By Kim J. Harmon

When sophomore Stephanie Logan reeled off 13 consecutive points in Game 1 of the Newtown High School junior varsity volleyball team’s victory over New Fairfield back on October 3, it was just a microcosm of the Nighthawks’ dominating performance in the 2001 season.

With the ‘Hawks down 13-2 in that first game, Logan – a middle hitter – stepped behind the service line and punished the New Fairfield defense with one hard service after another. She recorded four aces in that string.

That particular win helped the ‘Hawks keep alive a winning streak that started on Friday, September 28, and ended on Wednesday, October 24, and included 11 matches all told. The ‘Hawks finished an amazing 13-3, believed to be the best record ever recorded by a Newtown junior varsity volleyball team.

“We had a nice mix of complimentary players with different skills,” said coach Jay Edwards. “and we had a good group of juniors who provided leadership on the court. They were all over the court and each of them had something they did very well and they served as a model for the rest of the team.”

With the exception of a loss to Darien on September 15, the Nighthawks managed to avenge each of the losses they suffered last year. And, as coach Edwards said, “We’d like to hang our hats on beating New Fairfield and beating Bunnell, two very good programs.”

The ‘Hawks opened with a win over New Fairfield and then dropped matches to Pomperaug (“our only bad performance of the year,” said coach Edwards) and Darien to fall to 1-2. A victoryover Bunnell evened the Nighthawks’ record at 2-2, but a tough, three-game loss to Joel Barlow on September 24 dropped them to 2-3.

It would be the last time the ‘Hawks would lose. In the last 11 matches of the season, the ‘Hawks had a 23-2 record in individual games, getting pushed to a third game just twice. And in those 25 individual games, their average margin of victory was 15-7.

“When we served well,” said coach Edwards, “we dominated.”

The ‘Hawks were led by the junior group of Michelle Grimaldi, Amanda Molden, Stacey Raino, Jen Ratzing, Mandy Reagle, Michelle Souza and Natasha Kormanik. The sophomores were Logan and Julia Lysaght. Jacky Curran was the only freshman to make the team right from the start and t freshman swing players – what coach Edwards likes to call his “call-up” players – were Lisa Morgan, Emily Nezvesky and Katie O’Connor, all of whom had an immediate impact.

“We had the right mix of players,” said coach Edwards.

The Newtown High School varsity will be losing six of its players this season, so that will give this group of competitors a clear opportunity to compete at the next level for the 2001-02 season and help bring the Nighthawks back to the South-West Conference and CIAC state tournaments.