The good thing about a first-year team being led by seniors is that it has some multi-sport athletes in the fold. Something the inexperienced yet veteran-led Nighthawks have to handle, however, is remembering that they are just that … a new team.

“I think what’s happening is we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” senior captain Jeff DePinto said after his Nighthawks dropped their third straight match in a loss to visiting Masuk of Monroe, on May 8. “Clearly there are things we have to work on.”

Newtown had every reason to chalk its season-opening stretch of four matches without a win up to being the new kids on the block. Then came wins in three of the next four matches, including a 3-0 whitewashing of a Danbury lineup it had been blanked by in an earlier clash. Even a loss to Shelton, in Newtown’s next match, proved to be a confidence booster. After all, Shelton has had a lot of success this spring (and came into this week having won 11 of its first 12 matches), and the Nighthawks battled through five hard-fought games before coming up just short.

The Hawks had a chance to avenge losses to Joel Barlow of Redding and Masuk in their next two matches, but were swept in three games both times.

Because ten of 13 players on Newtown’s varsity roster are seniors, they are hungry to qualify for the postseason in their only opportunity as high school volleyball players. “They’re thinking ahead already,” Doski said.

Nearly defeating Shelton certainly gave the Hawks a confidence boost, but it seemed to work against them, the coach and players believe.

“I think that got into our heads and we thought we were better than we were,” senior captain Jeremy Doski said. “We just need to get back to the rhythm of having fun and playing hard on the court.”

Sandy Doski notes that her team does work hard, and has been competitive. The 3-0 scores don’t reflect how much the Nighthawks have tested their opponents. The May 8 match with Masuk is an example of this; NHS lost 25-23, 26-24, and 25-12. Doski had 11 digs, nine kills, a service ace, an assist, and a few blocks; Jake Lapp had six assists, and an ace, dig, kill, and block; DePinto had four digs and two kills; and Jackson Fletcher contributed 18 digs, and an ace and an assist.

“They’re in every game. They come to practice ready to learn — ready to play,” said Newtown’s coach, adding that the players both work hard and know how to enjoy themselves on and off the court. “It’s a lot of fun to coach them.”

The Hawks must win at least 40 percent of their matches to qualify for state tournament play. They’re 3-8 overall and, beginning with Wednesday’s scheduled visit to Daniel Hand of Middletown have five matches left.

Newtown defeated Hand, for its first win, back in mid-April. On Friday, May 15, the Hawks will visit Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport for a 5:30 pm match. Newtown also defeated Kolbe in April.

The season wraps up with a rematch with a visit to Darien, a tough FCIAC squad which is always among the better teams in the state, another clash with Shelton, and a rematch with Oxford, which defeated a shorthanded Newtown team during spring break.

“We’ve got to pick it back up again and play like we did the first time against Shelton,” Coach Doski said of what her team needs to do to get back into the win column and make a push for the postseason.

Beginning with the matches against Hand and Kolbe, this would seem like a good opportunity for the Hawks to pick up some victories and inch closer to a playoff spot — as long as they don’t get ahead of themselves.