Category Archives: Eastern Connecticut State University

Katie Nichols Henry

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Growing up in mystic, Connecticut, with a big push from her father Art, Kim followed the footsteps of her older sister Kate. Kim had the opportunity to jump into the sport at a younger age and participate in several volleyball junior programs and elite camps. Like big sis, Kim found her strengths as a setter. During her high school years at Fitch, Kim was three sport letter winner but always favored volleyball. She was the starting setter during her career at Fitch putting strong stats on the board for both assists and aces. In 1990, her senior year, Kim led the team as captain and setter throughout the season, and into a final match as a high school player. Coached by Mark Sullivan, the 1990 team participated in their first ever state final championship. Although they took a tough loss, Kim demonstrated her love for the sport and team, and along with co-captain Anna Hauptmann, was named to the 1st team Allstate. She also led her team that year in assists, aces and was named Most Valuable Player. Her high school accomplishments earned her both academic and athletic scholarships to several colleges and Kim ultimately attended Springfield College.

Springfield competed at the Div. II level, part of a strong NE-10 Conference. The highlight of her freshman year was the match between Springfield and ECSU where she got to compete against her big Sister Kate and their dad was overjoyed to see them both play. Soon she found her leadership spot as a setter and was named captain both junior and senior year. In 1993, her junior year, Kim had 1,127 assists, led the team with 69 aces, was named to the Tom Hay all-tournament team, as well as MVP of the Tom Hay tournament. In 1994, her senior year, the team had strong performances throughout the season. Once again, Kim led the team with 1185 assists. For her career, Kim had 3033 total assists putting her third for career assists at Springfield. Her other achievements senior year include: East Stroudsburg all tourney team, NE10 Conference team All-Star, MVP of the Northeast Conference tournament, AVCA Division II Northeast region All-Star team, Division II national playoff participant, NE 10 Player of the Week, Springfield College Maroon Club Athlete of the Week, the CDC scholar athlete and the District 1 Academic All American.

Her first year of college, Kim took on the position of head coach for the Western New England men’s volleyball team as a newly developed program. After her first year, she relocated for work to her current residence on Cape Cod where she then played with her sister Kate in doubles beach volleyball tournaments for several years.

Today, Kim resides in Sandwich, with her husband Mike, also an athlete from Springfield College to whom she has been married for the past 21 years. They are raising two beautiful girls, Sydney and Sammi who already like to pepper mom on the beaches of the cape and are quite the little athletes themselves. Kim still follows volleyball closely enjoying watching the Olympic indoor and beach teams, her alma maters, and most recently her niece Allie who played for the past four years at Eastern Connecticut State following in her mom Kate’s footsteps.

Sheena Carpenter

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Sheena began her volleyball career at Westhill High School, where she played from 1978-1981 for Coach Winnie Hamilton.  During the 1980 season, the Vikings won the CIAC State Championship and finished with a perfect 20-0 record.  Sheena attended Eastern Connecticut State University and continued her exemplary volleyball career.  An outstanding hitter during high school and her first year of college, an injury to the team’s setter during her sophomore year changed that.  Eastern coach Floretta “Pinky” Crabtree saw her ability and decided Sheena would fill the slot.  This changing role was a challenge but she found it exciting and was equal to the task.  During her four seasons at Eastern, the team qualified for the NCAA playoffs three times.

Sheena has continued her involvement with volleyball since graduating.  She coached at Quinnipiac College and at Wilbur Cross High School and has worked at numerous camps.  In working with female athletes she has been proud to pass on the attitude that was instilled in her by her high school coach Winnie Hamilton, “that with hard work and confidence, they can achieve anything.”

Sheena is a teacher at Dolan Middle School in Stamford.  She now devotes her time parenting her 8-year-old son Andre.

Kathleen Kimball

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Kathleen’s first volleyball experience began at Wheeler High School in North Stonington where she played for coach Larry Gula.  Upon graduation in 1991, Kathleen moved on to play for Pinky Crabtree at ECSU from 1992-95 where she was a four-year letter-winner, and was team captain for 3 years.  Kathleen ranked first in the ECSU volleyball team program for total blocks (383), second in kills (1,362) and fourth for total attacked (2,772).

She was the first player from ECSU to achieve the first team Division III All-American status. At that time, Kathleen was only the second player from New England to receive that honor. She was also selected three times each as an all-region and all-New England teams. She was twice selected as the teams’ MVP.

Kathleen is presently teaching middle school Physical Education in Darien, CT; she coaches Junior Olympic volleyball in southwestern Connecticut and still finds time to play volleyball twice a week during the winter and grass doubles in the summer.

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.