VIDEO: Volleyball Celebrates Seniors, Prepares for Playoffs

NARRAGANSETT – As expected, the Mariners relied heavily on their seniors during a 3-0 win against Our Lady of Fatima High School Tuesday on Senior Night.

Vicky Alves, Marisa Haggstrom, Alison Rugg and Samantha Sabetti all played the entire first game, a 27-15 win for the Mariners. (Due to a scoreboard error, both teams played past 25 points.) Before the game, injured senior Taylor Ayotte was also honored.

Sabetti is the only varsity regular, but head coach Joni Stern-Lonczak said she tried to play the seniors as much as possible against a weaker Fatima (2-14 Division II-South) team.

“This was a fun night, in that everyone could play,” she said. “It’s their night, so you really want to give them a chance to shine.”

With its regular starting lineup and rotation, the Mariners won the second game 25-17. Again relying on subs, Narragansett won the third 25-13. Junior Hannah Maymon finished with 15 aces.

Stern-Lonczak said this is one of the most tightly-knit teams she has ever coached.

“They really all genuinely like one another,” she said, adding that she also honored the seniors privately. “They were definitely acknowledged in front of the whole team in practice.”

With the conclusion of the regular season, the Mariners now await other teams to finish out to see whether they’ve earned a postseason bye. The two four teams in Division II earn a bye, but there are three divisions, which complicate matters.

Narragansett is second in Division II-South at 12-2, locked in behind 13-0 Exeter-West Greenwich. Narragansett is 34-10 in sets, with a game against Newport unreported.

In Division II-Central, the Bay View Academy is 14-0. West Warwick is second at 12-2, with a 39-7 set record.

Division II-North has a tie at the top of the division between Cumberland and Central Falls, as both teams will likely finish 12-2.

Stern-Lonczak said she will find out Friday the seeding of her team. The top 12 teams across the three divisions make the playoffs, with the top four getting a bye. Narragansett is right on the cusp, meaning they will either get a bye or play an easy first round opponent.

“We’re either third, fourth or fifth,” she said. “I’ll know Friday night.”