Author Archive: vballhall

Candy Perez

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Sports opportunities for girls were limited when Candy was growing up in Torrington in the early 70’s. She played softball in the park and recreation Pigtail League and in intramural “six on six” basketball games. When volleyball was added as the first girls’ high school sport during her junior year, Candy was given the task of reading the rule book (how prophetic) and helping to organize the team. Torrington soon added girls’ teams in softball and basketball to their athletic program. Candy was a three-sport athlete by her senior year.

After graduating from high school, Candy pursued a degree in Physical Education at SCSC, which, at the time was the premiere state college for women’s sports. It was during her sophomore year at Southern that Candy began officiating volleyball. She officiated in the New Haven area during her collegiate years both at the high school and college level. After graduating from Southern in ’79, Candy accepted a teaching and coaching position at Canton High School and volleyball coaching position at her alma mater, Torrington High.  She coached the Torrington varsity volleyball team for two years.  She they returned to officiating on a full time basis.

Candy officiated at many of the schools in the northwestern part of the state. She had the privilege of officiating at some of the top schools at the time- Bristol Eastern, Holy Cross, Gilbert, Avon, Lewis Mills, Cheshire, and Naugatuck- and credits many of the coaches at those schools with making her a better official. As a member of the Connecticut Board of Volleyball Officials, Candy became the chairperson of the Board from 1980-92 and then again in ’95. She continues to serve as the scheduling coordinator for 30 schools in the northwestern part of the state, a position she has held since 1980. She has been involved in training and rating new officials, writing the CBVO’s original officials’ manual, and along with Barbara Startup, worked over time with the CIAC in officials’ contract negotiations and the new CAIO.

In 2000, Candy was inducted into the Torrington High School Athletic Hall of Fame and in ’06 she was named Connecticut Athletic Director of the Year by the National Assoc. for Sport and Physical Education.  In 2007, she received the Merit Award from the CIAC Girls’ Basketball Committee and in 2008 she was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of fame.

Candy is currently the principal of Northwestern Regional Middle School in Winsted and serves as Selectman in Winsted.

April Hunt

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April’s involvement with sports can best be described as long and varied. In the Fall of 1973 she started schools at Foran, Milford’s new high school. A versatile and dedicated athlete, April excelled at every sport she played.  While at Foran she was a three sport athlete, her outstanding play and winning attitude earned her letters each year in volleyball, basketball and softball. Although there were no all-star teams for volleyball in the early 70’s, April was a standout for hall of fame coach Edna Fraser and her team.  She was a quick and aggressive left-handed hitter suing her height and skill to her advantage. She could power or finesse the ball past her opponents and was a very efficient blocker. In 1975 she was instrumental in helping 5th ranked Foran defeat Sheehan to win the CIAC Class M State Championship. She was also a standout in basketball and softball. She was selected as captain of both teams and as a senior she was selected to the All-State basketball team.  She played first base and pitcher for the Diamonds and the Raybestos Robins amateur softball teams.

In 1974, April was introduced to a European sport called team handball in her physical education class. It would prove to be a life-changing event. She liked it so much she joined a club team and at a tournament was asked to try out for the US National team. Competing against women 5 eyars her senior, sixteen year old April was selected as one of the 20 players chosen to represent the United States. Over the next six years, she competed all over the world, including Iceland, Yugoslavia, Norway and Sweden. In 1975 she gave up a trip to Russia so she could compete with her high school team in the CIAC Volleyball Championships. After graduation, April received a basketball scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, no small feat as there were not many scholarships for women’s athletics then. She also played JV and varsity volleyball as a walk-on. In the summer of 1979, April lived and trained at the Olympics Training Center. Then as a result of the ’80 Olympic boycott, she returned to school and finished her degree, receiving a BA in English.

In 1992, April started her family. She has two children, Eric (16) and Emily (13). She is presently teaching social skills as a special education teacher at Foundation High School in Milford. April is still active and plays tennis, sails, rides her bike, plays golf, travels and enjoys outdoor activities with her family. Recently she took up the sports of sailing and crew and looks forward to competing in these sports with her soulmate, Tim Morgan. One of April’s life goals is to land her feet on all seven continents and with her sense of adventure and wonder about the world, we bet she will.

Cindy Opalski

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Cindy attended Southern Connecticut State University where she played volleyball for Lou Albrecht and Joan Barbarich. A savvy outside hitter for the Owls, she played in two AIAW tournaments and was captain of the squad in her senior year.

In 1979 she took over the program at Maloney High School in Meriden. Stepping into such a well-known and successful program could’ve been a daunting task to some, but Cindy was more than up to it. During her seven year tenure from 1979 to 1985 she and her teams amassed an amazing record of 147 wins and 11 losses including four undefeated seasons (1979, 80, 81 and 84). Under Cindy’s guidance Maloney won the C IAC State Class L Championship (they played up in class) in 1979 and 84 and they were runner-up in 1985. In 1981 Maloney was part of the longest high school winning streak in the United States. Cindy also produced many outstanding players, among them all-staters Bonnie Kenny, Kim Sokel and Anne Marie Larese. There were also numerous all-league awards and league titles.

