Last Saturday, the second annual Naugatuck alumni volleyball jamboree was hosted by Naugatuck volleyball coach Fred Scheithe and the Greyhounds. CONTRIBUTED

The Greyhounds finished 8-12 overall and lost a Class L first-round state tournament match to Bristol Central.
In many ways, the state match was a microcosm of the season. The ‘Hounds lost a lopsided first set, 25-12, rebounded with a win in the second, and dropped two other close sets in a 3-1 loss.

On the surface, some might say a below-.500 record indicates a poor showing. Naugy head coach Fred Scheithe disagrees. He sees improvement as the benchmark.

“If you look at what we started with and where we ended, this team was probably my most successful in terms of levels of progress,” Scheithe said.

And that’s a perspective with 23 years of volleyball coaching experience.

The Greyhounds lacked in experience and pure talent, but it made up for it with raw athleticism and the will to improve.

Senior Lauren Andreoli was the only returning athlete with varsity experience. Other seniors such as Jess Buckley, Lani Chucta, and Victoria Hendricks helped younger teammates adjust.

Junior Sarah Chandler earned most outstanding player honors for the team and led the squad in digs, saves and service points. A lot of success started with her.

“Sarah could play all six positions,” Scheithe said. “She developed a jump serve and she was strong in the front row.”

Chandler, along with Melissa Ascencao and Raquel Loustaunau, developed throughout the season. All three will share captain responsibilities next season.

Scheithe also praised three sophomores—sisters Kate and Stef Barry, and Ashley Whitney. Each should play a key role in next season’s team.

Three freshmen from this year could also see increased time next season. Scheithe said Lauren Burns, Erika Andreoli and Kara Klimaszewski all showed advanced skills early in their high school playing days.

Scheithe congratulated the team on a season of many accomplishments. And while the 2011 overall record doesn’t show it, Naugy’s future could be a lot brighter because of this year’s squad.

“I think our success this year certainly bodes well for the future,” Scheithe said.

Greyhounds Welcome Back Familiar Faces

Last Saturday, the second annual Naugatuck alumni volleyball jamboree was hosted by Naugatuck volleyball coach Fred Scheithe and the Greyhounds. Players from the last 13 years attended for a round-robin afternoon of matches. The Naugy grads used the occasion to also collect non-perishable food for local charity organizations and created six teams that faced off against each other throughout the afternoon.

Some of the past players included the Mesaros sisters (Shannon, Fallon, and Taryn), the Witkoski sisters (Jackie and Lindsay), Jackie Brenia, Shannon and Stephanie Dunn, Ardita Vinca, Becky McGettigan, Jen Rimkus, Sarah Shea, Jess Bergin, Michelle Keesler, Jessica Lengyel, and the members of the 2010 and 2011 senior classes.

Woodland’s Emily Wirsing (4) sets up the ball as Sam Edwon (22) looks for the kill in the Class M quarterfinals Monday versus Sheehan. The Hawks fell in straight sets. LARAINE WESCHLER

Woodland made late charges in each of the three sets, the but the top-seeded Hawks were swept by No. 9 Sheehan, 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-17).

Sheehan (15-7) put together runs early in each set to take leads that it never relinquished.

In the first, the Titans jumped out to a 6-0 advantage and opened up the lead to eight points several times throughout the set. But a 9-1 run on Adriana Ambari’s serve pulled Woodland (19-2) even at 24-24, fighting off four set points, and it looked as though Sheehan was ready to collapse.

The Titans pulled it out, though, reclaiming the lead on a Woodland error and winning the set on a block by Rachel Collette.

“They played calm down the stretch even when we were coming back,” Woodland coach Jim Amato said. “We always believe we’re going to be able to close it. Sometimes we wait too long to try to close it because we’ve done it so much.”

Sheehan’s 6-0 run early in the second set gave the Titans a 6-2 lead that they took all the way to the end despite Woodland runs midway and late in the set.

In the third, Sheehan dominated most of the play with a 14-2 run early in the set to take a 14-3 lead. But even as the Titans led by 15, the Hawks put together one last run on Ambari’s service that fell short.

Sheehan outside hitter Ali Sperrazza slammed a cross-court kill for the final point of the match.

