Lancers Volleyball Program History
The Longmeadow High School Girls Volleyball program was started in the fall of 1996.
Fall 1996 - The Tradition Begins
The inaugural season of the Longmeadow High School volleyball team was a season of hard work and fun. The Lancers were able to assemble Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. Coach Rita Hawker was the coach. As a first-year, inexperienced, team the Lancers were not expecting many victories. However, being founded on hard work and fun, the varsity team achieved a record of 5 wins and 8 losses. The team celebrated their successful first season with a banquet, a tradition that continues today. The team had an outstanding year, focusing on the basics to lay a foundation for the future. The Junior Varsity won all of their games except one.
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Fall 1997 - Continuing to Improve
The Lancers were only looking to improve on their first year effort of 5-8, and they did just that. Year 2 of Lancer volleyball was all about good effort. Varsity earned a record of 6 wins and 10 losses. The team garnered tremendous support from everyone at the school. Coach Hawker led the team through everyday after school practices and kept spirits up throughout the season. Besides team spirit, the team demonstrated good sportsmanship.
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Fall 1998 - The First Winning Record
The Lancers first winning record (10-9) earned the Lancers their first tournament bid. Unfortunately, the Lancers lost to Westfield in the quarter-finals. The team’s efforts in the tournament were a strong finish to a strong season. The 1998 team proved that hard work and fun along with dedication allowed the Lancers to earn the respect and recognition of other teams and coaches. After 3 years of volleyball at Longmeadow, Coach Hawker posted a 21 wins and 27 losses record plus a foundation built on continued success.
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Fall 1999 - First Trip to Semi-Finals
Coach Hawker and the team put Longmeadow volleyball on the map posting a 13-8 record and their second tournament appearance. With only three returning players from the 10-9 1998 season, the team was inexperienced and not predicted to do well. In 1999 the team overcame incredible obstacles and went farther than any team in Longmeadow volleyball history. In an intense quarter-final match, Longmeadow avenged their 1998 quarterfinal loss to Westfield 3 to 1. In the semi-finals, Longmeadow fell to Minnechuag 3 to 1. The greatest achievement, however, was that volleyball at Longmeadow was a pleasure to watch. After 4 years of volleyball, the Lancers were almost breakeven at 34 wins and 35 losses.
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Fall 2000 - Another Jaunt to the Post-Season
The JV had 13 wins and 7 losses. The Lancers qualified for the post-season once again with a record of 13-9. The Lancers defeated Putnam 3 games to none in the first round of the Western Massachusetts tournament but once again fell to perennial powerhouse Minnechaug Regional 3-0.
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Fall 2001 - Knocking Off Number 1
Another successful season for the 2001 Lancer Varsity and JV teams. Under Coach Hawker, Varsity finished with a winning record of 12 wins and 11 losses making it to the Western Massachusetts tournament. Tournament highlights include knocking out previously undefeated Putnum High School but later succumbing to Ludlow 0-3. The varsity athletes came together to form a very powerful group full of enthusiasm, positively relentless offense and strong defense. The JV team was full of promise and potential for the seasons to come. 2001 was also the final season for head coach Rita Hawker.
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Fall 2002 - No Victory is Too Small
2002 was the definition of a "rebuilding year". With a focus on fundamentals, rookie coach Kelly Grezbien led the Varsity team to a 1 win, 15 loss season including a win over Westfield High School. The JV team was coached by Anna Stowell.
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Fall 2003 - Some Rebuilding, Some Reloading, A Ton of Excitement
More coaching moves for the Lancers as Anna Stowell stepped up from JV to lead the Varsity team and Amy Resnick signed on for JV. After the worst season in LHS Volleyball history, the varsity team hoped to get back on the winning track and played to 5 wins and 12 losses. At the end of the season, the team was certain Longmeadow volleyball had developed into a competitive program.
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Fall 2004 - Still Putting the Pieces Together
A focus on fundamentals paid off as the Lancers made the playoffs for the first time since 2001. The team finished 3rd in the league with a record of 12 wins and 9 losses. The team lost to Amherst in the first round of the playoffs and lost 7 seniors to graduation.
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Fall 2005 - A Test of Character
With only 4 returning players, 2005 was another "rebuilding" year. Season highlights include a defeat of Agawam, the 2004 Western Mass Champ. Coach Stowell and her Lancers just missed the post-season with a 9 wins and 11 loss season.
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Fall 2006 - A Great Season Ends With a Frustrating Loss
The 2005 rebuilding was paying off. The Varsity team started out with wins over their first 4 opponents until a heartbreaking loss to Westside in 5 games. Halfway through the season the Lancers were 6-4 but still had to face tough teams from East Longmeadow, Minnechaug, Agawam and Frontier. The Lancers had a slide in the second half of the season posting 4 wins and 6 losses to finish with a 10 and 10 record that narrowly qualified them for the post-season as the 11th seed.
