Heather Washburn played high school volleyball at Morgan High School from 1994 through 1997. When she played, her team won! In her high school career, their team record was 85 and 3. They not only won their league title all four years, they also won the state championship all four years.
Heather averaged 20 kills and 8 digs per match and her serving percentage was 90%. She was named 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-State, and the New Haven Register’s All-Area Athlete.
Heather went on to attend Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York where she played volleyball and softball and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry and in 2007, earned an advanced degree in veterinary medicine from Ross University.
Judith Schaefer Joslin played high school volleyball at Maloney in Meriden from 1975 to 1978. She was a member of two state championship teams and one silver medal team. She also won her team’s sportsmanship award.
From 1978 to 1982, she played at Southern Connecticut State University as their middle hitter. She was awarded the most improved player award and was captain of the team in her senior year. In 1981, her team competed in the Regional Championship and won the 2nd place silver medal.
Judith played USVBA volleyball in the open division and competed in the Nationals is 1989. She was a successful high school girls volleyball coach from 1982 to 1997 with various teams. At present, she is the boys volleyball coach at Enfield High School and her success earned her the CIAC Boys Volleyball Coach of the Year Award.
Susan Holcombe played at the Gilbert School in Winsted from 1983 to 1986 and was a three year varsity starter. She played middle hitter for coach Mary Ellen Vaccari, a CT Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame member.
In her sophomore year, Susan’s team was the Berkshire League Champions. In her junior year, they successfully defended their League Championship and Susan was named to the 1st Team All-League, and was Honorable Mention for the 1st Team All-State.
It was Susan’s senior year however that was the most memorable year. Her team repeated to become three time Berkshire League champions, and she was again named to the 1st Team All-League. Then they also won the Class S State Championship and Susan was named to the 1st Team All-State as well as being awarded her team’s MVP Award.
Susan went on to play at Clarion University of Pennsylvania for Coach Cindy Opalski, who is also a CT Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame Member. From 1992 through 1994, Susan was a Division I assistant coach at Bucknell University.
Britney played volleyball at Bunnell High School from 2003 to 2006. In her four years, Brittany started every game. In a 5-1 offense, she played both as a center and a hitter. For her career she had 2,638 assists, 352 kills, 110 blocks and 496 service aces. Over those four years, the team’s record was 94 and 5! In 2004, 2005, and 2006, Brittany’s team won the SWC League championships and LL State Championship titles.
In 2003, her freshman year, Brittany was named second team all-league-a hint of what was to come. In her sophomore, junior, and senior years, she was named first-team all-league. In her junior and senior year she was named first-team all-state.
As a senior Brittany was named the Gatorade Player of the Year and the Coca-Cola Player of the Year, ending her outstanding volleyball career.
Gail coached at Bristol Eastern High School from 1982 until 2005. During those 23 years, her record was 332 – 139. Also during those 23 years, they qualified for the state tournament 21 times.
Bristol Eastern won 15 league championships and played in the state championship finals six times and won 3 state championships during her tenure.
In 1990, Gail was named the Connecticut High School Coaches Association’s Outstanding Coach and in 1996 and 2000 she was the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s Regional Coach of the Year finalist.
Off the court, Gail has served as the CIAC State Tournament Committee for 21 years and was a founder of the Senior All-Star game. She was the chairman of the CHSCA all-state selection committee and co-chair the national volleyball clinic in 1996 and 2002.
Holly played at North Branford High School from 1985 to 1988. She was a four-year varsity player, starting as a freshman. In her junior and senior years, her teammates recognizing her leadership ability, elected her captain.
For her entire career, Holly led her team in passing, hitting, kills, and blocks. For her career she averaged 85% in hitting, 12 kills a match, and four blocks a game. She also had 106 service aces in her senior year.
Holly was named MVP in her freshman, junior, and senior years. She was on the all-Shoreline team all four years and was named to the all-state team her sophomore, junior and senior years. In 1986, ‘87, and ‘88 her team reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
Holly was offered a full scholarships to play volleyball by Division I schools, however as an outstanding basketball player, she chose to play basketball at Syracuse, ending her outstanding volleyball career.
Mary Ellen attended Southern Connecticut State University, where she said, after being mentored by the outstanding staff and taught volleyball by Louise Albrecht, she was passionate about helping student-athletes achieve excellence.
Mary Ellen was hired in 1976 by her High School alma mater, The Gilbert School, and her contract was contingent upon her coaching three sports. She has coached almost continually since then, coaching six different boys’ and girls’ sports over the years.
The volleyball program was in its infancy when she took over and was 3-9 in her first season. Over the following 10 years, her teams qualified for the state tournament each year. Her teams also won 3 Northwest League titles and after joining the Berkshire League won additional titles there as well.
