deane and worked with the hitter over the summer and winter.
“I’m optimistic about it,” Fuqua said. “I am what I am and I’m going to try and help this team.”
Reilly Isler emerged as a potential libero replacement along with Abby Roberts.
“It’s a really non-glamorous position,” MacDonald said. “Nobody’s looking at you.”
Everyone keeps their eyes on the hitters, and the Red Hawks have little to worry about. Two of their top three attackers are back this season, including Lauren Davenport and her 319 kills.
“We’re going to have quite a few rotations where we have capable hitters,” MacDonald said.
She’ll form a formidable front line with Telega and Orloski. They’re the three returning senior starters and take maintaining Frontier’s run of success seriously.
“Frontier’s had a legacy of being state champs and that’s something that I’m proud of,” Telega said.
That being said, none of them expect a sectional or state title on a platter.
“It’s a goal, yes, but we have to do a lot of work to get there, so we’re not assuming that’s going to happen, not at all,” Fuqua said. “We have to beat a lot of good teams this season, and we’re going to try very hard to do that. We’ll see where we get.”
How far Frontier gets will be largely a result of where it has been. Many on the team suffered through a sub-.500 season in 2016 that resulted in a state finals berth and redeemed that lost with last year’s title. They know how to play in big games and what championships take to win.
“You put them in some really tough spots so you get to the Western Mass. final, state semifinal, state final it’s not your first time playing a really tough team in a stressful situation in a game where you’re losing, a game you have to come back,” MacDonald said. “You can’t buy that.”
Amherst Regional
COACH: Kacey Schmitt, 20th year
LEAGUE/DIVISION: Eastern/2
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 15-5
LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2017, lost 3-0 to Minnechaug in WMass semifinals
ROSTER: Seniors — Amanda Crowe-Chandler, DS/L; Jennifer Hodgkins, DS/L; Penelope Hosley, MB/RS: Yacine Noriss-Fall, RS; Juniors — Julia Feldman, RS/DS; Olivia Hogans, OH; Erin Klaes, MB; Jordan Machowski, OH/DS; Tricia Sittauer, MB; Sophomores — Amelia Beigel, S; Sasha Campbell, OH/RS; Skye Nolan, DS; Mayouri Yath, OH/DS.
OUTLOOK: The Hurricanes are adjusting to life without its two All-State players Claire Basler-Chang and Teya Nolan, but Schmitt has faith in the Hurricanes’ roster. Campbell and Hosley saw time in the front row, while Crowe-Chandler and Hodgkins established themselves as solid back line options. Beigel has the keys to the offense as a sophomore.
Belchertown
COACH: Scott Poulin, 10th year
LEAGUE/DIVISION: Southern/2
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 11-11
LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2017, lost 3-0 to Amherst in WMass quarterfinals
RETURNING STARTERS: Senior — Marissa Courchesne, MB/OH.
RETURNING PLAYERS: Juniors — Madison Mallalieu, S; Madison Sefton, RS; Sophomores — Allison Cote, OH; Jenna Donovan, OH.
NEWCOMERS: Senior — Isabel Vigneault, OH; Junior — Joelle Ouimette, RS/OH; Sophomore — Kelsey Reardon, DS; Freshman — Lauren Majerowski, MB.
OUTLOOK: Orioles are entering an admitted rebuilding season after graduating five seniors, but are aiming to keep their postseason streak humming. Courchesne is Belchertown’s only returning starter but is a balanced attacker, server and blocker. She led the Orioles in kills and blocks in 2017. Mallalieu played sparingly last year but will be the Orioles’ starting setter. The Orioles will at least be able to build most of their starting lineup from returning varsity players.
Easthampton
COACH: Molly Jacobson, 13th year
LEAGUE/DIVISION: Southern/3
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 14-4
LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2017, lost 3-2 to Turners Falls in WMass quarterfinals
RETURNING STARTERS: Seniors — Devney Horne, MB; Michele McDermott, MB; Valerie Murphy, RS; Autumn Pinard, S.