The Lancers faced the 6th seed Chicopee Comp Colts in the tournaments preliminary round, quickly downing them in 3 games. They next faced 3rd seeded Holyoke (17-1) and administered another 3-0 drumming to advance to the semi-finals for only the second time in program history. The Lancers faced 2nd seeded Pittsfield High School but after several close games, the Lancers fell 2-3. The Lancers would lose several starting players to graduation as well as head coach Anna Stowell. The future success of the program was not in question though.
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Fall 2007 - Perfection, History, and Heart
2007 was not just the first season for head coach George Mulry and assistant Ken Bisulca, it was a season of firsts for the team. Coach Mulry challenged the girls to run an unfamiliar first tempo offense which they embraced with open arms. This made for a much faster paced and exciting Lancer team.
The Lancers made an amazing run through Western Massachusetts with an undefeated Eastern League record of 16-0, earning the Lancers their first Eastern League Championship in program history...finally getting that elusive banner on the gymnasium wall.
The Lancers had a full schedule of 20 regular season matches. They were pushed to 5 games in 10 of the 20 matches and pulled out victories in 9 of the 10 to finish the regular season 18-2.
The Lancers entered the Western Massachusetts tournament as the number 1 seed and earned a quarter final round bye and the first playoff home game in program history. The Lancers faced the fourth seeded West Springfield Terriers (14-6) in the semi-final match. The Lancers prevailed in 4 games (25-21 :: 25-12 ::15-25 :: 25-20) to advance to the Western Massachusetts Finals (another program first) and a meeting with defending champion Amherst Regional.
The Lancers made history as they pulled off a straight 3-0 win (25-16 :: 25-14 :: 27-25). The games were much closer than the score indicated and the girls had to fight for every single point. The Lancers eventually lost to Massachusetts State Champion Westborough in the state semi-finals but it was hardly a let down after such an amazing season.
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Fall 2008 - Back-to-Back // Pure Intensity
Coach Mulry and Coach Bisulca's second season was an encore to their first season's magic, as the Lancers won Back-to-Back League and Sectional Championships. After graduating 6 from the 2007 championship team some doubted whether the Lancers could pull it off again. However, returning key starters and contributors kept the critics at ease.
2008 was the first season the MIAA allowed teams to play in tournament play days during the season and the Lancers took full advantage by playing in the Spalding Showcase of Champions Tournament and Medfield Open Date. The tournaments allowed the Lancers to put their skills to the test against some of the best teams in the Northeast including Milford (MA Div I), Andover (MA Div I), Burnt Hills (NY Class A), Salem (NH Div 1), North Kingstown (RI Div 1), Sacred Heart (MA Div III), Holliston (MA Div II), Bourne (MA Div II), Hopkinton (MA Div II), Old Rochester (MA Div II), Falmouth (MA Div I).
The Lancers also played an Independent match against Cumberland, Maine powerhouse and five-time consecutive State Champion Greely High School, dropping the match 1-3 but realizing that our special team was able to hang with just about anyone when we were on our game.
The Lancers received a big ego check by dropping a 5-set home match to rival East Longmeadow after being in control for most of the match. We quickly learned how fast our goals can be taken away and were determined not to let it happen again. Fighting for control of first place in the Eastern League with East Longmeadow and Amherst the Lancers surged at the end of the season winning two epic comeback matches to take the Eastern League Championship.
The Lancers earned the second seed in the Western Mass tournament with an overall record of 15-3 and faced 6th seed and Eastern League foe West Springfield in the Quarter-Final round. The Lancers took control of the match winning the first two sets but West Springfield would not roll over taking the next two sets. The Lancers played with determination and took the fifth set 15-5 to advance to the Semi-Final against third seed Chicopee Comp.
Chicopee Comp was a bit of an unknown. The two teams did not meet during the regular season and it took the first set to feel each other out. The Lancers won the first set 25-22 and never looked back as they won 3-0 to advance to the final for the second straight season.
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The battle everyone had wanted since the beginning of the season was finally upon us, number one seed East Longmeadow vs number two seed Longmeadow in a "Battle of the Border" Western Mass. Final. After splitting our regular season matches with each other in five sets no one knew what to expect. The Lancers did the unthinkable and shut down the potent East Longmeadow offense to take the championship 3-0 by scores of 25-12, 25-23, 25-12 and advance to the state semi-final.
