Video: MaxPreps 2015 Preseason Volleyball All-Americans
Darien's Isabelle Taylor is among the country's finest.Connecticut's high school volleyball season is underway, and that is giving fans the chance to see which teams can keep their momentum from last season going. Records are current as of Thursday.
Bristol EasternThe 4-0 Lancers were tested for the first time on Thursday when they played unbeaten Glastonbury. Eastern passed with a five-game win. Seniors
Angela Daley (outside hitter),
Megan Gettings (outside hitter) and libero
Bailey Wyrebek captain a team that advanced to last season's Class L semifinals before losing to eventual winner Farmington. The program has been a constant in the Class L tournament, as Bristol Eastern has played in four state finals since 2005 and won three, the last in 2012.
DarienThe Blue Wave (2-0) have been one of the state's most dominant programs in any sport over three decades. They've won 17 state titles in 22 seasons, including last year's Class LL title. They're also near automatic in state finals, as they've lost just once (to East Lyme in 2010). If that isn't enough, Darien has the reigning Gatorade Connecticut Volleyball Player of the Year and MaxPreps preseason All-American — senior outside hitter
Isabelle Taylor. Classmate
Anna Barsanti provides experience at the net and passes well. Junior outside hitters
Kitty Crosby and
Sami Huff have taken on bigger roles, and sophomore
Callie Fay has done well early as the Blue Wave's new setter.
FarmingtonThe 4-0 Indians won the program's first state title in 35 years last season and did so in gutty fashion — they rallied from a 2-0 game deficit to beat RHAM in the Class L final, one year after losing the final to the latter. Farmington has experience up front with seniors
Laura Roman and
Cheray Saunders, and junior outside hitter
Caroline Cullen has been one of the team's best at receiving serve. Juniors
Danielle Gan and
Ali Troup have split setting duties. The Indians will play two of their toughest matches in three days next week — at Southington (Wednesday) and home against RHAM (Friday).
Fitch (Groton)The season is just two weeks old and already the 8-0 Falcons have ripped through almost half of their schedule. They're not blessed with height, but they make up for it with athleticism and smarts. Senior setter
Mae Sefransky was a second-team all-state pick last year. Senior outside hitter
Jennifer Severino isn't the tallest around (5-foot-9), but she leaps as high as players taller than her. Senior hitters
MacKenzie Aldridge,
Alannah Bunkley and
Caroline Taber add depth at the net, and classmate
Giulia Parker is invaluable in the back row.
GlastonburyCam Hendricks, Glastonbury
File photo by Jim Stout
The 4-1 Tomahawks may not have made this list if it was written prior to this week, as they finished 15-9 last season and had a new coach. They earned instant respect after sweeping Southington on Monday. Glastonbury returned several senior starters this year, among them all-Central Connecticut Conference North Division honorees
Ally Kos (setter) and
Cam Hendricks (outside hitter).
Granby MemorialThe 5-0 Bears were the state's best surprise in the sport last season, as they won the Class M title in the program's sixth season. Let's see what they do for an encore. Senior outside hitter
Brianna Hoyt has stepped up after the graduation of Granby's top three hitters. The team has also benefited from a transfer … from Holland.
Marieke Van der mark, a 6-3 junior, has led the team in kills.
RHAM (Hebron)The program is in just its 14th season, but has built itself into one of the state's best at 5-0 this year. The Sachems have won five state titles the previous eight years — only Coventry won more during that stretch. All-state senior setter
Mckenzie Maneggia returns and is setting a new crew of hitters — junior
Sydney Masna and sophomores
Anna Barry, Alana Hruska and Katie Shea. RHAM may be young, but history says it'll be a pain come conference and state tournament play.
RidgefieldNo one took a game from Darien last fall until Ridgefield did in the Class LL quarterfinals. The Tigers still lost in four games, but they proved they were better than their 15-7 record showed. The bulk of that team is back and 3-0, including senior setter
Ally Livingston, senior middles
Kathryn Jordan (the team's top hitter last year) and
Sydney Carroll and junior outside hitter
Elizabeth Middlebrook. Ridgefield sees Darien again at home on Oct. 9.
SouthingtonYes, another Central Connecticut Conference team (it's a really good large-school volleyball league). The Blue Knights (4-1) return a strong nucleus from last season's Class LL quarterfinalist. Senior
Sylwia Lewkowicz is strong in the middle and joined by classmate
Kelsea Allen. Senior
Michelle Stublarec and junior
Morgan Raymond are swinging from the outside. Senior
Samantha Lohneiss and sophomore
Stephanie Zera have been doing the setting. Southington gets another crack at Glastonbury next month (Oct. 7) and ends the regular season with RHAM in what will be a good tune-up for both the conference and state tourneys.
WaterfordThe Lancers (6-1) had their best season in program history last year, as they advanced to the Class M semifinals. Most of that team is back and makes them a contender in both the Eastern Connecticut Conference and Class M. Senior
Vanessa Kobyluck can both hit and set. Classmates
Haley Taylor and
Opal Willox are strong at the net, and fellow senior
Jillian Sykora gets the offense going at libero. The Lancers' lone defeat was to Fitch in a match it led 1-0 and 2-1. They play the Falcons again on the road on Oct. 7.