Newtown High School's girls' volleyball team got its first two wins of the season this past week, blanking both Notre Dame-Fairfield on September 16 and New Milford three days later, both at home.

The wins follow a tough stretch of three matches, culminating with a 3-0 loss at Joel Barlow of Redding on September 14. All three were nonconference competitions; although Barlow is a South-West Conference rival, the first of two meetings only counts in the state standings. Both of Newtown's wins were in SWC matches.

The Nighthawks handed Notre Dame it's first loss following a 3-0 start, winning 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-22). Molly McCoy had 22 assists and five digs, Zoe Beals had seven kills, nine digs and two aces, and Tessa Leon-Gambetta had six aces and eight digs.

"That was definitely a good thing for us," Leon-Gambetta, a captain, said of beating Notre Dame, adding that the Nighthawks fell to Notre Dame last fall.

Key to Newtown's improved play is the team's first touch and passing - and success in the former leads to positive results in the latter.

"I think we're getting better with our first contact so their passing is better," Coach Tom Czaplinski said following the win over New Milford.

Leon-Gambetta is a libero, the team's defensive specialist, and notes that the first touch is the most important and says as good of a first contact as she or teammates make the other players on the floor try to "better the ball" to set up the best possible attack to score points.

Against New Milford, the Nighthawks won 3-0 (25-9, 25-6, 25-7). McCoy, Leon-Gambetta, and Mollie Goudy all had five aces, and Beals contributed a trio of aces. Goudy, a sophomore, was one of four sophomores and juniors to come off the bench in the third game and pick up right where the starters left off.

Also contributing were sophomore Jaclyn Moccio and juniors Tess Mubarek and Rachel O'Grady.

"It was good to see the future of NHS and they all did really well," said Leon-Gambetta, noting that even with so many newcomers to varsity on the floor they maintained a similar point differential as the regulars did in the first two games.

"I believe if they're on the roster they should get some playing time," said Czaplinski, adding that the up-and-coming team members made some solid contributions.

Erin Burns and O'Grady both had four kills, Julia Anderson had three, and Sarah Dowling contributed two. McCoy, the team's setter, logged 21 assists in the first two games of the New Milford match. Mubarek had eight digs, Leon-Gambetta compiled seven digs, and Beals had five digs.

"We're getting a lot better at communication which I'm proud of," said McCoy, a captain, whose Nighthawks will visit New Fairfield on Friday, September 23, beginning at 5:30 pm, and will compete in the daylong John Jay tourney in New York on Saturday, September 24.

Newtown returns home to face Masuk of Monroe on Monday, September 26, beginning at 6:30 pm.