The East Providence High School boys’ volleyball team was set to begin its 2022 Division II campaign this week, the Townies eyeing improved results during the regular season and a deeper playoff run during their second year in the state’s middle tier.

EPHS went 4-7 during a truncated 2021 season, shortened due to the then still lingering affects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Townies fell to the Tolman/Shea co-op, 3-1, in the preliminary round of the league playoffs. The Tigers lost 3-0 in the quarterfinals to top seeded and unbeaten Classical, which ultimately was upset by third-seeded East Greenwich, 3-1, for the D-II title.

The 2022 EPHS roster includes seniors Zachary Botelho, Owen Tellier, Kyle Dunn, Rami Aldine, Brett Schwab, Ryan Amoroso, Grant Wosencroft, Jason DoSoito and Matthew Duckworth; juniors Jason Cadwell and Xavier Graca; and sophomores Xavier Hazard and DJ Lepine.

“We’re a senior heavy team for sure,” said EPHS head coach Dan Cabral. “For us, hopefully that’s a strong point. We’re very flexible. We have a number of guys who can play different positions.”

Cabral is in his sixth season, though seventh year at the helm of the program. The Interscholastic League did not conduct a boys’ volleyball season in 2020 with the onset of the pandemic. EPHS History teacher and boys’ basketball head coach Joe Andrade is in his second spring as Cabral’s varsity assistant/junior varsity coach.

Botelho, Schwab, Hazard and Aldine are outside hitters. Dunn and Lepine are the setters in the Townies’ 6-2 formation. Tellier and Amoroso are defensive specialists. Wosencroft, Cadwell and Duckworth are middle hitters. DoSoito and Graca are right side hitters.

“Right now the lineup is fluid. I think that’s going to be the case for the first few matches at least,” Cabral said. “If someone if playing well, they’re going to stay in. If someone is struggling, then we have the ability to put someone else in that role.”

Of the team in general as the season begins, he continued, “They come to practice every day. They’re working hard. It’s a good group of guys. They take well to coaching. They’re fun to be around.”

The EPHS boys’ volleyball program, once one of the best in the state, has, like its female counterpart, fallen a few pegs in recent years. In 2019, its last in Division I prior to realignment, East Providence went just 1-17. The Townies’ fortunes, as was the case for the entire sport across the state, were hindered by the 2020 cancellation. They then began to rebound a bit last spring.

“I think for us last year was a good step,” Cabral said. “Making the playoffs is always the goal from Day 1 and we were able to accomplish that. We had like three matches that could have gone our way and our record could easily have been 7-4 instead of 4-7. Hopefully we can learn from those points last year and some of the success we did have can also carry over into this year.”

The Townies, who defeated D-III St. Raphael 3-0 in their Injury Fund exhibition last week, were set to begin their D-II season with back-to-back games Wednesday, April 6, and Thursday, April 7, against Woonsocket and Barrington, respectively. The latter match against the neighboring Eagles was scheduled to be played in the new EPHS gym at 6:30 p.m.

“St. Ray’s is D-III, but I liked our effort,” Cabral added. “We actually play a lot of back-to-backs this season, so we need to get used to that. Our guys are ready. I know the seniors want to end their careers on a good note and go a little farther in the playoffs, make a little more noise than we did last year. I know our guys are looking forward to that.”

— East Providence Post and eastbayri.com contributing photographer Julie Furtado shot the accompanying gallery of photos.