After leaving Maloney, Cindy worked with the US Volleyball Junior Olympic Program for five years coaching the Connecticut team at numerous national qualifiers. She coached and trained some of the top players to come out of Connecticut. Cindy is now in her 20th season as an intercollegiate head coach. In 1986 she was hired at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. In her four years there she led the team to a 96- 42 record and the school’s first-ever conference title in 1988. She was the AV CA coach of the year in the Atlantic region and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

In 1990 Cindy arrived at Bucknell University and has transformed Bison volleyball into one of the top programs in the East. They were recognized as the most improved team in the nation by Volleyball Monthly in 1993; recorded the best record in school history in 1995 at 26-7; won the first-ever Patriot League automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA tournament; and in 2003 posted a school record 11 Patriot League wins en route to a second-place finish. Bucknell has won four of the last 11 Patriot League regular-season titles under a plastic Cindy. Cindy one of her 300th career match in 2004 and she has been named the Patriot League coach of the year three times: 1997, 2000 and 2003.

Linda Hamm

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Linda Hamm from SCSU with a degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1968. Upon graduation, she began her long and esteemed teaching and coaching career at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington.

She was the varsity volleyball coach from 1968-79 where she amassed a 142-53 record. During that time, her teams were Northwest Champions nine times.

In 1980 she took the position as head coach at Yale University. In 1981-83, she was the assistant coach at the University of New Haven. Then in 1984 she moved on to become head coach at CCSU.

Most recently, she started and coached the boys’ volleyball team at Lewis Mills in 1997-98.

Linda received her National Volleyball Officials’ rating in 1970 and continued in the capacity until 1975. She served as chairperson for the Connecticut volleyball officials from 1974-77. She was a member of the selection committee for the USVA All-American team from 1981-88. She has also been a past member of the Connecticut Board of Volleyball Officials.

As a player, Linda competed from 196901987 with the Connecticut Clippers.  She played in nine national tournaments in the open team- A Division. She also competed with two A Division Master’s teams.

She was the CHSCA Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1976.

 

 

Joan Joyce

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Joan began her association with the sport of volleyball when she attended the NAGWS 3th National Institute of Sport in 1966, which offered a sport institute to introduce the sport of “power volleyball” to various teachers and coaches. Returning from that clinic, Joan started a USVBA team in Trenton, NJ and was a player-coach using all the new techniques and strategies that she learned at the institute.

In 1968 Joan started a USVBA team in Connecticut called the Connecticut Clippers. Joan was the player-coach for the team. The Clippers traveled extensively throughout the country playing against many highly competitive teams. The team was the best in the region and represented the region at the USVBA National Tournament from 1969- 1974.

During those years, Joan became an official as well. She held NAGWS National rating and did many high school and collegiate matches.  She officiated at the AIAW Large College National Tournament at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT in 1973.

In addition to officiating, Joan conducted many clinics for high schools, colleges and many industrial leagues throughout the Northeast.  During her playing days, Joan received many individual awards and accolades for her performance on the volleyball court. She was one of the initiators of the modern game for all those associated with the game in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast.

 

Floretta “Pinky” Crabtree

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Pinky was educated at Keene State where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1965. She continued her education at Cortland St. where she earned her MS in Physical Education in 1971.

Her tenure at ECSU began in 1971 after coaching and teaching on the high school level in Michigan and New York for 5 years. She was selected to coach volleyball in the Fall of 1975 beginning a 22-year tenure. This was only the second women’s intercollegiate team at the institution following the formation of women’s basketball in 1971.

In her 22 years as volleyball coach at ECSU, Pinky racked up 616 wins with only 295 losses for a winning percentage of 67.6. Her teams competed in post season tournaments every season beginning in 1977. Eastern qualified 11 times in the 16-year history of the NCAA Division III tournament, earning bids in each of her final four seasons.  Pinky’s Warriors were also named to five ECAC tournaments, winning the title in its first two tries in 1985 and 1988. Under Pinky, Eastern won 22 invitational tournaments, placed second 28 times and was third on 24 occasions and had consolation victories four times. Eleven times the Warriors won at least 40 matches.

Since the introduction of regional and national honors in 1986, Pinky has coached 2 All-Americans, 18 all-region picks and 25 all-New England athletes.

Pinky was named the 1995 New England Region Coach of the Year. She served as chairperson of the NCAA Division III New England Regional Advisory Committee since its inception and was on the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association All-American Committee.  In large measure, through Pinky’s efforts, the New England area was awarded its own NCAA region in 1994, providing the area with increased representation in NCAA Division III tournaments.

She retired from ECSU in July of 1997 holding the distinction as winningest coach in the history of New England Collegiate women’s volleyball.

