Category Archives: Bristol Eastern

Stacy Rivoira

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A Bristol, Connecticut native and 1988 Bristol Eastern High School graduate, Stacy Rivoira was a four-year participant in the volleyball, basketball, and tennis programs. She was a three-year starter and senior captain in all three sports. While at Bristol Eastern, Stacy was a member of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference State Championship teams in basketball her junior year and in volleyball her senior year. Upon graduating, Stacy went on to play volleyball at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. A four-year starter for the Skyhawks she was named captain her senior year, as well as being selected to the Northeast All Conference team.

Stacy would continue her athletic career as a volleyball coach at her alma mater Bristol Eastern, coaching for twenty-three seasons, the last thirteen as a varsity head coach. She was an assistant coach to Gail Ericson a future Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame member

Class of 2009, winning the 2005 CIAC Class L State Championship. In 2006, her first year as the head varsity coach, the Lancers went 25-0 and won the CIAC Class L State Championship. In those thirteen seasons, her teams made it to the CIAC State Tournament quarterfinals or better eleven times, won twelve Central Connecticut Conference South Championships, four Central Connecticut Conference Championships, and two CIAC Class L Championships, in 2006 and 2012. 

During her career at Bristol Eastern, Stacy coached over forty-six All-Conference players, sixteen CIAC All State players, and one Hartford Courant Player of the Year. She complied an overall record of 248-56, posting a 143-5 record in the CCC South matches. She went undefeated in the CCC South her final eight seasons, winning her last ninety matches. Stacy was inducted into the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

Stacy is currently in her twenty-fourth year of teaching. The past sixteen of those years have been in kindergarten. For her, teaching kindergarten and coaching high school athletes was a balancing act that never got old. Each of them made her appreciate the other in the most unexpected ways. Trading hats each year between being a mother to three of her own children, a teacher to a class of five-year old’s, and a coach to a team of teenagers would prove to be her passion.

Stacy credits her father, Dave Mills, on being a clear role model and influential coaching figure in her life. Her dad, a football coach at Bristol Eastern High School for twenty-six years, consistently demonstrated strong moral character, maintained high expectations, a tireless work ethic, and an undeniable desire to make a difference in every life he touched. He demanded accountability and worked hard to be a knowledgeable and educated coach who passionately displayed his love of coaching whenever he stepped on the field.

Coral Richardson

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Coral Richardson began playing volleyball in 1974, her senior year at Bristol Eastern High School. In 1975, she went on to play volleyball at Southern Connecticut State College for

four-years. The Owls won the 1977 New England Volleyball Championships. Coral also played basketball for four-years and softball for one year at SCSC. Upon graduation, she continued to compete in numerous tournaments traveling throughout the Northeast with the New England Yankee Volleyball Association.

In 1990, Coral began to compete in National USA Volleyball tournaments. She played in over fifteen tournaments located throughout the United States and was fortunate enough to bring back medals for over half of those tournaments. For the past twelve-years, Coral has competed in the Huntsman’s World Senior Games in Utah and has been awarded six Gold medals, two Silver medals and two Bronze medals. A highlight in Coral’s senior career was to qualify for the

Senior USA team that traveled to New Zealand to compete in the World Master’s games. Coral continues to perform at a high level achieving numerous victories in the beach and grass volleyball circuit.

During the 1980’s, Coral began coaching volleyball at Bristol Central High School, as well as AAU and USA Juniors Club in Connecticut. A coaching career that spanned over two decades, Coral loved growing the sport of volleyball, until she resigned in 2001. Coaching Track and Field at the high school level for thirteen-years has solidified Coral’s commitment to scholastic athletes. Over the past twenty-years, Coral has been officiating high school, AAU, USA Club and NCAA volleyball matches.  

For the past five-years, Pickle Ball has been a passion for Coral. She has played in several tournaments and won a Gold medal, two Silver medals and two Bronze medals respectively.

Coral is quoted as saying,

“All the sports and teams that I have had the luxury to play on specifically the sport of volleyball helped me grow as a person and athlete and provided me with positive influences in my life. When you love something, it is hard not to strive to do your very best.”

Brianna Root

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Brianna found volleyball first at Chippens Hill Middle School in Bristol when she was only 13. Playing 3 years of volleyball in middle school gave her the courage to attend camps the summer before her freshman year in high school where she so badly just wanted to make the JV team. Her very first game ever on the high school court, was the first game of the season her freshman year as a starting setter for the Varsity team. She remained in that spot for the next 4 years.

During her reign at BEHS, Brianna was a three-time All-CCC South and two-time All-State Performer. Three out of her four high school years that were documented on Max Preps amassed 223 sets played, averaging 9 assists per set, 1997 total assists, 137 aces, 462 digs and 120 kills. BEHS took home a pair of CCC Tournament titles during her tenure and in 2012, Bristol Eastern High School won the Class L State Championship. It was this moment that made Brianna realize she wanted to play this sport in college. For the next three years, Brianna played volleyball at school in-season and played for Connecticut Juniors in the off-season.

Her collegiate career was even better. Brianna moved on to Post University, where she continued her volleyball career and her studies in Sport Management and Communication and Media Studies. Brianna accumulated a program record 4,753 assists, including 1,092 in her senior season. She tallied 1,314 assists as a freshman, 1,226 as a sophomore, and 1,121 as a junior. Despite being a setter, her defensive presence was also felt on the court where she had a career 1301 digs at Post. She earned two trips to the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament, was CACC and ECAC Rookie of the Year in 2015, then claimed DII CCA East Region Second Team as a sophomore. She was a First Team All-CACC selection in her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons, then was Second Team All-CACC as a senior.

Brianna sits in the CACC Tournament record books holding the 1st and 3rd spots for most assists ever recorded in a CACC tournament game: 67 total against Wilmington U on 11/20/15 and 59 against Georgian Court U 11/14/17. She also holds the 3rd place spot for most assists per CACC tournament at 144 in 2015. In regular season CACC play she holds the 4th place spot for assists per set in a season at 10.95 in 2016 and 8th place for career assists in a season at 1,314 in 2015.

She was nominated in 2019 for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award.

She just wasn’t ready to stop after her four years of college volleyball, so she jumped at the opportunity to attend the University of Essex in Colchester, England to be able to continue playing volleyball while earning her Master’s Degree in Management. Her run at a professional career was cut short by COVID and she now resides in Oklahoma working for a baseball organization, the Tulsa Drillers, a double A affiliate of the LA Dodgers.

With her busy work schedule, she is currently working on a 2nd master’s degree and she still makes time to help kids learn the sport of volleyball and continues to play. Coaching is likely in her near future!

Gail Ericson

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EricsonHOF

 

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.