About RHAM Volleyball
Volleyball became a sport at RHAM six years ago in the fall of 2002. When the RHAM-Lyman football team was created, a girl sport also needed to be added, and volleyball was decided as this sport. The first season the team struggled and lost many games. But in the next 6 years the RHAM Varsity team went from a losing season to being undefeated, winning its first State Championship this fall. This year the team went 23-1, losing the only game of the season to Farmington High School.
The varsity head coach is a person that is well known around RHAM. Mr. Guernsey is a P.E. teacher and also the assistant varsity baseball coach. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. Not knowing too much about volleyball, Tim Guernsy stepped up to plate and took on the task of starting this new sport. After only 6 years in exsistance, Coach Guernsy has led the team to a State Championship and an almost undefeated season.
The Junior Varsity coach and assistant varsity coach is Mr. Keane. Mr. Keane is a Math teacher at RHAM and is also the boys tennis coach. This year in 2007 Mr. Keane became the JV coach. Although he did not know too much about volleyball, by the end of the season he learned a lot and gained a lot of knowledge about the game. He became an excellent volleyball coach and led the JV team to be very succesful, only losing 3 games the whole season.
State Champions
This season, RHAM won the Class M state Championship. Rham finished the regular season with only one loss. This loss was to Farmington High School. In the first round of States Rham defeated New Farfield High School. They beat New Farafield in the first 3 games. In the second round of states, Rham then beat Seymour in a 3-0 sweep. Up next in the semi finals was Jonathan Law. Yet again, Rham demolished Jonathin Law with another 3-0 win. They were unstoppable and they were in fact the team to beat.
In the Championship game Rham played Joel Barlow. They beat Joel Barlow who is a No. 3 seed in just 3 games. The scores of theses games were 25-12, 27-25, and 29-27. It was a battle to the end. The team did not loose a single game in the four match run to the title.
Shelley O'keef, a senior tri captain on the team finished the game with 19 kills and 19 digs. Mallory Mangan, also a senior tri captain and the setter on the team, finished the game with 38 assists. She was chosen as the most valuable player. All the incredible hard work and perseverence of every single player paid off in the end.
Varsity Roster
| Player | Year | Number | Position |
| Kelly Stratton | 11 | 14 | Middle Hitter |
| Devan Brancard | 12 | 20 | Middle Hitter/Opposite |
| Amy Canino | 12 | 11 | Middle Hitter |
| Alicia Kurezka | 12 | 6 | Defensve Specialist |
| Mallory Mangan* captain | 12 | 2 | Setter |
| Shelley O'keefe* captain | 12 | 7 | Outside Hitter |
| Molly Rathbun* captain | 12 | 19 | Outside Hitter |
| Mallory Grosso | 10 | 24 | Defensive Specialist |
| Tessa Smolinski | 10 | 3 | Rover/Opposite Hitter |
| Kelsey Welling | 10 | 23 | Middle Hitter |
| Ellie Linden | 10 | 23 | Outside Hitter |
| Coach: Tim Guernsey |
