Seniorless Spikers Seek Winning Ways
Seniorless Spikers Seek Winning Ways
By Andy Hutchison
Coming off a season in which the Newtown High School girlsâ volleyball team lost just two players to graduation, it is far from a so-called rebuilding or reloading year. But it also doesnât seem to be a now-or-never-type campaign for the Nighthawks. After all, there are no seniors on the roster.
The junior-led, captainless NHS squad takes the floor with plenty of varsity experience throughout the roster, however. Graduates Megan Casey and Carolyn Fagan will be missed, but all ten team members saw at least some varsity action by the end of last season, Coach Tom Czaplinski points out.
Juniors are Jess Lynch, Emma Herring, Abbey Doski, Riley Wurtz, Alyssa Finkenstadt, and Carly Iwanicki. The four sophomores who round out the varsity roster are Amanda Rowan, Maddy Good, Sam Stiemle, and Lauren Frazzetta, all of whom started for the junior varsity squad last fall. âItâs a young team. I think we still have a lot of maturing to do, but we definitely come back with a lot of game experience,â Czaplinski said.
The coach said defense and serving are strengths of this yearâs team. The Hawks need to improve on passing and hitting, he added.
So how far can this team go?
âWeâre looking to improve on last yearâs record,â said the coach, whose Nighthawks carried a 14-3 mark into the Class LL State Tournament and advanced to the quarterfinal round before falling to eventual champion Southington.
Itâs not all about wins and losses, but also about improvement for this young team.
âI think we need to develop by the end of year,â Czaplinski said.
Joel Barlow of Redding, Bunnell of Stratford, New Fairfield, and Bethel should all provide stiff competition in the South-West Conference, the coach anticipates. While school renovations continue this fall, Newtownâs home matches will be held at Reed Elementary School. The Hawks begin the campaign with three straight road tilts. NHS lost the opener at Bunnell, 3-1 on September 14. The first home match is September 22, when Barlow visits for a 7:15 pm clash.