‘Hounds show their resiliency

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NAUGATUCK — The Greyhounds have proven themselves to be a resilient pack on the court.

Naugatuck has won five of seven games following a season-opening 3-2 loss to Woodland in a marathon match.

The ‘Hounds picked up their fifth win Tuesday in a 3-1 victory over Wolcott. Senior captain Ally Mezzo led the way with 16 points and five kills. Kathryn Healy chipped in with 14 points and three kills of her own.

With the win over Wolcott, Naugy (5-3) improved to 3-0 on the year following a loss.

The Greyhounds dropped a 3-0 decision to Seymour Sept. 25. Olivia Rotatori led Naugatuck with seven kills and four blocks versus Seymour.

Head coach Kevin Wesche said the Greyhounds’ record after a loss shows that they are continuing to correct their mistakes. While the mistakes aren’t coming in bunches, Wesche said, they are in areas where his team needs to make progress.

“We need to continue to improve our serve/receive aspect of the game to get the ball in position to attack,” Wesche said.

On Sept. 24, Naugatuck battled Ansonia and came away with a 3-2 win. Healy paced the ‘Hounds with 16 points and 12 aces. Alexa Blazas added 11 points and 11 assists.

As Naugatuck approaches the halfway point of the season, Wesche knows his team will continue to improve because his players are motivating each other every day to get better.

“These young ladies are working hard,” Wesche said. “They are challenging each other to improve in all aspects of the game.”

The Greyhounds find themselves toward the top of the league as they head into a friendlier portion of their schedule. Outside of Seymour, Woodland and Torrington, Naugatuck’s remaining opponents’ records are a combined 17-31, which certainly leaves them in good shape.

However, Naugy still has one more match against each powerhouse of the NVL. Woodland and Seymour are both undefeated while Torrington’s only loss was to the Hawks. Naugy has to show they are for real in these games, and Wesche thinks that his team has a legitimate shot against the three NVL powers, as long as they continue to move in a positive direction.

“We seem to match up pretty well with the traditional powerhouses in the league,” Wesche said. “But we need to be more consistent in executing the fundamentals and the little things if we expect to challenge and compete.”

Naugatuck will play Terryville Wednesday. The Greyhounds will host Seymour on Friday and Watertown on Oct. 6.