“When I’m in the game, I feel the momentum,” said Sperrazza, a 5-foot-4 junior who isn’t afraid to take on the net and opposing blockers. “I just swing away.”

Amato said losing in the quarterfinals as the top seed is disappointing, but rankings have to be taken with a grain of salt.

Woodland’s Tayler Boncal soars to return a volley Monday against Sheehan in the Class M quarterfinals. LARAINE WESCHLER

In last Saturday’s second round, Woodland beat No. 17 East Catholic, 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-12, 25-20).

The Hawks cruised through the third and fourth sets after the teams were deadlocked through the first two.
Woodland jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the third and led almost the entire way through the fourth, despite numerous East Catholic comeback attempts.

Ambari combined to make 25 kills, nine aces, and five blocks in the two matches. Emily Wirsing had 46 assists and 26 digs while Nicole Fowler had 27 digs.

Amato was pleased with the way his team rebounded from its loss in the Naugatuck Valley League quarterfinals to compete in the state tournament.

“That was humbling,” Amato said of the team’s upset loss to Torrington. “This one isn’t necessarily humbling. It’s disappointing because we thought we could get further. We’re like Sisyphus. We just can’t push the rock over the hill.”

Naugatuck’s Victoria Hendricks lays it all on the line as her teammates look on during the quarterfinals of the NVL tournament last week. Naugatuck was knocked out by Seymour. KEN MORSE

They play these Naugatuck Valley League tournaments for a reason, and no matter if a team is ranked first or eighth, every squad enters on the same playing field with an equal chance to win.

No. 8 seed Torrington proved that theory last Friday in the quarterfinals of the NVL volleyball tournament as they upset No. 1 Woodland 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-16) at Kennedy High.

Meanwhile at Seymour High, No. 2 Seymour made quick work of No. 7 Naugatuck in a 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-13) sweep.
Torrington grabbed a 23-15 lead in game one and had to withstand a furious Woodland comeback as the Hawks rattled off seven straight service points. The Raiders held on for a slim, 25-23 win.

In game two, Woodland held a 13-6 advantage but couldn’t hold off Torrington as the Raiders rallied for a 25-22 win to take a 2-0 lead over the Brass Division champion.

The Hawks never took flight in game three, dropping a 25-16 decision in being swept out of the NVL tournament.

“Our execution was off,” Woodland head coach Jim Amato said. “Torrington was making their passes and was consistent in serve. We knew they would be tough as we went to five games during the regular season with them. We began playing not to lose and that is never a good way to play. Hopefully this lights a fire under us heading into the state tournament.”

Woodland will be the No. 1 seed in Class M and likely will not play until the second round on Saturday after earning a first-round bye.

Naugatuck came out and took the lead in game one against the Wildcats, building a 6-3 advantage. Kate Barry and Melissa Ascencao served up the lead for Naugatuck with Courtney Quarles and Cataysia Brown playing strong on the net.

But Cindy Farrell ignited a Seymour comeback with a six-point service run that included three aces. The Wildcats took a 13-8 advantage before Naugatuck tried to get back in it.

Sarah Chandler took over serve and Jess Buckley lent the assists as the Greyhounds trailed, 14-10. Lauren Andreoli and Victoria Hendricks tried to hold off Seymour with heads-up plays in the back row.

But Seymour was not to be denied as they pulled away with a 25-12 victory on the strength of the front-row play by Stephanie Gianotti and Angela Tacinelli.

In game two, Naugatuck again started out on top with Andreoli serving up a 7-4 lead. Hendricks made a head-first dive to try and keep the ball alive as the Greyhounds were leaving it all out on the court.

Seymour went on a run and never looked back as they took a 2-0 lead following the 25-11 win.

In game three, Ashley Whitney in the front row and Kaitlyn Hayes in the middle tried to give Naugatuck a spark but Seymour took a commanding lead, winning easily by a 25-13 margin.

“I’m really pleased that we made the states and the NVL with what we started with at the beginning of the season,” Naugatuck head coach Fred Scheithe said. “Seymour is obviously a very good team and I think playing that kind of competition will help us as we get ready for the states.”