In 1979 and 1981, Gilbert played in the state tournament semifinals and in 1983 played in the tournament finals. At the beginning of the ‘86 season, Mary Ellen announced her retirement in order to care for her growing family. That year, Gilbert won its first day championship title. Her 10 year record as head coach was 150 -53. Three years later, she realized she could not stay away and returned as an assistant coach to then head Coach Cindy fixer, a former player of Maryellen’s. She worked in the programs the next 22 years and in 2000, when Gilbert one another state championship title, Maryellen’s two daughters were members of the team.
Over the years Mary Ellen also ran USVBA Junior Olympic volleyball programs, as well as summer volleyball leagues. She was a Woman’s Sports Foundation “Grants for Girls” recipient, and was the 1998 recipient of the Pathfinder Award from the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports.
When Mary Ellen graduated from Southern Connecticut State University, she said she was confident she could help young women improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being through competition. She was absolutely right.
Robin attended Portage Central High School in Portage, Michigan, and then attended college there as well for two years. She then transferred to the University of New Haven where she had been recruited by Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame member Debbie Chin.
In the two seasons Robin played (1989 and 1990), her team posted identical 33-11 records and the University of New Haven played in the NCAA championships each year.
In her senior year Robin was named the University of New Haven’s Female Athlete of the Year.
Robin went on to graduate school at Western Michigan University and returned to her alma mater as the had volleyball coach in 1994.
Val attended High School at Principia Upper School, in Elsa, Illinois from 1977 through 1979 and attended Principia College in St. Louis Missouri. While in college, she was named to the all-league team her junior and senior years.
She played USVBA with Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame member Fran VanderMeer. She played for the New London Volleyball Club, and the New Britain Volleyball Club. In 1988 while playing for New Britain, they won the New England women’s AA Open Division Regional Championship.
Val became a volleyball official and officiated with the Fairfield Board of Officials for 12 years and also served as the board’s coordinator. As an official, she was assigned many CIAC state tournament games.
It was said of Val first and foremost- she loved the game of volleyball. Whether as a player or an official, she always had a tremendous amount of positive energy. When she officiated, her energy was probably the first thing the players and coaches noticed about her.
Val connected with everyone she came in contact with. She always wanted to be the best official she could be. When major rule changes occurred, she was willing to accept the changes and she worked hard to adapt to the new rules. She wanted to make the right calls-or no calls- at the right times, for the right reasons. She was such a good person and her personal qualities were evident in all of her interactions with players, coaches, and administrators. She had the ability to keep the game in the proper perspective and kept her sense of humor even in stressful situations.
Val was an excellent referee because she cared about the job she did, and she cared about the players. She kept up with the game and she was always fair and impartial in her decision-making. Her professionalism, support a volleyball, and her dedication to the sport will never be forgotten.
Ann started playing volleyball as a sophomore at Amity Regional (Amity was a 3-year senior high school) in 1980. With little experience to speak of but a great deal of talent, she tried out and won a spot as a varsity starter, no small feat on one of the top teams in the state. She was a strong side hitter with great passing skills and quickness which made her an effective player in the back row as well as the front. In fact, her combined talent and attitude earned her the team MVP award that year and she helped lead Amity to the Housatonic League title. As a junior, Ann was named team co-captain and helped her team continue its winning ways. Amity won another Housatonic League championship and added a CIAC Class LL State Title. As a junior, Ann was chosen team MVP for a second time and was selected first team All-Housatonic League and All-State. During her senior year it was more of the same. Amity finished the season 19-3 and won a second State Championship. Ann was once again selected team MVP, All-Housatonic League, and All-State. She also played in Team Connecticut on the AAU circuit that year. Ann’s excellence in athletics was not limited to volleyball, she also played basketball and softball at Amity. In basketball she scored more than 1,300 points in three years and in ’83 was selected as a Carnation Women’s Basketball All-American. In softball, Amity won a state title in ’82 and Ann was selected to the All-State team.
After graduating from Amity, Ann attended New Hampshire College. She played four years of Division II basketball with the Penwomen. In ’87, Ann turned her athletic interest to coaching. Her first position was as the head coach of the mane’s volleyball team at Sacred Heart Universtiy where she remained for two seasons. Currently she is coaching at Coginchaug High School in Durham. She is assisting head volleyball coach Clare Matasavage and she has been the head softball coach for four years. Her softball teams have accrued an amazing 19-1 record in post season play, have advanced to the state finals all four years and have won the Class S championship three times.
In 2004, Amity Regional inducted Ann into the Spartan’s Hall of Fame and retired numbers 7 and 20 in her honor and in 2006 she was inducted into the Connecticut High School Softball Hall of Fame.
