Conference Repeat for Bellringers Volleyball

 Members of the East Hampton volleyball team celebrate after the Bellringers won the Shoreline Conference for the second straight season on Nov. 3. 

For the second straight season, the girls volleyball team at East Hampton High School are the Shoreline Conference (SLC) champions.

The Bellringers brought another conference championship banner back to Belltown after defeating Valley Regional in four sets (25-21, 22-25, 26-24, 25-23) at Haddam-Killingworth High School on Nov. 3.

East Hampton head coach Molly Grabowski noted that it took everything her team had to beat a Warriors team from Deep River that featured “great coaches and some key players who can hit the ball.”  

“We knew that we needed to play our best to win.” Grabowski added.  “They tested us, but I was really impressed at our composure and poise throughout the match. There were some big moments that required players to step up and they did.”

Mackenzie Player registered a career-high 24 kills and added four blocks to lead a potent Bellringers’ frontline that hammered down 57 total kills. 

Player, a senior, credited Grabowski for creating a winning environment that has allowed the team to thrive “through this journey.” 
 
“We’ve all worked so hard throughout this past season to be where we are today,” added Player. “Being able to push ourselves the past two years to win the Shoreline Championship has been a big accomplishment for the whole team.”

Senior captain Chelsea Woods initiated the offensive change with 46 assists (career-high) and had a team-high two aces.  Amber Murphy, also a senior captain, added 11 kills and blocked four shots. 

“Throughout the year, we became stronger and more diverse with our offense, which helped us greatly in this game,” noted Grabowski.

It was a group effort defensively with a handful of players leading the way. Delaney Russell posted a team-high 29 digs, while Player (25), Woods (24), Olivia DeMartino (22), and Stephanie Martin (14) also posted double-digit digs. 

After splitting the first two sets, Easy Hampton’s biggest test came in set three when they faced a significant deficit with Valley serving for game point. Woods took over and led a rally, serving out the crucial set.

Grabowski praised the efforts of Woods, Murphy, Russell, DeMartino, and Martin, along with senior Madison Reola and sophomore Lila Babcock.

But it was Player who Grabowski called the “go to” hitter for the title match.

“She is probably one of the hardest hitting outsides I’ve seen and she played aggressively and smart,” Grabowski said of the prolific Player. 
 
After winning their final 17 matches of the regular season to finish with a record of 19-1, East Hampton entered the conference tourney as the No. 1 seed and earned a first round bye before knocking off Hale Ray in the semifinals to reach the conference title match. 

In the three-set win (25-16, 25-15, 25-21) over Hale Ray on Nov. 1, the Bellringers dominated from start to finish at EHHS.

Murphy had seven kills and three blocks, while Woods had 25 assists and three aces. As she did in the conference finals, Russell again led the team with 21 digs. 

Following the tourney, Woods was named a SLC Player of the Year and was one of four Bellringers to be selected All-Conference.

Woods and Murphy made the first-team, Player was selected to the second-team, and DeMartino was named to the honorable mention team.

Prior to winning conference last fall, the Bellringers had gone three seasons without a conference title – previously winning the SLC in 2018. 

Yet over the last two years the Bellringers have been the model of consistency during their consecutive conference triumphs. 

Entering the 2023 Class M state tournament, East Hampton has won 43 of their last 45 matches, dating back to the beginning of
2022 season. Along with the pair of conference titles, the two-year run also includes a state championship a year ago when the team captured the program’s first ever state title, defeating Hale Ray in the Class S state championship.

​Grabowski said of her current squad, “This is a resilient, gritty group of players who play hard for every point.”