Naugatuck will be approximately the No. 19 seed in Class L and will be on the road for its first-round match on Thursday.

Tayler Boncal and the Woodland volleyball team suffered their first loss of the season in the NVL tournament quarterfinals on Friday at Kennedy. RA ARCHIVE

The Naugatuck volleyball team wasn’t necessarily expected to win its Naugatuck Valley League tournament quarterfinal against Seymour. But Woodland was certainly supposed to prevail.

Instead, both local squads fell in Friday’s NVL quarterfinals and were knocked out of the tournament. The No. 7 Greyhounds lost to No. 2 Seymour at Seymour while No. 1 Woodland was upset by No. 8 Torrington at Kennedy. Both matches ended in straight sets.

The Hawks (18-1), who were unable to practice most of the week due to a power outage at the high school, were swept for their first loss of the season. The game scores were 25-23, 25-22, and 25-16.

The Greyhounds (8-11) lost to Seymour in straight sets as well. The game scores were 25-12, 25-11, and 25-13.

Both teams will open up state tournament play this week.

Swimming and Diving
The NVL diving finals, originally set for Thursday, have been moved to Saturday at 10 a.m. at Kennedy High. The NVL swimming time trials have been cancelled once and for all, so the NVL swimming finals will be timed finals on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Kennedy.

NVL Diving Finals: Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m., Kennedy High
NVL Swimming Finals (Timed): Saturday, Nov. 5, 4 p.m., Kennedy High

The state meets are still on as scheduled, with Woodland competing in Class S and Naugatuck in Class L. The Class S diving finals will be Nov. 10 at Plainville High while the Class L diving finals are currently TBA. The State Open for diving will be Nov. 18 at Hamden High. The Class S swimming trials will be Nov. 12 at Plainville High while the Class L swimming trials will be Nov. 12 at Masuk High. The Class S swimming finals will be Nov. 15 while the Class L swimming finals will be Nov. 16, both at Wesleyan University.

Volleyball
The NVL volleyball quarterfinals are now on Friday while the semifinals and final will both be on Saturday. On Friday, No. 1 Woodland faces No. 8 Torrington at 6 p.m. at Kennedy while No. 7 Naugatuck meets No. 2 Seymour at 6 p.m. at Seymour. The semifinals will be Saturday at Wilby High. The winner of the Woodland-Torrington match will face either Kennedy or Wolcott at noon, while the winner of the Naugatuck-Seymour match will take on either Holy Cross or Ansonia at 10 a.m. The final is now rescheduled for Monday at Wilby at 6 p.m.

Quarterfinal 1: No. 4 Kennedy vs. No. 5 Wolcott: Friday, Nov. 4, 4 p.m., Kennedy High
Quarterfinal 2: No. 1 Woodland vs. No. 8 Torrington: Friday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m., Kennedy High
Quarterfinal 3: No. 3 Holy Cross vs. No. 6 Ansonia: Friday, Nov. 4, 4 p.m., Seymour High
Quarterfinal 4: No. 2 Seymour vs. No. 7 Naugatuck: Friday, Nov. 4,  6 p.m., Seymour High
Semifinal 1: Seymour/Naugatuck vs. Holy Cross/Ansonia: Saturday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m., Wilby High
Semifinal 2: Woodland/Torrington vs. Kennedy/Wolcott: Saturday, Nov. 5, 3 p.m., Wilby High
Consolation: Loser Semifinal 1 vs. Loser Semifinal 2: Monday, Nov. 7, 4 p.m., Wilby High
Final: Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2: Monday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m., Wilby High

The state tournaments have been delayed until next Thursday. Naugatuck will be approximately the No. 19 seed in Class L and will be on the road for its first-round game on Nov. 10 while Woodland will be the No. 1 seed in Class M and will likely earn a first-round bye, with its first match coming at home in the second round on Nov. 12.

Boys Soccer
The NVL boys soccer quarterfinals will now be on Friday with games at Municipal Stadium and Watertown High. No. 1 Woodland will face No. 8 St. Paul at 7 p.m. at Watertown while No. 4 Naugatuck will take on No. 5 Ansonia at 3 p.m. at Municipal Stadium. The semifinals will be played Saturday at Municipal Stadium. The winner of the Woodland-St. Paul game will take on the winner of the Naugatuck-Ansonia game at noon, which follows the earlier semifinal to be played at 10 a.m. The final has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.

