4/26/25

In a strong showing for New Jersey volleyball, all four NJ teams advanced to the gold bracket in the recent Rhody Boys high school volleyball tournament in Rhode Island, with St. Joseph’s Metuchen ultimately reaching the championship match against North Kingstown.

Pool Play Results

The tournament began with pool play, where teams were divided into five pools. In Pool A, North Kingstown (RI), ranked #1 in Rhode Island, dominated with a perfect 4-0 record, while Pool B saw Harrison (NJ) also go undefeated at 4-0. St. Joseph’s Metuchen (NJ) matched this achievement with a 4-0 sweep in Pool C.

Pool D featured Xavier (CT) with a 3-1 record, while Pool E was led by the Kingsway Dragons (NJ) with an impressive 4-0 performance.

Pool A

• North Kingstown, RI: 4-0
• West Caldwell Tech, NJ: 3-1
• Springfield Central, MA: 2-2
• Central Falls, RI: 1-3
• Lincoln-Sudbury, MA: 0-4

Pool B

• Harrison, NJ: 4-0
• Cranston East, RI: 3-1
• Greater Lowell Tech, MA: 2-2
• East Greenwich, RI: 1-3
• Barrington, RI: 0-4

Pool C

• St. Joseph, NJ: 4-0
• East Providence, RI: 3-1
• Taunton, MA: 2-2
• La Salle, RI: 1-3
• Farmington, CT: 0-4

Pool D

• Xavier, CT: 3-1
• Lincoln, RI: 2-2
• Iona Prep, NY: 2-2
• Cranston West, RI: 2-2
• GNBR Vo Tech, MA: 1-3

Pool E

• Kingsway, NJ: 4-0
• St. John’s, MA: 3-1
• Classical, RI: 2-2
• Bishop Hendricken, RI: 1-3
• Haverhill, MA: 0-4

Playoff Results

The championship bracket saw several notable matchups:

Play-in Rounds

• East Providence defeated WCT 25-19
• Cranston East (RI) defeated Lincoln in their play-in match

Quarterfinals

• Kingsway (NJ) defeated Cranston East
• North Kingstown defeated Xavier
• East Providence upset Harrison (NJ)
• St. Joseph defeated St. John

Semifinals

• North Kingstown defeated Kingsway (NJ)
• St. Joseph defeated East Providence

Finals

In the championship match, North Kingstown faced St. Joseph Metuchen, with North Kingstown ultimately prevailing. St. Joseph lost the hard-fought final by a score of 21-25.

NJ Teams Performance

The tournament highlighted the strength of New Jersey volleyball, with all four participating NJ teams (Harrison, Kingsway, St. Joseph, and West Caldwell Tech) advancing to the gold bracket and a combined record of 15-1 in pool play. Kingsway made it to the semifinals before falling to North Kingstown, while St. Joseph Metuchen advanced to the championship match.

Player and Coach Perspectives

The tournament was universally praised by participants for its competitive atmosphere and unique opportunity to face out-of-state competition.

Junior setter and leader Billy Palese from Kingsway Regional High School shared: “This tournament is easily one of the most fun and competitive tournaments that a lot of our guys have experienced. Even throughout years of club volleyball tournaments and travel, we always look forward to this tournament every year and are super grateful for the opportunity we are given. The memories made here at the Rhode tournament are unforgettable.”

Coach Anthony Sabia of Harrison emphasized the tournament’s value beyond just the competition. “We’ve come up here a bunch of times now and, regardless of how far we advance, it’s always a great weekend for our team and our players. We get to see a lot of new competition which helps show us what we’re good at and what we need to work on as the season moves forward. And even though we’re off to a solid start this year, there’s always things we can do better. And, we get to spend a lot of quality time together which is immeasurable in terms of finding success as the season moves forward.”

St. Joseph’s Metuchen has been a constant thus far in the NJP top 5 teams in NJ. Coach Cabrita is once again getting the most out of his players. Senior OH Gian Gomez provided insight into the level of competition: “Yes this tournament really evaluates our ability as a team, especially against out of state teams. We faced North Kingston, the number one team in Rhode Island, and we matched well with the score being 22-25. They have a different play style then any teams we play in NJ.” Junior Dominic Nycz added: “The Rhody tournament this weekend was an incredible experience, full of great competition. It was amazing to see everyone come together and give it their all. It was awesome to play against some of the top teams from other states. We played great throughout the day going undefeated in pool-play until we lost to the top Rhode Island team in the finals.”

John Jimenez, Captain of the WCT Eagles, said: “It’s a great experience and a great way to get us ready for what’s next. It’s a competitive tournament and it’s fun to play teams from different states. We also get to do fun stuff, so we look forward to Rhody.” His coach, Natasha Batista, added: “This is our 2nd year coming to the Rhody Tournament, and it’s always a wonderful experience. Seeing what competition in other states look like. My coach took us out of state, and I’ve always wanted to do the same for my teams. They have fun and they play competitive volleyball, doesn’t get better than that. Plus they deserve it.”

Other Tournament Notes

In the silver bracket, Classical defeated Greater Lowell Tech in the finals, adding another dimension to the well-rounded tournament.

The Rhody Boys tournament continues to showcase high-level high school volleyball talent from across the Northeast region, with teams from Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York all participating. As usual, NJ teams stood out and showed they can compete with the cream of the crop in the Northeast.