Garrepy leads North Kingstown girls volleyball to fifth straight title

PROVIDENCE – Kayleigh Garrepy just wanted to win.

Four years of dominance needed an appropriate ending for the North Kingstown volleyball star. The last time with her dad, Brian, as her coach couldn’t have finished any other way. She’s been on the Skippers’ bench her whole life, but her final time was the most important.

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A dominant performance capped four consecutive All-State seasons and another championship to share in the Garrepy home. The duo only lost two games over the last four years as this senior class ran top-ranked North Kingstown’s championship streak to five straight with a sweep of No. 2 La Salle.

Garrepy rallied the Skippers in the second frame to win 25-23, 27-25, 25-17 on Sunday, November 15, at Rhode Island College. Her winning ace held off La Salle’s chance at an upset bid as North Kingstown (19-0) has now won nine of the last 10 girls volleyball State Championships. The Skippers also moved into a tie with Toll Gate for the most championships overall (15).

“It was amazing,” Garrepy said of playing for her dad. “It definitely had its ups and downs, but I think honestly I’m lucky to have had him on the sideline for my career. I know he definitely helped me become a better player and just having a familiar face on the bench is always nice. It’s been amazing, I’m definitely sad that I’m not going to have him ever again.”

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Garrepy graduates to Holy Cross next year after committing to the Crusaders in August. Her challenge this season, along with keeping the dynasty alive, was instilling the legacy of the public school. It’s all about victories and making friends along with the championship rides.

“I was on them, I wanted them to continue what we were doing this year,” Garrepy said. “I definitely was like, ‘You just have to keep going, keep working hard, keep doing what you do.’ Focus on everything every day, everything that we’ve installed in them. They need to continue on for the younger generation that’s going to come in after them too. We want to make a chain of each year. I hope it gets better and better, just because that’s what we do at NK. We want to get better.”

The Skippers started on an 8-1 run in the first set and never trailed in the frame. La Salle (15-3) climbed back late and survived three set points before Isla Arnold ended it with a kill. The Rams, in their first championship appearance since 2019, had their footing and began the second set with a run of their own.

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North Kingstown didn’t snag its first lead until 22-21 on Claire Welch’s kill during a 4-0 run. Courtney Sims pushed La Salle to set point after saving a rally near the La Salle bench, but NK returned and won consecutive points. Garrepy then ended it from the service line as North Kingstown was on the way to its 19th sweep of the year.

“I just think it’s been so important to me to just finish strong this year,” Garrepy said. “And going into that [second set], we were down by a lot of points, and then coming back, I really just wanted to win. If I’m being honest, I just wanted to finish it. I was just like, I’m here right now. I need to get the job done.”

The third set was another blitzing as North Kingstown surged to a 14-6 advantage. The cast of hitters and middles — Garrepy, Arnold, Welch, Maggie Scott and Natalie Ringler — had their way with Tayla Schneider setting the table. Scott provided the final kill to give the Skippers another moment at the Murray Center.

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“There’s no better feeling, I don’t know how to put it into words,” Schneider said. “It’s just amazing, and you know you’re one of the best, but you still have to stay level. You still need to push and work hard because that’s the hardest part of it. When you’re not losing, how do you push harder to win? And we just have the energy in the gym, and it helps us the whole way.”

“It’s just great,” Scott said. “Just being able to play one last time with a great team and being able to beat them, 3-0, that’s just the best feeling in the world.”

NK returns plenty to make another run next year. Arnold will be a senior, Welch is just a freshman and Alison McCoombs, the Skippers’ libero, is in her sophomore season.

“The girls and the coaches have just meant so much to me over these four years,” Garrepy said. “Each group that I’ve come in with, and each group that has graduated, it’s just been so special with every single one of them. It’s nice experiencing a new group every year. I think that’s definitely something that will stay with me forever and those friends have stayed with me forever.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Garrepy leads North Kingstown girls volleyball to fifth straight title

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