Quarterfinal 1: No. 3 Watertown vs. No. 6 Wilby: Friday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m., Watertown High
Quarterfinal 2: No. 4 Naugatuck vs. No. 5 Ansonia: Friday, Nov. 4, 3 p.m., Municipal Stadium
Quarterfinal 3: No. 2 Holy Cross vs. No. 7 Crosby: Friday, Nov. 4, 5 p.m., Municipal Stadium
Quarterfinal 4: No. 1 Woodland vs. No. 8 St. Paul: Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Watertown High
Semifinal 1: Holy Cross/Crosby vs. Watertown/Wilby: Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m., Municipal Stadium
Semifinal 2: Woodland/St. Paul vs. Naugatuck/Ansonia: Saturday, Nov. 5, 12 p.m., Municipal Stadium
Final: Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 5 p.m., Municipal Stadium

The state tournaments have been rescheduled to start Nov. 11. Naugatuck will be approximately the No. 13 seed in Class L and should host a first-round game on Nov. 11. Woodland will be the No. 1 seed in Class M and will likely earn a first-round bye, with its first game coming at home in the second round on Nov. 14.

Girls Soccer
The NVL girls soccer quarterfinals will also be on Friday with games at Municipal Stadium and Watertown High. No. 2 Naugatuck will face No. 7 Ansonia at 1 p.m. at Municipal Stadium while No. 3 Woodland will take on No. 6 Wolcott at 3 p.m. at Watertown. The semifinals will be played Saturday at Watertown. The winner of the Naugatuck-Ansonia game will face the winner of the Woodland-Wolcott game at 2 p.m. before the other semifinal at 4 p.m. The final has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.

Quarterfinal 1: No. 2 Naugatuck vs. No. 7 Ansonia: Friday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m., Municipal Stadium
Quarterfinal 2: No. 3 Woodland vs. No. 6 Wolcott: Friday, Nov. 4, 3 p.m., Watertown High
Quarterfinal 3: No. 1 Watertown vs. No. 8 Seymour: Friday, Nov. 4, 5 p.m., Watertown High
Quarterfinal 4: No. 4 Torrington vs. No. 5 Holy Cross: Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Municipal Stadium
Semifinal 1: Naugatuck/Ansonia vs. Woodland/Wolcott: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2 p.m., Watertown High
Semifinal 2: Watertown/Seymour vs. Torrington/Holy Cross: Saturday, Nov. 5, 4 p.m., Watertown High
Final: Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m., Municipal Stadium

The state tournaments have been delayed until Nov. 10. Naugatuck will be approximately the No. 10 seed in Class LL and will host a first-round game on Nov. 10. Woodland will be approximately the No. 10 seed in Class M and will also host a first-round game on Nov. 10.

Cross Country
The State Open is still scheduled for Nov. 8 at Hammonasset State Park in Madison. The Naugatuck boys qualified for this event as a team and will compete after the three remaining class races have finished. Those times will be compared to the State Open race times to determine the State Open results. The New England championships will be on Nov. 12 in Rhode Island.

Football
Due to both the power outages and to accommodate the NVL soccer tournaments, both the Woodland-Holy Cross and Naugatuck-Watertown football games have been rescheduled. Woodland will now meet Holy Cross on Monday at 7 p.m. at Municipal Stadium while Naugatuck will travel to Watertown on Monday at 6 p.m.

Citizen’s News will post more updates to these schedules as they are made. State tournament pairings will be released Wednesday, Nov. 9, and will be posted here immediately following their release.

The Hawks defeated St. Paul, 3-0 (25-9, 25-13, 26-24), and finished the regular season 18-0 to mark the program’s first undefeated run. Up next, Woodland competes in the Naugatuck Valley League tournament that begins on Saturday.
Woodland honored its four seniors—Adriana Ambari, Sam Edwon, Sehar Khalid, and Emily Wirsing—before the match and ended it with a common theme. The Hawks found a way to win.

“We’re not undefeatable,” Woodland head coach Jim Amato said. “But we’ve worked hard to be undefeated. … It feels really exciting.”

