By Tim Yean
June 9, 2022
Pictured: Cranston East Boys’ Volleyball Team in their last regular season game at North Kingstown. (PHOTO CREDITS - @chseboysvolleyball on Instagram)
June 9, 2022 (NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI) – The 5th-seeded Cranston East Thunderbolts will travel to North Kingstown later today to take on the 1st-seed Skippers in a Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division I Semifinal matchup at 6:30.
The Thunderbolts come off a huge quarterfinals win over fourth-seed Bishop Hendricken in which they upset the Hawks in four sets. Senior Jordan Bou had 18 kills, while fellow senior Vincent Yin had an incredible 50 assists in the victory. The win over Hendricken would be the first time in recent memory that an East team beat the private school twice in the same season.
With the win, the Thunderbolts entered the semifinals for the second time in three years, and are looking to win their first championship since the 2017 season, where they were coached by the late Meaghan McGonagle.
After a rough 5-5 start, the Thunderbolts bulldozed through their next five opponents, winning matches by a combined score of 15 sets to one before losing three straight to some of the top teams in Division I to finish 10-8 as the fifth seed in the playoffs.
North Kingstown enters the semifinals after a win over East’s crosstown rivals, the Cranston West Falcons, in a 3-set sweep. Mason Andrade led the Skippers with 14 kills, while adding 11 digs. Cam Alexander added nine kills as well.
North Kingstown only had two losses during the regular season, which were to #2 LaSalle and #4 Bishop Hendricken. If the Skippers win tonight, they will look to repeat as champions to complement their undefeated 2021 season, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two teams faced off twice in the regular season, with North Kingstown winning both matchups. The last game in which they played each other, May 27th, the Skippers swept the ‘Bolts to clinch the regular-season division title, and ultimately, home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Four All-Staters will play in this game, with Jordan Bou and Mason Andrade from the 1st Team, and Vincent Yin and Cam Alexander from the 2nd Team. Head coach Jhamal Diggs, who also coaches East’s girls basketball team, has already proved to be one of the top volleyball coaches in the state, winning Coach of the Year in his first season with the team.
Vincent Yin’s elite passing numbers along with Jordan Bou’s powerful kills have made them one of the top duos in the state. Jethro Vargas, who joined the team late in the season, has strengthened the East attack. It’s not just them, as a majority of the players on East’s roster have contributed. Byron Orellana, Jackson Rennick, Justin Soriano, Alex Handy, and Rowan Hanley, who came back from injury, all have helped make East a formidable team to beat. Even sophomores such as Justhin Reyes and Kayto Kompradith have added in their fair share of work.
North Kingstown’s Mason Andrade has been one of the top players in the state. Andrade led the Skippers in kills (322), aces (72) and blocks (53) during the season. It is very safe to say that without his talents, the Skippers would be a completely different team. Second-teamer Cam Alexander added 198 kills to the team’s kill total, and will be another player the Thunderbolts will have to watch out for.
For Cranston East students looking to support the East Volleyball team, there will be a bus that will transport fans to North Kingstown. See Mrs. Tejada in OSS for a permission slip. Entree fee at North Kingstown is $3. The bus will depart from the school at 5:30, and will return to the school at the conclusion of the semifinals match.
The winner of this semifinals match will advance to the finals to play #2 LaSalle at Rhode Island College. The match will start at 6:30.
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