Burrillville’s Kaitlyn Tedeschi, right, gets ready to make the block as Classical’s Brennan Johnson makes the hit in a Sept. 9 match that Division I finalist Classical won, 3-0.

The Providence Journal / Ruben W. Perez

La Salle girls volleyball coach Jadine Ferri actually wasn’t the Rams’ coach when she stopped by her alma mater to visit a friend one August afternoon just as the season was about to get under way.

But under extenuating circumstances, previous head coach Jaime Terenzi had just stepped down to accept a last-minute college coaching position, and La Salle athletic director Ted Quigley asked Ferri whether she was interested in filling the vacancy.

Ferri jumped at the chance.

“I think we’re a perfect match for each other,” said Ferri, who was a member of La Salle’s 2001 and 2003 Division II championship squads. “I came into a program with a group of girls that were perfect for me, and I think I’m perfect for them. “We just get along. We have fun. They work hard and … it’s just fun.”

So far, that “perfect match” between coach and players has translated into a perfect season for La Salle, which the Rams will be trying to cap off with another state crown.

They will have to get by Classical first, though. The two teams face off in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division I Girls Volleyball Championship tonight at 6 at Keaney Gym, on the University of Rhode Island campus.

“Classical is a very scrappy team,” said Ferri. “They hit a lot up. They work very hard. Obviously, they have Brennan Johnson, and a lot of the girls on my team know her. So they think it’s going to be an awesome game. It will be a great matchup.”

La Salle and Classical are no strangers to each other, having both competed in I-North.

Led by senior tri-captains Breanna Boyer, Elizabeth Lally and Samantha Elliotte, as well as 2007 tournament MVP Janet Pressler, La Salle –– which won the I-North title with a 16-0 mark –– prevailed in both regular-season meetings between the teams, 3-0 and 3-1.

But Classical lost just one other time during the regular-season –– to semifinalist East Providence –– finishing second in I-North with a 15-3 record.

Purple coach John Polinick uses words such as hustle, hard work and determination to describe his team, which is captained by seniors Ashley Milan and Johnson.

“It’s been a great ride,” he said. “The girls have really improved since the beginning of the year. They work hard every day, and luckily for us, things have been going our way in the playoffs, and I’m happy where we are.”

DIVISION II

The Division II Championship, set for 3:30 p.m., will feature II-South champion Prout vs. II-North champion West Warwick.

Led by senior outside hitter and captain Katie Walsh, Prout has posted some impressive numbers over the last four years. The Division III champion in 2005 and the Division II champs each of the last two years, the Crusaders have gone 63-1 during the regular season over that stretch and won the II-South title this fall with a 16-0 record.

Captained by senior setter Samantha Andrews, West Warwick, which captured the II-North title with a 15-1 mark, last appeared in the finals in 2006, when Prout defeated the Wizards in four games.

Both teams are coming off hard-fought semifinal victories that each went to five games. Prout survived a seesaw match against a tenacious Westerly squad, while West Warwick watched a 2-0 lead slip away against Mount St. Charles, but rebounded in the fifth game to earn

Although the teams’ paths did not cross during the regular season, both know they are in for a battle today.

“Prout’s all around probably one of the strongest teams in the state, never mind the division,” West Warwick coach Michael Shunney said. “Lots of good hitters. I know they play good defense, so it’s a good question how we match up against them.”

“West Warwick is going to be a tough battle because they’re all defense,” Crusaders coach Dan Greene said. “They can throw the ball back in play. They have very few unforced errors. If we continue to play our aggressive style and have a solid offensive attack, I feel good about our chances.”

DIVISION III

Central Falls and Shea will open up today’s tournament, battling for the Division III Championship at 1 p.m.

This marks the sixth trip to the finals in nine years for Central Falls and the second consecutive trip for the current group of Warriors, who fell to Middletown in last year’s title game.

“We’ve been talking a lot about mindset,” said Central Falls coach Richard Sousa, whose squad is led this year by senior co-captains Valarie Biascochea and Asisis Wessin. “It was really tough losing it last year because we were the top seed, but we had a lot of young players on that team.

“Last year, we were one-dimensional,” he continued. “This year we have more depth and more experience. We have five players that played in that game last year against Middletown, and I’ve seen great progress in them as far as being more team players. They have a lot of heart and there’s great chemistry this year. They’re working together very well and they’re there for each other. They’re excited about being back.”

The regular-season Division III champion with a 15-0 record, Central Falls has yet to lose a single set this fall, advancing to the title match with a sweep of Fatima in this week’s semis.

Captained by senior setter Taylor Gomes and senior outside hitter Alyson Catalon, Shea finished second to Central Falls during the regular season at 11-4 and earned its second trip to the finals in three years with a semifinal victory over the defending champion Islanders.

cthorn@projo.com