Hard work was evident in the Hawks’ serving. Woodland set the tone in the first set.

Serves came fast, slow, low, high, on the line and in the middle of the court. Woodland kept St. Paul off-balanced, guessing and handcuffed.

Down, 6-4, in the opener, Woodland scored 15 straight points. Ambari put on a serving showcase and accumulated numerous aces. She finished with 13 aces and almost single-handedly led Woodland to a 25-9 first-set victory.

“We always seem to find a way,” Ambari said.

In the second set, the Hawks used another way—hitting—to beat St. Paul. With a 14-11 edge, Woodland went on another spurt with three straight points.

It started with Wirsing (17 assists) setting up Brianna Pacileo, who deposited one of her match-high nine kills on the night. Pacileo followed that with an ace that tipped the net and fell straight to the ground.

Ambari came back with a kill to give Woodland a 17-11 lead. She finished with six kills.

After a service error, Tayler Boncal delivered a kill for the Hawks. On the next point, Ambari served the first of three straight aces to put away the set.

“It was a big night, senior night,” Amato said. “Once we settled into a rhythm we were okay.”

The third set featured another trait of the Hawks—comeback ability.

Emily Tkac of St. Paul tied the set at 22, and after two Woodland errors, the Falcons earned a set point. The Hawks bounced back.

A service error and an attack error knotted the set at 24. Sam Edwon gave the Hawks the lead with a kill and the match ended after a St. Paul attack error.

Amato said he has kept the team focused on progressive goals.

“We set goals: Qualify for the states, win the Brass, and go undefeated,” Amato said. “Now, we’re on to the next step.”

Perhaps the best trait for the Hawks is their recognition that they can always improve. Perfection is only as good as the latest match.

“There’s always something to improve on,” Ambari said.

Woodland’s Rachel Starkey dives for the ball Tuesday night versus Seymour. The Hawks won 3-2 to remain undefeated on the season. RA ARCHIVE

Woodland needed all five sets but pulled out a thrilling, 3-2 victory over rival Seymour on Tuesday night to take firm control of the Naugatuck Valley League Brass Division and remain undefeated.

“We were lucky to get out alive,” Woodland coach Jim Amato said. “It was difficult to determine who was making fewer mistakes at a certain point. We didn’t settle into a rhythm. We made a lot of errors.”

The scores (24-26, 26-24, 27-25, 13-25, 15-13) would suggest a better-played match than it was, both coaches agreed.

“All of the games were close, but it was more of who was going to give whom the game,” Seymour coach Cathy Federowicz said. “I felt as though neither team really wanted to win. They came to play a little bit more than us, but it was a very sloppy game.”

Even a sloppy match, in which it seemed there were two or three times as many errors as kills, there were stars.

Woodland senior Adriana Ambari (14 kills) and sophomore Brianna Pacileo (15 digs, 11 kills) spurred the Hawks (14-0) to the fifth-set win. The two hitters accounted for all of Woodland’s kills in the fifth set—Ambari had four, Pacileo added three—and pulled out big points when the team most needed them.

“It’s just the energy and communication as a team, and how we come together to pull it through in the end,” Ambari said of Woodland’s 6-0 record in five-set matches.

Twice Pacileo notched kills with the Hawks facing two-point deficits, and her third gave Woodland a 12-11 lead. She also ended the match with an unreturnable serve.

“I had a bag full of emotions,” Pacileo said. “I didn’t know what was going on or what was going to happen. I just knew we needed to protect and work as a team to beat Seymour.”

Amato said the sophomore has shown a great deal of improvement over the last month.

Woodland’s Tayler Boncal prepares to serve Tuesday night against Seymour. The Hawks grabbed control of the NVL Brass Division with a 3-2 win over the Wildcats. RA ARCHIVE

Pacileo’s trademark is quickly becoming smashing the ball as hard as anyone on the floor.

“I just go up there and try as hard as I can to put it in play,” Pacileo said. “When I realized in the first and second games that I could get it in play, I was trying to hit it harder.”

The first three sets extended past regulation. Seymour (11-3) won the first, 26-24, by fighting off two set points and winning the final four points. Woodland won the second, 26-24, and third, 27-25, also battling back against set points in each.

