Volleyball making inroads in Lynn

Lynn – English volleyball team is coming off a 3-12 season that saw the Bulldeogs lose several close matches in five sets.This is the program?s third year and the numbers continue to be robust. Coach Laurie Wentzell had 40 girls show up for tryouts this week, which is good news because she lost quite a few to graduation.View photo galleryWentzell said the downside is that she?ll have do make some cuts. She said there has been talk of starting a freshman league within the Northeastern Conference, but she?s not sure if it will happen.The Bulldogs have three captains, junior middle hitter Keri Bryson, and seniors Megan Carter and Natasha Oliveira. With no feeder program in the city, Wentzell said the new players don?t arrive with any experience. Wentzell will have some help teaching the game this year with the addition of assistant coach Alison Mosho. Wentzell said Mosho, who teaches at English, played volleyball and was an assistant in the Bishop Fenwick program.?She brings a lot of volleyball knowledge with her,” Wentzell said.English opens its season at Swampscott on Wednesday, Sept. 12.CLASSICALClassical, also in its third season, is hoping a senior-heavy lineup will allow the Rams to improve on a 7-9 2011 season. Having taken over as head coach for Frank Grealish, Francis DeLuca believes the team is ready to make a jump.?We?re carrying 10 seniors this season so leadership won?t be a problem,” explained DeLuca. “Our JV team went 15-1 last season so we are getting a lot of young talent from there as well so I believe we will be very competitive.”Senior co-captain?s Bobbie Dee Regan and Sarah Beatty headline a cast of returnees, which also includes Phaedra Mehu and sophomores Ivy Martin and Cassie D?Agostino.DeLuca believes that team chemistry goes a long way in volleyball and once the Rams start clicking, they could be dangerous. “Volleyball is a sport where it?s not whose the best, but who works the best together. We are going to find which players play the best together and go from there.”DeLuca knows their will be bumps along the way, which is why he is in the belief that practices are extremely beneficial. “I am very big on practices and believe the way you practice is the way you play,” he explained. “If the girls come to practice, work hard and dedicate themselves, I?m sure we will improve as we go along.”The Rams will be tested early on in their schedule as they play three powerful teams right off the bat. After their season opener at Malden on Sept.6, Classical will see the likes of Salem (last year?s conference champion) as well as Peabody and Revere.?The girls can be as good as they want to be this year,” said DeLuca of his team. “I?m thrilled to take over this season and am looking forward to watching them progress.”TECHMeanwhile, Lynn Tech will feature a varsity volleyball squad for the first time this fall, although the Tigers did field a JV team in 2011, which won five of eight contests. Head coach Banafsheh Salamat spoke of the excitement reverberating throughout the newly established varsity program.?The girls, assistant coach Steve Lopez and myself are really excited for the season to begin,” said Salamat. “The girl?s are getting new equipment this year like socks and kneepads, and they are doing a unified tie-dye jersey game as a team building exercise.”This being the varsity?s inaugural seasons, Salamat isn?t expecting perfection, but believes her team will compete with some of the more established programs. “I expect us to do pretty well,” she explained. “I am looking for improvement and I believe we will have a good year and then improve again next season.”Knowing that a varsity team was in the works, Salamat explained that her girls started preparations early this off-season. “The girl?s practiced hard all summer long and many are multi-sport athletes so they stayed in great shape and have improved their games.”Salamat will rely on the help of two co-captains to not only lead the way on the court, but off