Citizen's News » Volleyball

Season marks a different kind of success for ‘Hounds

mycitizensnews — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:32:55 +0000

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

NAUGATUCK — Records aren’t always the only measure of success. Take the Naugatuck girls volleyball team, for example.

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.

Wishing upon a net

mycitizensnews — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:34:02 +0000

Students and faculty competed in volleyball and badminton tournaments at Naugatuck High School as part of the 'Wish Upon a Net' fundraiser Nov. 17. Money collected at the event went to the Kids Wish Network, a nonprofit that grants wishes to children with life-threatening conditions.

NAUGATUCK — Naugatuck High School faculty might have slammed students in a faculty versus student volleyball and badminton tournament last Thursday, but the real winners were two children with life-threatening diseases.

As part of her capstone project, NHS senior Andrea Neagu organized the “Wish Upon a Net” tournament to raise money for the Kids Wish Network.

The funds she raises will help send five-year-old McKenna, who suffers from mitochondrial DNA deletion syndrome, and three-year-old Aiden, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, to Disneyland and Disney World, respectively.

Participants and spectators in the tournament paid $4 each to get in the door. Neagu also sold pizza, donuts, yogurt, and candy at the event and wish stars to hang on the net.

Neagu said she wanted to raise awareness for a relatively unknown charity. She chose which children to sponsor by reading their biographies on the charity’s website.

“I fell in love with both of their stories and I couldn’t just pick one or the other, so I took both,” Neagu said. “I just chose the kids that I felt touched by.”

Neagu said she started planning the event at the end of September and had a lot of help from capstone coordinator Anthony Sorge and her capstone advisor, Tim Reilly.

Eight student teams and two faculty teams participated in the volleyball tournament and 16 student teams and two faculty teams competed in the badminton tournament.

“I was very happy that a lot of students are willing to participate,” Neagu said.

All the teams came up with creative names and some teams decorated matching T-shirts.

Neagu said she was glad everyone seemed to be having fun.

She said she didn’t have any specific goal for how much money she wanted to raise, but said any extra money beyond the cost of the trips could go towards the children’s family’s medical expenses.

Woodland spikers

mycitizensnews — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:50:32 +0000

Woodland lost 3-0 versus Sheehan in the Class M quarter finals Monday.

Woodland lost 3-0 versus Sheehan in the Class M quarterfinals Monday.

Rallies fall short for Hawks

mycitizensnews — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:02:08 +0000

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

BEACON FALLS — The Woodland volleyball team tore through the regular season undefeated in part due to its ability to come back from deficits. The Hawks’ inability to do it again ended their season in Monday’s Class M quarterfinals.

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

“Those (rankings) are arbitrary numbers when you’re playing different leagues,” Amato said. “Regardless of our ranking, it’s one point, one set, one match at a time.”

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.”

Sports briefs

mycitizensnews — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:20:52 +0000

‘Hounds fall in the first round

BRISTOL — The Naugatuck volleyball team fell to Bristol Central, 3-1, in its Class L first-round match last Thursday.

The game scores were 25-15, 22-25, 25-21, and 25-18.

No. 12 Bristol Central breezed through the first set while the No. 21 Greyhounds held the lad through most of the second set as the teams were deadlocked through two.

The third set was also competitive as Naugy held several leads but a 7-1 Bristol Central run closed out the set and gave the Rams a 2-1 advantage.

Central cruised to a fourth-set win to advance to the Class L second round, where it was swept by No. 5 Farmington.
Naugatuck finished the season 8-12 overall.

Kyle Brennan

Sign-ups for basketball association

NAUGATUCK — Try outs and sign-ups for the Naugatuck Basketball Association will be held Nov., 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hillside Intermediate School.

Players must be between the ages of 14 to 18 by Dec. 31. Those who want to sign-up must bring their birth
certificate and a signed permission slip. The registration fee is $70 and $60 for each additional family member.

For more information, call the Naugatuck Public Works Department at (203) 720-7071 or visit www.naugatuckbasketballassociation.com.

Basketball league seeks players and coaches

BEACON FALLS — The Beacon Falls Basketball League is seeking additional players and coaches.

Players and coaches are needed for the 10-11 and 12-13 boys leagues and players for the 10-13 girls league. Also, the high school age league will conduct registration and an open gym on Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. at Woodland Regional High School.

To sign up or for more information, contact Tom Deegan at (203) 509-0897.

Time change for Hoop Shoot

NAUGATUCK — The time for the Naugatuck Elks annual Hoop Shoot Free Throw competition has been changed.
The competition will be held Nov. 26 at the Naugatuck YMCA. Registration will now begin at 1:30 p.m. with the competition starting at 2 p.m.

Boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 13, as of April 1, 2012, are eligible to participate. Prizes will be awarded to the top three shooters with the winner in each division advancing to the regional final in January.

For more information, call Hoop Shoot Director Bob Clark at (203) 723-8468.

Youth soccer registration open

NAUGATUCK — Naugatuck Youth Soccer is currently accepting online registrations for the spring 2012 season at www.naugatucksoccer.org.

‘Hounds, Hawks spiked in quarterfinals

mycitizensnews — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:09:01 +0000

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.

Sports snapshots

mycitizensnews — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:19:57 +0000

NVL boys soccer championship Tuesday night - RA

NVL girls soccer championship Tuesday - RA

Naugatuck vs. Watertown football Monday - KEN MORSE

NVL girls soccer championship Tuesday - RA

Boys soccer NVL quarterfinal on Nov. 4 - RA

NVL volleyball tournament quarterfinals last week - KEN MORSE

Woodland celebrates first NVL soccer championship Monday - KEN MORSE

Woodland vs. Naugatuck girls soccer NVL semifinal Saturday - KEN MORSE

Woodland vs. Holy Cross Monday - RA

Local spikers fall in NVL quarterfinals

mycitizensnews — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:50:43 +0000

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.

NVL and state tourney updates (as of 2:30 p.m., Nov. 4)

mycitizensnews — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:14:26 +0000

Last weekend’s wicked nor’easter and the subsequent widespread power outages continued to wreak havoc on the Naugatuck Valley League and now the CIAC state tournaments. The NVL athletic directors met Wednesday to change the tournament schedule while the CIAC decided to adjust its schedules on Thursday. The following are updated schedules as of 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 for both NVL and state postseason play (as well as NVL football regular-season schedule updates).

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.

Historic Hawks wrap up perfect regular season

mycitizensnews — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:41:14 +0000

BEACON FALLS — Woodland volleyball made history on Tuesday night.

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.