Wolcott Tech volleyball continues its long winning tradition.

At 15-1 so far this season, after a 3-2 loss to Whitney Tech in the season opener, it’s no surprise the Wildcats shut out Berkshire League Wamogo 3-0 Thursday night. The Warriors are in their second season of volleyball competition, playing well after setting a team record with their third win of the season earlier this week.

And they are in good company. The Wildcats haven’t lost a game in 12 straight shutouts since mid-September.

Wolcott Tech athletic director and volleyball coach Ray Tanguy began the Wildcats’ record 24 years ago as coach. Jim Pepper joined him as coach 17 years ago. Working together, their teams can be the envy of coaches in every region except for certain regional tournaments with their volleyball record.

“Wolcott Tech has always had good players,” says Tanguy. “It was about instilling that focus, that drive.”

But playing in the Tech League, many of the other coaches and their players might react, after watching Tech schools’ shiny CTC records become easy marks for regional tournament teams in other leagues.

Tanguay and Pepper’s annual goal is for their teams to first qualify for the state tournament and then reach at least the second round so that their kids can play a sport that they enjoy at the state level better than any other sport.

“I don’t really think about our history and what we’ve done before,” Tanguy said. “Our question is always how do we become better teachers, coaches and people every day.”

That, in fact, is the true package of Wolcott Tech women’s volleyball.

Cliché? It’s not like this year’s varsity members are singing those words in the flesh, in the Wildcat edition, just as passionately as their coaches did 24 and 17 years ago — and still are.

“They teach us how to work together,” Zoe Matava (11 kills, 5 aces, 7 digs Thursday) said after the Wildcats clawed back a lead from Wamogo in Game Three on Thursday.

“They know how to make us a family,” says Lindsey Horton (7 kills, 6 digs). “If we lose a point, then it’s over.”

“We treat each other like family,” McKenzie Davis said.

“If we’re wrong, we always find each other,” says Brenna Johnson. “It makes me feel good.”

Most coaches strive for such a team atmosphere. Tankay and pepper bring from year to year.

“Our motto is ‘Family, Tradition and Carpe Diem,'” Tanguy said. “We ask the girls to respect the tradition and make the most of every day of practice we have together.

“The reason is expectations. We set goals and never look back. When we reach one goal, we move on to the next.”

Family ties come first, then results.

“We are competitive and we want to win,” said Leisha Gutierrez.

“We are cruel; We are inseparable,” says Davis.

“The program is competitive; we are there to win,” Matava says.

“The effort brings us closer together,” says Mazie Connolly. “Our chemistry helps us not back down.”

While in the same geographic league, we beat Northwestern and Nonowague in the Covid year (BL’s top teams), but Wolves Tech’s consistent ethos has gone beyond the win/loss column, Tangay recalled.

Wolcott Tech is one of the three schools in the state to win the Michael Cup award 5 times in a row and is one of the benchmarks.

Most members of the Wildcats’ girls volleyball team sit on the school’s Class Law Council – a statewide effort initiated by CIAC to promote sportsmanship.

Members of Wolkite Tech proposed to build a council team to carry out projects in the community.

Closer to home, the girls’ volleyball team washes and dries the gym floor before each game, then the cleaners clean it up afterwards.

“They don’t think twice about it,” Tanguy said. “It teaches responsibility and helps maintenance workers who have been short-handed for decades. It builds teamwork along the way.

“In practice, we try when they have ideas. We want them to know we’re behind them as much as the coaches.”

Call it a wheel that has been successfully rolling for 24 years, with no end in sight.