For the first time in ten matches this season, Newtown High School’s girls’ volleyball team played a five-game match. The October 7 home match against Pomperaug of Southbury turned out to be a successful one for the Nighthawks as they prevailed 3-2 (18-25, 25-18, 25-18, 20-25, 15-13) to improve to 6-4 overall. In the process, the Nighthawks handed the Panthers just their second loss in 11 matches.

Newtown’s serving game, led by a team-high ten aces by Jamie Calandro, was a difference-maker in this outcome. Calandro also had 20 kills and 18 digs. Tessa Leon-Gambetta compiled 24 digs; and Sarah Bender had 15 assists to go along with five kills and ten digs.

Even in the first-game setback, the Nighthawks proved they were going to put up a fight in this match. Calandro, Zoe Beals, and Molly McCoy all had diving efforts to keep the ball in play, but some miscommunication on balls hit into space, coupled with Pomperaug’s strong play, led to the Panthers jumping out to the early lead.

In game two, the Nighthawks bounced back nicely. Back-to-back Calandro aces led to a 10-5 NHS advantage. One Newtown point later, and in a six-point hole, the Panthers called timeout. The Nighthawks continued their momentum, however, capped by a Calandro kill for a 17-7 lead, before Pomperaug reeled off six unanswered points. The teams traded points much of the rest of the way, and Julia Wiberg came up with some key spikes at the net, and a McCoy ace helped the Hawks put the game away.

The Nighthawks seized an early commanding lead in game three and led — comfortably for the most part — throughout. The Panthers trimmed a five-point deficit to just two, but could get no closer. Beals had consecutive aces for an 18-8 lead. Erin Burns and Calandro provided clean kills and hard hits the Panthers couldn’t return. After the Panthers forced a decisive fifth game, the Nighthawks pulled out a hard-fought fifth game that, like the match on the whole, went down to the wire.

Newtown will visit Bunnell of Stratford on Friday, October 9, beginning at 6:30 pm, and will travel to Woodstock Academy for a nonconference match on Monday, October 12, beginning at 6:30 pm. The team returns home to tangle with the Bethel Wildcats on Wednesday, October 14, starting at 6:30 pm.

Read about these matches in the October 16 print edition of The Bee.