Elena Lockett

Elena has been an active volleyball player with 33 years’ experience playing both high level beach and indoor volleyball. She is an active coach with 12 years’ experience coaching at the high school and club level. She serves as a camp director and private coach helping to grow the sport locally.

Elena was a 3 year varsity starter at Fitch High School, earning All State Honorable Mention and her team’s choice as Most Valuable Player in 1989. She was a Silver Medalist at Yankee Volleyball Nationals and has earned more than 20 indoor league and beach volleyball championships in New England.

Her record as a Junior Varsity coach at Fitch High School was an impressive 163-21 overall. As an assistant, she was part of 2 Conference Championship teams and the 2008 Class LL State Finalists. Elena also gives her time to young volleyball players in the club system in her area. Her teams have earned 6 Gold Medals and 3 Silver Medals in NERVA Volleyball Tournaments.

Most importantly however is how her peers, specifically two Hall of Fame members, acknowledge and admire her contribution to the sport of volleyball.

“Elena is a true competitor and her love for the game is enduring. I don’t know anyone who has sustained her level of involvement in the sport, competing and coaching over the years. ”

“Elena has been instrumental in the promotion and growth of volleyball in southeastern Connecticut. She demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities and never seeks personal recognition for her efforts.”

Jerry Mallory

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Jerry Mallory was born in Ohio. He played volleyball while he was in the Navy from 1966 to 1986. His Navy team played in many Regional Tournaments.

Jerry also began his career as a referee in 1986 in the volleyball league at the Submarine Base in Groton and continues to officiate there. Shortly after he began, Tony Aretakis suggested to him that he become a high school official. Barbara Startup trained him and he was evaluated at UConn at a pre-season scrimmage. In 1987, he was rated as a state referee and a certified line judge. In 1988, he officiated college matches which were part of the NAGWS – the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports. Jerry remembers their uniform included blue and white striped, double knit shirts that were both uncomfortable and hot! Jerry began officiating boys’ varsity matches at the beginning of boys’ high school volleyball in Connecticut.

In 1988, Jerry also began officiating girls’ high school matches and from 1992 to 1994; he served as the Officials’ Board Vice-Chair. He later officiated high school state tournaments, high school state tournament finals, as well as Division I college tournaments. He remembers marathon volley-ball tournaments at Eastern Connecticut State College when officials would walk in at 9:00 AM and leave at midnight!

From 1988 to 2014, Jerry was the Groton Park and Recreation Adult Volley-ball League Supervisor and head referee and continues to serve as the referee. In addition, from 1989 to 2009 Jerry volunteered as the coordinator / supervisor for Southeastern Connecticut Easter Seals Volleyball Marathon. In addition from 1998 to the present, he is an Executive Board Member-at-Large for the Southern New England Board of Officials.

Jerry has been involved with volleyball for 45 years as a player and official at almost every level of competitive volleyball.

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.

Mark J. Sullivan

Mark’s first involvement with volleyball was as a player in 1969. His love of the game increased and he soon joined Westerly YMCA, which afforded him more playing time and play at a more competitive level.  Mark soon decided he wanted to experience that other part of the game, the coaching part. In 1979 he started the varsity volleyball program at Robert E. Fitch High School in Groton. Using his experience as a player, his hard work ethic, and his dedication, he built one of the most successful volleyball programs in the state.  During his 12 years as head coach, Mark has established quite a record. His teams have qualified for the CIAC State Tournament every year. He has coached four All-State players including two sisters and numerous All-league players.

He has received honors over the years including the New London Day Coach of the Year in 1990 and Connecticut High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1991.

Mark retired from coaching in 1990 and lives in Mystic with his wife Margaret.