One year removed from a tough-to-swallow loss to Joel Barlow of Redding in the South-West Conference Championship match, this season’s version of the Nighthawks will look to get back to the pinnacle — and get over the hump.

“We came up short in the championship last year. I know the girls would like to get back to winning one,” said Newtown Coach Tom Czaplinski, whose squad had a 2-0 lead over Barlow before falling 3-2 in the pinnacle match, and last captured a championship in 2020, the coronavirus-altered campaign in which the Hawks won the SWC North title.

Joel Barlow has been the team to beat most seasons since Newtown claimed the 2011 championship; Weston is the only other champ in that time, defeating Newtown in 2021. The Nighthawks are a perennial contender having reached eight championship matches since 2013.

“Chemistry is going to be the number one thing for this group,” Czaplinski said. “To win you have to be good at passing and you have to be good at serving.”

Extra emphasis has been put on those aspects of the game during practices, the coach noted.

Newtown is led by its captains, outside hitter Gianna Galassi and libero Emily Daoust. Other key players include returning seniors Lauren Murphy, Sara Heinen, Sarah Hubner, and Noelle Meadows.

Newtown won’t face Barlow until October 10, a match scheduled to be played at NHS beginning at 5:30 pm. In addition to Barlow, Pomperaug of Southbury, Masuk of Monroe, and Immaculate of Danbury should provide strong competition this fall, Czaplinski anticipates. In some past years it has been pretty much Newtown, Barlow, and maybe one other school in contention for a title. The prospect of some parity is a good thing for NHS as the Hawks look to sharpen up for runs in the conference and state playoffs.

“The stronger the competition the better we get to be,” Newtown’s coach noted.

Czaplinski and company take on the best out-of-conference competition it can line up to help prepare the Hawks for postseason. The Hawks open up with a Tuesday, September 3, visit to St Joseph of Trumbull at 6 pm — the first of four clashes with FCIAC opponents out of the gate. Darien, Greenwich, and Fairfield Ludlowe follow. Other nonconference matches include East Lyme and Woodstock Academy later in the slate.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.