NHS Spikers Get ‘Wake Up Call’

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ volleyball team had reeled off eight straight wins following a season-opening defeat to Joel Barlow of Redding. Then came a 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-18) setback to visiting nonconference foe Woodstock Academy on October 5, dropping the Nighthawks to a still impressive 8-2 overall heading into Wednesday’s scheduled rematch with Barlow (after The Bee sports section went to press).

Amanda Rowan had a kill to pull Newtown to within 18-14 late in the second game, but that was as close as the Hawks got in that game. After falling behind 11-2 in the third game, Newtown didn’t give up and got to within 12-9 on a Kyle Dandrea service ace. It was 13-11 after Rowan had another kill, then 13-12 following a Cassie Ekstrom ace. A Rowan service point drew Newtown even at 15 but Woodstock Academy slowly pulled away.

“I think it’s a great wake up call,” Newtown Coach Tom Czaplinski said. “We only get two games that we get to schedule as coaches and I went out of my way to find the hardest ones that I possibly could.”

Those being Woodstock Academy and the final team on the regular season slate, East Lyme, another non-South-West Conference opponent.

“I’m hoping it’s a little bit more than just a wake up call. I’m hoping that the girls kind of get themselves together as a team, because I think the one thing we’re missing is that we’re not really together as a team,” Czaplinski said. “And I’m hoping that a game like today kind of made them realize that.”

“That’s a wake up call that we all need to work harder and 100 percent in every game, “Rowan said. “I think we definitely could have stepped it up a little more.”

As part of Newtown’s team bonding efforts, the players have a “U Rock,” a rock with the letter U painted on it, which the players pass to the best teammates in a given match. Rowan’s teammates told her “you rock” with the trophy of sorts following her efforts in the Woodstock Academy match. Czaplinski noted that Rowan did a nice job of hitting over and around double- and triple-team block attempts throughout the match for her best performance of the year.

NHS captain Sam Steimle saw a positive in the Woodstock Academy match in that the tough competition helps prepare the Hawks for the postseason and before that, the second encounter with Barlow.

“It’s definitely a good match to get in before we play Barlow — it’s good competition,” Steimle said. “Obviously I wish we won, but it shows what we need to improve on. We need to work on defense and serving.”

Rowan had six kills and Steimle added four kills. Danderea and Meghan Logan had six and four assists, respectively. Caroline Kelly and Courtney Escoda combined on 12 digs.

In its previous match, a 3-0 (25-9, 25-17, 25-18) win over Kolbe Cathedral two days earlier, Newtown improved to 7-0 in conference play. The first Barlow match of the year was recorded as a nonconference clash.

Mylis Post had eight aces and five kills, Ekstrom had three kills and seven aces, and Escoda had seven digs.

In their 3-0 win at Oxford on October 1, the teams kept up their tradition of raising money for Komen Connecticut, in the annual Dig Pink night to support breast cancer research and education in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. By the end of the evening, $1,200 was raised through donations, T-shirt sales, raffles, and food sales.