Dr. Gail “Gigi” Brown

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Dr. Brown’s volleyball interest began as far back as 1964 when she was a young girl who would rig up ladders and ropes to play volleyball with her friends in the back yard of her home. That fascination with the game led to her initial participation on the organized team when she played “homeroom volleyball” at Central Grammar School.  Her volleyball experience grew with her competition on the Milford High School varsity team where she captained the team. She advanced to play with the Connecticut Clippers USVBA team during her senior year at MHS.

Upon graduation from Milford, Gigi continued her education as well as her volleyball career at CCSC where she starred as a hitter.  She led the CCSC team as captain and was selected to numerous tournament all-star teams. She helped Center qualify for AIAW regional tournament play. During her college career, she was also invited to try out for the US Volleyball team in preparation for the World Cup Games in Montvideo, Uruguay. She was one of two players from the east coast invited to the tryouts in Los Angeles.

Gigi coached volleyball at Avon High School and Canton High School during her college years. She capped her athletic career in college when she was awarded the Gail Rutz Award as the outstanding senior female scholar/athlete at CCSC.

After college it was back to the Clippers for two more years of competition, as well as  a stint as assistant coach at the University of Tennessee. It was then that volleyball took a back seat to medical school and her residency.

That hiatus did not end Gigi’s career. She has continued to play in various coed leagues and on women’s teams up to and as recently as 1994.

At present, Dr. Brown is the Medical Director of Rehabilitation for Exeter Health Resources and the Medical Director for Rockington VNA and Hospice, both in Exeter New Hampshire.

Vincent Buehler

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Vincent began his lifelong association with volleyball at the age of 16 when he started playing with the American Turners in New York City. At age 18 he became the player/coach for the Turners, a position he held for the next 15 years.  During that time, his team competed in many USA Volleyball National Championships.

In 1970, Vincent became a regional referee in the Garden Empire in New York City for USA Volleyball. Two years later he earned his national rating for USAV. He was selected to referee at Madison Square Garden for the US National Team at an exhibition match.

Vincent moved to Connecticut in 1970 where he began his 28-year officiating career refereeing girls’ high school games. He contributed as a referee assignor for the Fairfield county area assigning 43 high schools. He also held the position as rules interpreter for that district.

He started the Fairfield County USA Jr. Olympic girls’ volleyball program and set up volleyball camps in Fairfield county for high school girls.

Vincent also game of his time as a volunteer for the Special Olympics World Games in New Haven and he served as the co-coordinator for the 3rd Annual Easter Seals Volleyball Marathon.

Vincent received awards from the town of Stratford for his time and donations to the sports programs in the schools. Most recently he was honored by the FCIAC when they named their league MVP aware after Vincent A. Buehler.

During his 42 years of participation in the sport of volleyball, it is believed that he played and officiated somewhere between 35,000 to 40,000 games.

Volleyball was his number one passion.

Fran Vandermeer

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Fran graduated from Bulkeley High School in Hartford and from Southern Connecticut State University, where she captained the Owls’ volleyball team. Formerly the head volleyball coach at Lewis Mills High School, Connecticut College and St. Joseph College, she is presently the head coach of the volleyball and softball teams at Trinity College.

Fran is well-known in Connecticut for her 23 years of volleyball officiating. She has officiated the CIAC girls’ and boys’ state championships in all divisions. On the college level, she has been officiating NCAA games including as a referee in the Women’s Division II final game in 1996 and 1997 and at the Men’s Division I Final Four as a line judge in 1995. Her other notable refereeing experience include the 1998 Nike World Master’s games in Portland, Oregon.

She has been a member of the A.B.O.  National Rating Team (NRT) which rates candidates going for a national rating as well as the ABO National Training Team. working to train volleyball officials. Fran has worked as a high school and collegiate assigner for schools in Connecticut. Her other assigning duties have been as the America East assignor in 1996 and the 1995 Spacial Olympics World Games deputy commissioner for volleyball officials.

Peg Scofield

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Peg started her volleyball career in 1976 at Westhill High School in Stamford where she was coached by Winnie Hamilton.  She competed on the varsity level for three years and was selected as team captain in her senior season. While playing for Westhill, they enjoyed county championships and the team was the Class LL runner-up. She was selected to the All-FCAIC team. She also lettered in basketball and was county and state champion in the high jump while on a member of the Westhill track and field team.

Peg was honored by becoming the first female athlete to have her number retired in Stamford (#10).

After graduation from Westhill, Peg continued her academic and volleyball carer at Rutgers University where she received the Scholar-Athlete award, was a two-time MVP, and was selected to the all-conference team four times.  While Peg played for Rutgers, they won the Atlantic-10 conference championship. Her squad also qualified for the NCAA Championship tournament.

Presently, Peg is the Head volleyball coach at Yale University where her teams have compiled a 227-128 record during her 13-year tenure, including six 20-win seasons.  She serves on the editorial board of Coaching Volleyball magazine and still competes on a USVBA/USA women’s AA club team.

Yale Daily News: Scofield reaches 300-win plateau