The Lancers (18-3) faced North Sectional juggernaut Central Catholic (22-0) for the |
right to advance to the state final for the first time in program history. The Lancers jumped out to an 18-15 lead in the first set but was plagued by forced and unforced errors going up against 6'3" and 6'2" blockers and fell 0-3.
While the Lancers did not reach their goal of a state championship, the team hardly underachieved. The biggest compliment the team received was during the state semi-final when a bus load of Longmeadow students made the hour and a half trip to support their Lancers.
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Fall 2009 - Three-Peat // Underestimated
In 2007 a new Lancer team emerged. Two years, two championships. But, after 2008, with five starting seniors gone and only six returning varsity players, the outcome seemed evident. So, was it the end or the beginning of a new generation?
| The Lancers needed to see how their new team would handle competition so they started the season by travelling to Hyannis, MA on the Cape to participate in the Barnstable Play Day against 9 perenially strong teams in New England and New York. Since it was Labor Day weekend, the team used the play day as a bonding opportunity by making a weekend out of it and having team dinners and playing lazer tag. Happy with the results, the team had new energy going forward into the season. |  |
In 2009, the leagues were realigned to create more parity. The Lancers continued to play in the toughest Div. II league in Western Mass and were paired with the other top 4 teams in the area. Changes to the schedule meant the Lancers now had to play cross-over matches with the toughest Div. III league as well as other Div. II teams we did not usually play. The team responded well, going 7-1 in league play and won their third league championship in as many years. The team also had success against Div. III perennial powerhouses Turners Falls and Mahar Regional.
Ally "Wheezy" Salamon signed on as Head JV Coach and Christin Augustini volunteered as Asst. Varsity Coach. The addition of the new coaches could not have come at a better time for the Lancers as the number of players kept increasing (16 Varsity, 17 JV).
The team set a goal of reaching the State Final. Lofty for any team, but especially big since they lost 5 starters from the previous season. The Lancers found a lot of success on the court and played 16 different teams over 22 matches finishing the season with a 19-3 record.
For the second time in three years, the Lancers earned the number 1 seed in the Western Mass tournament. The Lancers played a home Quarter-Final match against 8th seeded Putnam winning in 3 straight sets. Next, the Lancers faced a stingy Chicopee Comp team in the Semi-Finals, a match that could have gone either way. The Lancers prevailed 3-1 by set scores 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23. The Western Mass Final was billed as potentially one of
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the most exciting in recent memory. The teams did not let anyone down. Longmeadow took the first two sets but found themselves behind in the 3rd and 4th set. Trailing 11-17 in the fourth set and having the fear of playing a 5th set against a strong West Springfield team the Lancers responded and took their first lead of the set at 26-25 and finally closed out the match on a Steph Lauria kill for 27-25. The stands emptied as students rushed the floor to celebrate with the team. |
Third time was the charm for the state semi-final, not necessarily to win, but to show Longmeadow belonged there. The Lancers faced South Sectional Champion Bourne. Bourne had lost only two sets all postseason, reached a state final in six of the last 10 years. The Canalwomen were finalists in 2006 and 2007 and were Division III champions in 2000, 2002 and 2004 before moving up to Div II.
After dropping the first set 11-25 the Lancers responded by winning the next two. The fourth set was back-and-forth until Bourne pulled away and forced a fifth set. The Lancers had the lead 12-10 but couldn't stop the potent Bourne offense and ultimately fell 12-15. Ending the season and the Lancers goal of playing in a State Final.
Head Coach George Mulry created Spike It for Life in the Fall of 2009 as a fundraiser for local Cancer organizations. 8 Western Massachusetts high schools took part in events, either hosting or participating with money raised going to the Bay State Regional Cancer Program |
and Dana Farber. The Lancers hosted two "pink nights" where each team wore special pink uniforms. The headlining event was a 5 set match against rival East Longmeadow that was seen by the largest crowd ever at a Longmeadow Volleyball match and was also broadcast live on local television. Most of the money raised was through a raffle spearheaded by volleyball booster club members Pat & Denise Donnelly and donations from area businesses and people. |  |
After the event, Head Coach George Mulry and Frontier Head Coach Sean MacDonald took a few players from their teams to the Baystate Regional Cancer Program to present a $5000+ check, tour the facility, and meet a young adult that went through Cancer treatments. It was very humbling for the team to know that what they do can help make a difference for someone else.
 | The team captains and a select group of players had the opportunity to attend the Volleyball Hall of Fame Induction dinner at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The team got to hear the inductees' stories and experiences as well as meet and interact with them. The picture on the left is of 2009 Hall of Fame inductee and United States Beach Volleyball Player Holly McPeak. |
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