URI, men’s club volleyball earns the first spot on New England Collegiate Volleyball ball league after the first home tournament. PHOTO CREDIT: Campus Rec
The University of Rhode Island Men’s Club Volleyball team opened their first home tournament of the 2021-22 season last Saturday with a bang, finishing 5-0 on the day and moving into first place in the New England Collegiate Volleyball League (NECVL) Division 1-South.
Despite their success, Head Coach Michael Holden had to make adjustments to the lineup following the loss of senior middle hitter Matt Campellone and junior starting right-side hitter Donny Baker, as both went down with injuries following their last tournament.
“We were definitely short-handed, but we managed to get it done and stay undefeated,” Holden said. “The team really came together and players stepped up where we needed them to, so we were confident going in.”
Among those players was senior outside hitter Brendan McGrath, who was moved to play both outside and right-side throughout the team’s five matches across the day. Using this versatility to his advantage, McGrath finished the day with 28 kills and an average hit percentage of 45.5 percent per match.
“It’s been a difficult start to the season to say the least,” McGrath said, “We try to go out there confident, but we know we can’t underestimate these teams, so we have to adjust.”
And adjusting is just what they did.
The team put out one of their best performances all season, losing only two sets in all five matches, and averaging roughly 40 percent for hitting across the team.
Senior captain and outside hitter Steven Costantino was amongst those successful last weekend, finishing with 19 kills and 12 serving aces, while also hitting for .450 on the day.
“Our team is incredibly deep and well rounded,” Costantino said. “Even with injuries, we always find a way to focus on the task at hand and this has led to our success thus far.”
Although this weekend was a crucial first step to their success on the year, the team only has one goal in mind — the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) Championships in Phoenix, AZ in April.
As the 2019 National Champions, the team is determined to return to the big stage and defend their championship title. There has not been a championship since the COVID-19 pandemic and for the seniors, this year is their final shot to bring another title home for URI.
“Out of my four years here playing volleyball, this year’s team has the capability to do some serious damage when we get to Phoenix.” Constantino said. “These guys don’t waiver in the face of adversity and I think that’s the difference between this team and years prior. This team is hungry to win and they won’t be satisfied with second place.”
With a little over a month left before Nationals, the team is looking towards the Interdivisional Championships against teams from both the NECVL Division-1 North and South divisions this Sunday at Bryant University. If successful, the Rams will secure the top seed at Regionals in early April.