Category Archives: Gilbert School, The

Cindy Fixer

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Cindy Fixer earned her BS degree in Physical Education from Southern Connecticut State College and her MS degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Central Connecticut State University. Cindy coached volleyball at The Gilbert School for 32 years. Her overall record is 310 and 242. Her teams won eight Berkshire League tournament championships as well as thirteen league championships.

In addition, Gilbert played in three State Finals, winning two runner-up titles and one State Championship title. Fourteen of her players went on to play in college. She was named Outstanding Volleyball Coach of the Year for 2000-2001 by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) and was selected to coach in the 1993 & 2014 Senior Volleyball All-Star Game. She represented the school as the girls’ volleyball chairperson for the CHSCA and also served on the Senior All-Star Volleyball Game committee from its inception until 2014. In the educational setting, Cindy represented The Gilbert School by serving as treasurer of the Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CTAHPERD) for five years and as Finance Committee Chairperson for sixteen years. CTAHPERD recognized her with a Professional Merit Award in 1999.

At Gilbert she teaches Wellness and has also taught Health Science and Math. With her colleagues, she received an Outstanding Program Award for the Wellness department’s “Parenting Awareness Program” from CTAHPERD in 2000.In her community, Cindy is a member of the Colebrook Lions Club and received their Outstanding Member Award for 2003-2004. As a club member, Cindy is the advisor for the Gilbert LEO Club, the student service club sponsored by the LIONS. She received several Service Awards from the Winsted Lions Club for being an outstanding Leo Club Advisor.

Susan Holcombe

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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.

Mary Ellen Vaccari

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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.

The Register Citizen:  Coach Vaccari inducted into Hall of Fame

 

Alesia Vaccari

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Alesia

Alesia attended The Gilbert School in Winsted, where her team won the 2000 Class S Championship and were finalists in 2001. She was awarded Most Valuable Player in the 2000 tourney and All-State in 2000 and 2001. She was also named CT Player of the Year by the Hartford Courant in 2001. She then enrolled and graduated from Springfield College where she was setter for four years.

During her time running the office at Springfield, they won two NEWMAC Championships and played in two NCAA Regional Finals. She received many individual honors, including three All-Region honors, two honorable mention All-American honors, and was named NEWMAC Player of the Year in 2004. She continues to hold the all-time assist record at Springfield College with 5,196. Coach Joel Dearing stated upon her graduation that even with all of her accolades she would best be remembered for her “love of the game of volleyball.”

Alesia went on to share that passion as an assistant coach at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY where she was part of the Golden Knights’ 2010 Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year, helping the program in its first-ever  NCAA tournament berth. She then took the head coaching position at Simmons College in Boston, where she posted a 50-49 career record with the Sharks, reaching the Great Northeast Athletic Conference semifinals in each of her three seasons. Alesia was named the GNAC Coach of the Year in her first season at Simmons, when she led the program to a 20-10 record. In 2012, she was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Assoc. Thirty Under Thirty Award. In 2014, Alesia was hired as head women’s volleyball coach at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA.