Beavers in strong place for playoffs

By Chris Villani

The Blackstone Valley Tech girls’ volleyball team is playing in a different conference this year with a more challenging schedule, and head coach Jacob Ramos would not have it any other way.

“It’s been nice to have a schedule where the matches are competitive every single night,” Ramos said. “We have gotten used to playing tight games and having to show up each and every day.”

The Beavers raced out to a 7-2 start to the season, and Ramos said even some of the 3-0 wins that look like routs on paper have been anything but. This season, Valley Tech is competing in the Central Mass. Athletic Conference, which reshaped competition in the area. The Beavers brought a veteran lineup back to face the new league, with seven seniors back from last year putting the team in a good position to make a run this season.

Senior Nadia Shloul is one of the team’s captains and a mainstay at outside hitter. She is joined by junior captain Franceska Malo, a setter, senior captain Madeline Flanagan, a middle hitter, and junior captain Manuella Bernardes, a libero. The lineup gives the Beavers experience all over the court.

“We did return a lot of core pieces who are now upperclassmen,” Ramos said. 

Valley Tech has a number of lofty goals, all of which are within reach. Ramos said the team wants to win the state vocational tournament, compete for the top spot in the CMAC, and earn the highest possible power ranking to make a solid run in the statewide tournament. He said he hopes he has the roster to meet the high bar they have all set.

“We have all the pieces and with the more challenging schedule, we are quickly learning the last piece, the mental piece, and what it takes to beat good teams,” Ramos said. “I think that’s what’s going to push us to be the best team we can be.”

BVT also no longer has the familiarity of opponents in the Colonial Athletic League, the team’s former conference. Having to remain sharp and learn opponents’ strengths and weaknesses on the fly adds some stress for the coach, but he said it is making his team better overall.

“Our schedule is giving me headaches, because it is very competitive,” Ramos said. “That’s what we wanted, and that’s what we got.”