The Wildcats’ strongest game was the fourth, a 25-13 win to extend the match to a fifth set.

Woodland, which can clinch the Brass title with a win Thursday at Wolcott, took nothing but the win.

“It definitely wasn’t either of our perfect games,” Ambari said. “In the end, we were pretty even with what we were doing.”

“We didn’t have one of our best put together games,” Pacileo added. “But we did enough to get the job done.”

The Hawks visit Wolcott on Thursday and Ansonia on Friday before returning home for their final two home matches of the season next week, against St. Paul on Tuesday and Naugatuck on Thursday. Woodland’s next win will clinch the program’s second-ever Brass championship.

WATERBURY — The Naugatuck volleyball season is starting to come into focus.

The Greyhounds improved to 5-5 overall and 5-4 in the Naugatuck Valley League after a 3-0 win at Crosby on Tuesday night at the Palace. The Greyhounds swept the Bulldogs 25-14, 25-17 and 25-13.

The victory propelled the ‘Hounds into a three-way tie with Holy Cross and Kennedy atop the Copper Division.

In recent matches, there have been signs of growing pains and signs of progress.

On Friday, Naugy fell, 3-1, at home to Woodland. Tuesday was a bounce-back performance.

Jess Buckley scored 24 points on serves, posted four aces and added three kills. Lauren Andreoli also served well, notching 10 points and smashing four kills.

Courtney Quarles and Ashley Whitney were strong at the net on offense. Quarles had six kills, while Whitney had four.

Naugy head coach Fred Scheithe said the difference between good and bad matches has been trust.

“The thing that has hurt us has been inconsistency,” Scheithe said. “When we trust each other and play with confidence we’re a good team.”

One of the most consistent parts of Naugatuck’s game has been serving. Buckley and Andreoli have been vital.

That was on display at Crosby. Buckley had two aces during a 7-0 run to give Naugy a commanding 24-12 lead in the final game on Tuesday night.

“Jess’ and Lauren’s serving help get us leads, and help us keep leads,” Scheithe said.

Quarles and Cataysia Brown have improved up front and given Naugy more options on offense. Scheithe sees improvement in their hitting.

“You’re starting to see them get comfortable and you’re seeing more force behind their hitting,” Scheithe said.

On defense, the back row combination Sarah Chandler, Kaitlyn Hayes, Lani Chucta and Andreoli have been important.

“They’ve been getting to balls everywhere,” Scheithe said.

Chandler has been a true six-position player and someone the team has rallied around.

“Sarah has been our catalyst,” Scheithe said. “When she gets going the team seems to jump on board. We saw it in the win over St. Paul [on Sept. 30]”.

As the second half of the season gets underway, it will take more than one individual to keep Naugy competitive. It’s becoming obvious that Naugatuck has the parts to put together a second-half run.

On Wednesday, the ‘Hounds were scheduled to face an upstart Seymour squad. On Friday, the team faces Holy Cross for the second time this season—the Greyhounds defeated the Crusaders on opening night in Naugatuck.

“It will be interesting,” Scheithe said. “Now we get to face almost everyone for a second time.”

BEACON FALLS — It’s taken about half the season, but the Woodland volleyball team is finally playing like the perennial powerhouse usually does.

The Hawks haven’t been playing poorly—they were 8-0 entering Tuesday’s match against Kennedy—but their dominant, 3-0 (25-10, 25-16, 26-24) win over the Eagles showed the quick progress of the relatively young squad.

“I think one of the things that kept us in the game was our communication and our relentless pursuit of the ball,” said Woodland coach Jim Amato, who felt those aspects of the team’s play have improved since the start of the season. “Everyone was calling each other’s names and everyone’s eyes were on the ball. Our defense was great.”

The most trouble Woodland (9-0) faced all night was in the third game when Kennedy continued to force ties and stay close to the Hawks.

The Eagles held their last lead in the game at 12-11 but managed to tie the score at 19-19 and 24-24, including fighting off three match points.

Amato pointed out the net play by seniors Adriana Ambari (nine kills, four aces, three blocks) and Sam Edwon (five kills, two blocks), especially late in the third game, as a big reason why Woodland swept.

