700 Club: Turco Joins Rare Company, Red Raiders Take Down Central Catholic

SOUTH YARMOUTH – It was by every definition a night of adversity.

And for his 700th career victory (girls’ and boys’ volleyball combined), Barnstable High School girls’ volleyball head coach Tom Turco wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Barnstable High School girls' volleyball head coach Tom Turco solidified his legendary career last night with his 700th win. Photo by Marylou Martin for Capecod.com Sports

Barnstable High School girls’ volleyball head coach Tom Turco solidified his legendary career last night with his 700th win.
Photo by Marylou Martin for Capecod.com Sports

Turco’s Red Raiders defeated Central Catholic last night at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High, 3-2, in what amounted to a night of obstacles that were met, wrestled with and overcome with a 15-13 tiebreaking win. Barnstable downed Central 25-13 in the first set, the visitors came back to take the second set, 25-18, the Red Raiders then matched that 25-18 score in the third set and in set number four Central prevailed, 25-20.

It may have seemed more of a relief than anything to the most winning coach in the history of Barnstable High School athletics who last night joined the rarest of company with his 700th lifetime win versus 112 career losses. No other Red Raider coach in any sport is even close to the Billerica High School hall of famer.

“With that number of wins, you have to have some pretty great athletes,” Turco said. “But it’s really all about the players when you get down to it. That’s the thing about Barnstable. The athletes won those games.”

The adversity his Red Raiders faced to get this milestone victory, however, may have made the 16-time state champion head coach wonder “what next?”

Barnstable was forced to host Central Catholic at a neutral site because the parquet floor in the main gymnasium at Barnstable High remains warped since it was damaged after a landscaping show late last winter, just after the basketball season had concluded. Physical education classes aren’t even being held in the gym, Turco said.

Barnstable High defeated Central Catholic last night, 3-2, to give their storied head coach his 70tth career win. Marylou Martin photo for Capecod.com Sports

Barnstable High defeated Central Catholic last night, 3-2, to give their storied head coach his 70tth career win.
Marylou Martin photo for Capecod.com Sports

The Barnstable High gym is expected to be ready for the Red Raiders’ second home match on September 21.

The D-Y gym was “a steambath,” last night, Turco said and he was forced to funnel in substitutions to keep his girls’ legs fresh but the varsity match got a late start and the Red Raiders didn’t arrive home until after 10:00 pm. To make matters worse, Turco noted that there was no athletic trainer on site which forced him to “err on the side of caution” when one of his key players went down after crashing into a wall.

Barnstable freshman Riley James, a 5’10” outside hitter, was spectacular and hitting at a .438 clip when she was forced to come out of the match.

“It’s pretty difficult to coach and undertake game management at the same time,” Turco said.

All totaled, Turco used 10 different players in the historic victory. Senior Madison Sollows turned in a superlative performance with 27 kills, 3 blocked shots, Senior Ashley McCarthy had 15 digs to go along with 36 assists, while Dani Deroiser turned in 24 digs.

Before she was sidelined, James had eight kills and 13 digs.

The Red Raiders next face Hopkinton in another non-conference match-up on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Turco has been the Barnstable High School girls’ volleyball head coach since 1988 and won 16 MIAA Division 1 State Championship titles.

St. John Paul II Opens Season with Volleyball Victory over Nauset Warriors

HYANNIS — The St John Paul II Lions faced a little bit of adversity earlier this week as well.

The Lions were supposed to open the season on Tuesday and travelled to Cape Cod Tech for their first game, walked into the school and were told that the game had been postponed. The girls then turned right around, got back on the bus and headed home.

But last night, St. John Paul II got things of to a solid start with a season-opening win versus the visiting Nauset Warriors with a clean, 3-0 sweep.

St. John Paul II took sets one through three, 25-16, 25-21 and 25-22.

The Lions; Lucy Cahill turned in five service aces while teammate Delaney Halliday impressed with 10 of the same.

Kaia Whiteley added six kills and Kyra McCabe had five kills.

St. John Paul II (1-0) heads to Sandwich High School on Friday to face the Lady Knights in another non-league contest.

— Story by Sean Walsh, sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm

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