WATCH: North Kingstown girls volleyball wins state championship
North Kingstown girls volleyball match-winning point vs. Portsmouth in the state championship.
High school preseason power rankings can always make you look silly.
But they’re fun to compile and it’s always interesting to compare the first iteration to the last. What changes will come to The Providence Journal boys volleyball rankings? Who will make an unexpected run midway through the year?
Those alterations and trends will be decided over the following months as teams eye the early June championships. As a recap, La Salle is the defending Division I champs; Barrington and Pawtucket follow in D-II and D-III.
But after the Rhode Island Interscholastic League realignments, only the Rams can defend their title. Barrington was bumped up to D-I and Pawtucket to D-II. Realignment, for the betterment of the state, has changed a lot this spring.
The top three teams from D-II last year were promoted and five D-III programs moved up to D-II. That’s a major positive for those teams. Teams should strive to climb the state’s ladder. Readjustments can always be made, but programs shouldn’t stay stagnant within the divisions.
This season, D-III essentially follows a model set by other sports. The teams left in that group are relatively new and the athletes are still figuring it out. Take Pawtucket for example: the Tolman/Shea co-op started in 2021 and finished the season with at 3-8 record. The following year it went 2-16. But by the third spring, Pawtucket was playing for a title. In its fourth year, the co-op went 16-1 and won the championship.
That’s the blueprint these remaining teams should follow. It’s a developmental league, and for that reason, we won’t rank them. The wins and losses matter less — it’s just about building a sustainable program.
Now let’s get into the rankings.
Division I rankings
1. La Salle
The defending champions earned the right to start the season at No. 1. But La Salle must replace Ephraim Abhulime’s production. The 6-foot-7 ProJo Player of the Year is at Merrimack College now. Someone will have to step up to lead the Rams.
2. North Kingstown
North Kingstown, at the very least, should be in the semifinals. But the Skippers want more than just a Final Four appearance. It’s championship or bust for a talented senior class. Will the pressure get to them?
3. Cranston East
Cranston East was on the doorstep of its first state championship appearance. But the Thunderbolts were upended by La Salle in five sets. Everyone seemingly suffers a big loss before winning the big one. Was that Cranston East’s learning curve?
4. Hendricken
It’s been a while, by Hendricken’s standards, since the Hawks have appeared in a title game. They reached the championship in the shortened 2021 season, but it’s been quarterfinal exits since then. Returning All-State hitter Andrew Ramos might change that trend.
5. Barrington
Barrington rounds out our top five as the defending D-II champions. I wanted to honor the Eagles’ first title win, but it’ll be interesting to see how Barrington does in D-I.
Division II rankings
1. Pawtucket
We can file this one under the hot-takes category. I like what Pawtucket did last year and they are bringing back some important pieces from that D-III title run.
2. Lincoln
I would not have been surprised if Lincoln had also moved up a division during the offseason. The Lions won the league crown in 2023 and went to the semifinals last year.
3. Westerly
D-II feels pretty open to start the spring. For a Westerly program that dates to at least 1996, it’s the perfect opportunity to bring home the school’s first boys volleyball title.
4. Central
Central took East Providence to five sets in the quarterfinals last year but the Knights dropped the decisive frame, 15-13. That would’ve been quite the upset in the opening round of the playoffs.
5. Central Falls
Central Falls was swept by a good Pawtucket team in the D-III championship. But Jamilson De Pina Almeida returns for the Warriors this year. The multi-sport standout is one of the best players in the league.
#RIIL #high #school #boys #volleyball #preseason #rankings