During a 6-4 run late in the third, Edwon accounted for almost all of her stats with four kills and a block to put the Hawks up, 24-21.

After the Eagles rallied to survive three match points and tie the game at 24, Ambari used her touch for a soft kill to set up another match point, which the Hawks won on a Kennedy error following a pair of crafty, one-handed dig returns by Tayler Boncal.

In addition to the hitting of the tall seniors up front, Amato was impressed with the outside hitters, Boncal and Pacileo. Boncal, a junior, had varsity experience last season, but Pacileo, a sophomore, is relishing her first go-around this year.

“We want them to hit, that’s why they’re there,” Amato said. “Brianna brings a whole new dimension. She was on her knees and she hit it. She was running across on a switch and hit it on her way by. You can’t coach that—you really don’t want to—but when it’s that good, you can let it slide.”

Woodland had no problem coasting to victories in the first two games. A 6-0 run, highlighted by a few Pacileo serves that could not be returned, closed out game one, 25-10, before a service run by Boncal helped set up a 25-16 victory in the second.

Also notable was the performance of sophomore Samantha Lee, who filled in as setter for the ill Emily Wirsing. Lee transitioned seamlessly, recording 22 assists, two aces, and five digs.

“Emily was out sick today, so we had to call an audible and bring up a JV setter and let the chips fall where they may,” Amato said. “She worked hard and is a smart kid.”

The Hawks finish their first lap around the Naugatuck Valley League in the next week. After hosting Holy Cross on Thursday night, Woodland visits Naugatuck on Friday before heading to Torrington on Oct. 12.

Naugatuck’s Stefani Barry makes a save while Ashley Whitney backs her up last Friday versus Torrington. The Greyhounds defeated Torrington, but fell to Ansonia, 3-0, on Tuesday for their second loss of the season. RA ARCHIVE

“I thought tonight we were off of our game,” Naugatuck coach Fred Scheithe said. “We just didn’t seem to have our heads in the game from the beginning and then I think we made some mistakes that just compounded and made things worse and worse.”

How the match began was not necessarily a good indication of what was to come. The first game was initially neck-and-neck thanks to the efforts of captain Jess Buckley and the superb blocking of Cataysia Brown on the Naugatuck side, not to mention the power behind Ansonia’s Rebecca Behrendt’s numerous kills and the athleticism of Courteney Ruth.

But with the game tied at 16, Naugatuck’s defense started breaking down. Ansonia capitalized and won the game, 25-17.

The second game ended identically to the first, a 25-17 Ansonia victory. Naugatuck seemed plagued by mistakes from the beginning. This, compounded with some dubious officiating—not lost on either Scheithe or the Naugatuck crowd—led ultimately to a wearing down of Naugatuck’s defense once again. A final ace off the net by Ansonia’s Julia Beattie ended the game.

As solid as the Greyhounds’ efforts were in the third game, they still did not prove to be enough as the Chargers completed the sweep with a 26-24 win. Ansonia’s service game was on point, as it seemed like the majority of points garnered by the Chargers in the third game were the result of well-executed aces.

Scheithe saw a little more from his girls by the time the third set rolled around.

“I think the third set we played better,” Scheithe said. “I don’t think we played anywhere near our potential but we did play better. They were communicating, talking, calling for the ball. And that’s what volleyball is all about.”

Despite the loss, Scheithe remained optimistic.

“It’s not like it’s the end of the world,” Scheithe said. “All we have to do is just play our game. If we play our game we’re fine. We played our game against Holy Cross and Torrington and won.”

Not one to make excuses, Scheithe came back to what was of the utmost importance.

“The main thing in volleyball … is you have to be loud on the court, you have to communicate, and you have to trust one another,” Scheithe said.

The team still needs to make up two matches previously cancelled due to issues with the Naugatuck gymnasium’s lighting—one against Wilby, the other against Crosby.

“Essentially, everyone else is on their sixth game while we’re only on our fourth,” Scheithe said.

The Greyhounds host Terryville in a nonconference match Wednesday before hitting the road for matches at St. Paul on Friday and Wolcott on Tuesday.