West Canaan
The Royals improved to 6-5 with a sweep (25-18, 25-5, 25-12) of winless Stevens on Wednesday. Mascoma entered the contest 11th out of 21 teams in NHIAA Division III. The top 14, currently led by undefeated Farmington and Winnisquam, will advance to the postseason.
“Its definitely a part of our entire team’s goal,” said Kira Emery, a junior setter. “And I feel like even if we make it or not, we still have such a successful season and we’re all in it together, which is the most important part. … This is the one year that we’re all finally together and connected.”
Mascoma, which won just three matches a year ago, is beginning to turn things around under first-year coach, Eric Ramage.
Ramage, who is assisted by his wife, Kelly, lives in Sunapee, where he previously coached one year of middle school volleyball. A collegiate player at Messiah (Pa.) College, Ramage was named to his first varsity coaching job at the end of last winter, which allowed him to lead the team in skills nights during the spring and summer.
“Kelly and I wanted to find a way to get more involved in the community,” Ramage said. “It was like it was a no-brainer that when one day an opportunity like this opened up, we could possibly do it. I absolutely love volleyball and we love working with high school students.”
Ramage’s methods seem to be paying off. The Royals started out the season by losing four of their first five matches, but have since won five out of six. Five matches remain on the schedule, beginning on Friday at Trinity.
“Everyone kind of wanted a whole new season with new attitudes,” Lindsay McDonald, an outside hitter, said. “Our coaches are new, and so all of it is just really new to us, and I feel like we just really wanted to take advantage of it and play hard this season.”
McDonald, one of six juniors on the squad — there are no seniors — indicated that the coaching staff has been a welcome addition to Mascoma.
“They’re very supportive of what we do,” McDonald said. “So you never get too down on yourself because you know that they’re going to cheer you up and make sure you’re OK.”
Ramage pointed to the middle school program — implemented four years ago — as a key factor in the varsity team’s success.
“This is the first time that the whole varsity team started in middle school,” Ramage said. “It’s huge. Even just the teamwork dividend, that we’ve been doing this together and its special.”
Mascoma athletic director John Kelly said he hasn’t seen this much excitement in the volleyball program since the team’s last playoff appearance in 2008.
“What he’s brought to this program is truly amazing; his knowledge of the game, his enthusiasm for the game,” Kelly said. “He’s a very laid-back guy, but he is intense in terms of expecting a lot of positive things from the girls. He’s demanding in a very respectful way. … (The players) have responded tremendously to him.”
Kelly took over as the Royals’ AD just before they made their last postseason appearance in volleyball.
“We’ve really been in the doldrums the past number of years,” Kelly said. “(Ramage) I think has gone just so far in such a short period of time.”
Mascoma helped put Wednesday’s first game away with strong net play from McDonald, Emery and Audrey May — a trio that scored consecutive points up front during a 4-0 run that extended the Royals’ lead to 17-8. The hosts, playing in their penultimate regular-season home match, never looked back.
Stevens, which endured a winless campaign last year, is still working to put things together. Wednesday’s loss was the fourth in five days for the weary Cardinals, who won their first game of the season in a 3-1 match loss to Hillsboro-Deering on Tuesday.
The Cardinals (0-11) are led by Kathryn Plouffe, a former assistant who took over the squad in the midst of this season after the previous coach resigned. Plouffe’s team will return to action on Oct. 10 at Belmont.