Category Archives: Search for Inductee

Melissa Roy

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Missy’s volleyball career began in 1990 at Glastonbury High School.  She loved the game and with dedication and hard work became an outstanding player and team leader.  As a junior Missy received her team’s Coach’s award and was selected to the All-Conference team.  She was also an All-State second team selection.  In her senior year Missy was captain and the team’s Most Valuable Player.  She was again selected for All-Conference and All-State honors.  That year Glastonbury won the CIAC Class L State Championship and Missy was the tournament’s MVP.  She was also a Hartwell Award recipient.

After graduation Missy continued her volleyball career at Stetson University where she was a 4-year varsity starter.  She was team captain her senior year and team MVP.  She holds numerous records at Stetson, received the Melching Leadership Award, broke over 1000 kills and digs in a career and was named to the Academic All-Conference team for 3 years.  Even after graduating college Missy did not leave volleyball behind, she turned to coaching.  She began coaching in Florida and then returned to her alma mater Glastonbury High School where she coached the freshmen team for 3 years and has now taken over the varsity squad.

Sally Maher

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Sally began playing volleyball at North Haven High School in 1978 for Coach Marge Dolan.  She had great enthusiasm and exceptional athletic ability and she worked hard to learn this new sport.  Her hard work paid off. Sally and her teammates won back to back state championships in 1979 and 1980.  As a junior she was selected to the All-Housatonic and All-State teams, and she repeated this accomplishment her senior year.  She also received numerous team awards.  Sally was also an outstanding basketball and softball player in high school.

After graduation Sally attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and she continued her volleyball career playing for Coach Elaine Sortino.  In 1984 her team won the ECAC Championship.  Sally was captain her junior and senior years and was team MVP her senior year.  Sally decided to share her knowledge and talents by becoming a coach.  In 1988 she coached JV volleyball at North Haven.  The next year she took over the head coaching position at Lyman Hall which she held until 1999.  She has worked at several volleyball camps and she continues to play on the CT Fossil Team.  Sally is a physical education teacher at North Haven High School.

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.

Bill Cobain

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Bill was a women’s volleyball referee for over two decades. He refereed on both the high school and college level. He was an active member of the Connecticut Federation of Volleyball Officials and served for many terms as that organization’s secretary/treasurer. In addition to those duties, he serviced as an evaluator and scheduling coordinator for the board.

Bill’s enjoyment and enthusiasm for refereeing led to encouraging a number of his professional colleagues to become referees. Some of those friends remain active volleyball officials today.

Erika Beerbaum

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in 1969 Erika pioneered and developed the first volleyball and basketball programs at Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford.

over the next three years as area programs expanded, she played an important role in helping to organize the first women’s division in the Housatonic League. in 1971 she moved across town to the new Mark T. Sheehan High School and again built strong volleyball and basketball programs.

During her years of coaching volleyball, her teams suffered only three losing seasons and many of her athletes who received league and state honors went on to play on the collegiate level. Sheehan was the Housatonic League runner-up in ’73 and ’76. In the state competition her team reached the regional final in ’73 and placed second in the 1976 Class M State Championship. Erika retired from coaching in 1980.

Eva Esposito

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Eva started her volleyball career at Branford High School in her sophomore year. She earned a starting position the following year. In 1987 and ’88 she was selected to the All-Housatonic Volleyball Team and was selected as Branford’s MVP.  In 1988, the team was Class M runner-up and Eva garnered Class M All-State honors.  She led her team in kills, blocks and passing average. She was an honor roll student and was listed in the Who’s Who Among High School Students in 1989. She later attended the University of Hartford on a full basketball scholarship.

Eva presently teaches physical education at Eli Whitney Technical School and is head volleyball coach at East Haven High School.

F. Tyson Krause

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Tyson has a volleyball career rich in every facet of the game. Beginning with his days as a collegiate all star player at Springfield College, to coaching Boston College, Albertus Magnus and San Diego State University, where his teams consistently ranked nationally in the Top Ten in Division I. he received the FIVB Level 2 International Coaching certification as well as the USA Volleyball CAP 2 Coaching Certification.

Tyson founded and directed Score Promotions volleyball schools. At present he is founder and president of the Connecticut Junior Volleyball Assoc. The CJVA is a statewide program which has provided off season training for over seven thousand girls of varying skill levels. He is also owner of the Connecticut Sports Center in Woodbridge. The CSC is a 44,000 square foot facility dedicated to volleyball.

Kate Sullivan

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Kate began her volleyball career at Bloomfield High School where she competed for four years on the varsity level. She served as captain her junior and senior years. Upon graduation from high school in 1977, Kate studied at SCSU where she chose to try out for the volleyball team. She competed in the successful program for four year, as the team went 103-26.  She served as captain during her junior and senior seasons. She was also named athlete of the week numerous times at SCSU.

Kate also played for the New Haven Dippers for eight seasons where she competed in two national tournaments. In 1981 and ’82 Kate worked at SCSU as the assistant volleyball coach to Joan Barbarich. She ran numerous high school volleyball clinics and was involved in coaching summer volleyball camps.

Patty Doolittle Giannattasio

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Patty began her volleyball career in 1974 as a freshman at Foran High School, coached by Edna Fraser. It was the first season that volleyball was played in the Fall. During her four years at Foran, her team finished fourth, third, second and won the state tournament. She lettered during her sophomore, junior and senior years and also captained the team her senior year. She was selected MVP her junior and senior years. In 1978 Patty received the Foran Athletic Assoc. Award, the Connecticut Scholar Athlete award and the Keystone Scholar Athlete Award.  She received an athletic scholarship to the University of Rhode Island, where she captained the team her Junior and senior years. She graduated with distinction with a BA in psychology.

Patty has coached volleyball at Jonathon Law High School and Fitch High School.  She initiated the volleyball program at Mitchell College in ’93 and has also coached at the US Coast Guard Academy.

Lisa DeGioia Miller

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Lisa began her volleyball career at Sheehan High School in Wallingford in 1983 where she was a varsity starter for 3 years. She played outside hitter and averaged 13 kills and 9 blocks per game. In 1985 she co-captained the team, was selected the team’s MVP and garnered first team All-State honors for Class M. Lisa was also selected as a CHSCA Scholar Athlete.

Upon graduation, Lisa furthered her education at Utica College where she earned a basketball scholarship. Now residing in Wallingford with her husband Dave, Lisa is assistant volleyball coach at Sheehan High School and is a volunteer youth volleyball coach for the town of Wallingford. She has just completed her Master’s Degree in Education and will be teaching high school English next fall.