It looks as if the Cranston East volleyball team has found a comfortable home in Division II.

After going 7-9 last season in Division I, the ’Bolts made the move down to D-II this season with the hopes of being a contender right away.

It certainly looks like they will be just that – at least thus far.

East rolled to a 3-0 win over Toll Gate on Monday night, using 25-13, 25-15 and 25-22 victories to shut out the Titans.

The victory pushed the ’Bolts to a perfect 4-0, but they seemed a little complacent in the third game of their win over Toll Gate, as the Titans led for a majority of the game, before East rattled off five of the final seven points.

“A lot of the guys on our team like to hit and, for younger players, it’s very common to forget that it all starts with defense,” East head coach Tom Paquette said. “I think they got ahead of themselves a bit and underestimated the team. They went for power instead of sticking to the basics and executing the way that a volleyball team should.”

The ending was shaky, but the first two games were anything but, as the ’Bolts dominated as the superior team. Particularly in the first two games, senior Nick Biagioni and sophomore Theo Khvang paced East with strong hitting, while senior captain, Eric Halvarson, was also impressive at setter.

According to Paquette, Halvarson will be the key to the ’Bolts’ potential success this season.

“He moves the ball really well and makes a lot of smart decisions on the court,” Paquette said. “Not only is he athletic, but he makes great decisions as to where to put the ball, navigate around blocks and shuffle the opponent’s defense. It has been a big help.”

The move down to D-II this season should allow East to be much more competitive. It was able to hold its own in D-I, but now it is eyeing a deep playoff run.

“We’re excited about the D-II run,” Paquette said. “Having seen a lot of the teams, we’re optimistic with the level of competition and how we can compete this year.”

East is currently fighting some injuries, but when it becomes fully healthy, Paquette feels that his team will be much stronger – a scary thought for the rest of the league considering the ’Bolts are already 4-0.

East knows, however, that there are plenty of quality teams in the division, and that its schedule won’t be a walk in the park.

The ’Bolts were at 2-1 East Greenwich on Wednesday, but results were unavailable at press time. East will also have a big test on Friday night, as it will make the cross-town trip to take on Cranston West at 6:30 p.m.

The Falcons are the only other undefeated team in D-II-South at 3-0.

If East can get through those two matches with victories, it will be in good shape going forward, particularly with reinforcements on the way.

“They’re two of the top teams in the division, so we have our work cut out for us,” Paquette said.