RETURNING PLAYERS: Seniors — Charlotte Banigan-White, OH/DS; Christine Dabek, OH.
NEWCOMERS: Juniors — Kaitlyn Boszko, OH/MB; Annika Devine, MB/RS; Olivia Durand, DS/OH/MB; Allison Gardner, OH; Bryce Nelson, OH; Kaylee Power, S/OH; Freshman — Skylar Raskevitz, L.
OUTLOOK: The Eagles won a league championship last year and return a stable core of players. Pinard will direct the offense, which will lean on precise passing to funnel the ball through its middles, Horne and McDermott. Replacing libero Samantha Sypek will be paramount for the defense. Easthampton has options outside.
Frontier Regional
COACH: Sean MacDonald, 16th year
LEAGUE/DIVISION: Eastern/3
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 17-8
LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2017, beat Bourne 3-0 to win state title; beat Lee 3-0 to win WMass title
RETURNING STARTERS: Seniors — Lauren Davenport, OH; Hailey Orloski, Opp; Ashley Telega, MB.
RETURNING PLAYERS: Seniors — Elizabeth Fuqua, S; Sarah Zoly, MH/DS; Juniors — Jalen Sullivan, MH/OH; Kimani Topolski, MH; Sophomores — Olivia Deane, OH/MH; Reilly Isler, L/DS; Abbie Roberts, Opp/DS; Olivia Rosewarne, S.
NEWCOMERS: Sophomores — Morgan Martineau, OH; Olivia Simoneasu, OH/DS.
OUTLOOK: Setter is the Red Hawks’ primary need in their championship defense. Fuqua and Rosewarne are in line to replace the graduated Ella Deane. Frontier has won seven of the last eight Division 3 state championships and 13 Western Mass. titles in a row. Two of their top-three kills leaders from last season return in Davenport and Telega.
Smith Vocational
COACHES: Nelson Lacey & Ashley McLaflin, fifth years
LEAGUE/DIVISION: Metro/3
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 1-15
LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: n/a
RETURNING STARTERS: Seniors — Marissa Rodrigues, S; Nyisha Saltis, OH; Sophomore — Haleigh Pensivy, S.
RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior — Angie Echevarria, Joneliz Rodriguez Baez; Junior — Hannah Yilmaz, OH; Sophomores — Alexandria Tourigny, OH; Noemi Vega.
NEWCOMERS: Freshmen — Jordan Dunham, Sarah Paradee, Amber Pensivy, Adriana Tot-Lupien, M.
OUTLOOK: The Vikings hope their combination of experienced returners and talented freshmen leads to the first playoff appearance in the program’s five-year history. Haleigh Pensivy, Rodrigues and Saltis all did a little bit of everything for the Vikings in 2017. Those three returning starters provide the core for this year’s squad. Smith Vocational will operate initially with a 6-2 offense featuring multiple setters and work toward a 5-1 with a designated setter.
South Hadley
COACH: Corey Koske, 10th year
LEAGUE/DIVISION: Southern/3
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 15-5
LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2017, lost 3-1 to Lenox in WMass quarterfinals
ROSTER: Seniors — Brooke Conner, Aislinn Ford, Hannah Gebhardt, Mia Kelly, Laney Kleszczynski, Maddi Mathers, Kayla Roy, Brooke Zatowski; Juniors — Anna Hellyar, Taylor Jackson, Julia Pratt, Jayna Schaarschmidt, Kayla Simon; Sophomore — Katelyn Walas.
OUTLOOK: The Tigers have a lot of turnover, including replacing one of the most impactful players in school history in Kiana Turner and frontine stalwarts Nicole Niemiec and Kaylyn Labrecque. Replacing them will take the entire roster. Ford has the most experience and will move between outside and middle hitter depending on the Tigers’ needs. Only Roy remains from a group of three setters. Simon should lead the group in blocks as a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, back after missing last season.