Central too much for Tolman
PROVIDENCE — After spending two season in the Division I wilderness, the Tolman boys volleyball team found themselves in a familiar facility against a familiar playoff opponent.
The Tigers’ last playoff match before going up to Division I was the D-II final against Central at the Providence Career and Technical Academy. Friday
night, the No. 5 Tigers returned to the cavernous facility to take on the No. 4 Knights for a spot in next week’s D-II semifinals.
Unlike 2014, when Jason Aguilera inspired the Tigers to victory, Friday’s match didn’t go according to plan. Senior outside hitter Josh Goncalves had eight kills and a dig, but the Tigers struggled in every phase, as the Knights secured a 25-16, 25-11, 25-13 D-II quarterfinal win.
“I was very disappointed with how we played today,” Tolman coach Neil Nachbar said. “I thought we played well the last couple of weeks. We never could get on track in any aspect of the game. We hadn’t played Central since early in the season and it was a horrible match that night.
“I expected us to play much better this time around, especially knowing we wanted some payback after being swept by them. We just never got going. Our passing was so inconsistent tonight and that’s been one of our strengths this season.”
As frustrated as he was with the way the season ended, Nachbar was proud of the way his inexperienced team rebounded from two tough seasons in Division I to win 12 matches this season. The Tigers won just five matches combined in 2015 and 2016.
“We were really relieved to be back in Division II where we knew we could compete,” Nachbar said. “As long as you’re completive, it keeps guys motivated. It’s tough when you’re getting crushed every match.”
Central (14-3 Division II) will play top-seeded Cranston East in the senufinals thanks to the play of sophomore setter Priest Debankah, senior outside hitter Sisqo Luong and senior middle Tony Khiev.
The Knights, who have now won 11 straight matches, dominated the opening game and built a 13-5 lead in the second. Junior middle Connor Duhamel delivered back-to-back kills to cut the deficit to six, but the Knights keyed on Duhamel and Gonsalves and dared Tolman’s other hitters to beat them.
“When Josh isn’t in the front row, we don’t have a go-to hitter,” Nachbar said. “No matter how I did the lineup, we’re going to have a couple of strong rotations and a couple of weak rota- tions. To Central’s credit, they capitalized on that. They knew what our strengths were and what our weaknesses were.”
Tolman (12-5 Division II) played its best volleyball early in the third game with Duhamel back at setter. Tolman opened up a 9-5 advantage before the Knights responded with a 12-0 run with Omar Suarez at the service line to take a 17-9 lead.
“The guys adjusted well in the third game considering I made three changes to the lineup,” Nachbar said. “They didn’t get rattled by that. I just think the nerves got to us.”