BEACON FALLS — The Hawks are back in a familiar spot, and they got there by beating some familiar opponents.
The Woodland volleyball team defeated NVL-rival Wolcott and Foran last week in the Class M state tournament. The Hawks defeated Foran in last year’s state tournament.
The Hawks will face undefeated, No. 1-seeded Granby Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Sport & Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford in a semifinal matchup.
In the 3-0 win over Wolcott, the scores of the match were 25-20, 25-16 and 26-24.
“It’s never easy to play a team that many times in a season,” Woodland head coach Jim Amato said. “Especially Wolcott since we see them all year long in the Iron Division.”
Carla Piccolo recorded 20 assists, five aces and four digs and ran the offense.
“Carla doesn’t always get a lot of recognition, but she has run a great floor,” Amato said. “She makes wise decisions and plays to different areas of the court.”
Anna Khalid added 12 kills, two blocks and two digs, and Abbey Rosato had six blocks and five kills for the Hawks.
“Abbey has really come on defensively and offensively,” Amato said.
Rosato and Khalid were especially effective against Foran’s blocking. Rosato had 11 kills and two blocks, while Khalid finished with eight kills and two blocks.
Samantha White chipped in with nine kills against Foran.
“Sam has picked up defense and transmitted it to offense,” Amato said. “Her defense has made her more confident.”
Sarah Riley and Cam Caswell have also stepped up their games in the tournament, Amato said.
Despite seeing some old faces in the tournament, the Hawks remain focused on the ultimate prize — a state title.
Granby represents a unique challenge as the top seed making a rare appearance this deep into the tournament, while Woodland finds itself in this spot for the third straight year. The Hawks are the fourth seed.
“The tournament is so different every time that you go,” Amato said. “It still comes down to execution and skill.”
