Category Archives: Search for Inductee

Megan Miller

Posted on

p-miller01

Megan Miller played for Jonathan Law High School from 1996 to 2000. During her high school career, she was named to the All-Conference Team three times and was twice named to the All-State Team. She was both the CT Post and New Haven Register’s Female Athlete of the year for the 1999-2000 season.

Megan played collegiate volleyball for the University of Pittsburgh from 2000 to 2004. During her career, she had 1,239 kills, 92 solo blocks, and 290 total blocks. In the 2002 season, she had a 40 % successful hitting percentage to finish ninth in the nation among Division I players. That season she was named to the Big East Second Team and in 2003 and 2004 was named to the Big East First Team. In 2003, Pitt won the Big East Championship and Megan was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. During her career, she was named Big East Player of the Week seven times, and the Big East Player of the Year in 2004. For two years, she was also named to the AVCA All-Northeast Region Team in 2003 and 2004.

Barbara Startup

Posted on

images

Barbara Startup graduated from Central Connecticut State College. She began her career at the Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh New York as a physical education teacher and volleyball coach. She began her administrative career, as an assistant principal at the Vernon Middle School in 1989. After spending five years in Enfield as the Coordinator of Physical Education, Intramurals, and Athletics, Barbara returned to Avon in 1995. At this time, she became the Director of Physical Education and Health Education, Athletics, Intramurals, and Student Activities. In 1998, she became the Director of Athletics for Glastonbury High School.

Barbara has held over a dozen different positions in her career, and has been honored by many groups for her work in all of them. Concentrating on her volleyball-related accomplishments, she has 40 years of volleyball officiating experience including many CIAC champion-ship games and Division II and III college tournaments. In the 1980’s and 90’s, Barbara held one of only two national volleyball ratings in the state. She became a volleyball officials trainer and served as past president of the Volleyball Board of High School and College Officials. For the past 33 years, she has been the scheduling coordinator of the Connecticut affiliated Board of High School Volleyball Officials and is currently serving in that position. She also is presently serving on the CIAC boys and girls Volleyball Committee and as the Assistant Tournament Director of the CIAC Volleyball State Tournament. Barbara is also a member of the National HS Federation Volleyball Rules Committee and is a founding member of the CT Scho-lastic Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame and continues to serve on its committee.

April Hunt

Posted on

ahunt

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.

Candy Perez

Posted on

perez

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.

Jill Tomasello

Posted on

Tomasello

Jill was an outstanding and versatile athlete at Westhill. She was a 3-sport standout, earning recognition in volleyball, basketball and softball. A three year starter for Hall of Fame coach Winnie Hamilton, she was an outside hitter her junior and senior years. By her own admission, at 5’6” Jull was not the tallest hitter but she made up for her lack of stature with tremendous power and skill. During her junior year, Westhill started the season without the services of 5 of 6 starters from a 26-0 season and she was the tallest player. With dedication and drive, that team lost only 3 matches. Jill was a big part of that success. She was named the team’s Best Offensive Player and selected to the All-City team.  As a senior, Jill was team captain and her leadership and aggressive play was instrumental in bringing Westhill to the CIAC Class LL finals. It would be the team’s only loss that season. Jill was named her team’s MVP for the third time and she was an All-City selection again. She was also selected to the All-County and All-State teams. Jill was also a 3-year starter in basketball at Westhill. She was team captain and All-City her senior year. She was a 4-year start in softball. She was captain, All-City for 2 years and an All-County and All-State selection her senior year. In 1983, Jill received Westhill’s award for Most Athletic Female.

After graduation Jill spent one year at UConn where she played softball. Her sophomore year she transferred to Quinnipiac College where she was instrumental in starting their varsity volleyball program. She was setter for 2 years and was team captain. Jill received a softball scholarship at Quinnipiac and started 3 years at first base. She was team captain and named to the All-ECAC team.

Jill is still actively involved with sports. She was a volunteer volleyball coach at Westhill from 2000-04 and a volunteer coach at Darien High School’s summer volleyball camp. From 1986-89 she played touch football in the North American Women’s Touch Football League.  She was quarterback for three years, leading her team to three Super Bowl wins and she was named Super Bowl MVP three times. Jill played fast pitch softball for the Stamford Flames Class A Fast Pitch Travel team from 1980-89, her team taking 5th place at the National Tournament. In 1990 Jill started to play slow pitch softball. She played for 6 years, ending her career after her team won a 2nd national championship. Then in 1996 Jill joined the Stamford Storm Women’s ice hockey team. She has played goalie for 12 years, earning numerous team gold medals and MVP awards in USA and Canadian tournaments. She has been team captain for 19 years.

Cindy Opalski

Posted on

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.

Joan Joyce

Posted on

joyce

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.

 

Linda Hamm

Posted on

hamm

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.

 

 

Dr. Gail “Gigi” Brown

Posted on

nicekbri7qlw0wn8

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.

Floretta “Pinky” Crabtree

Posted on

floretta

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.