Newtown High School’s girls volleyball team forced a fifth and decisive set before falling to Brookfield in a road match on September 17, then defeated visiting Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport 3-0 on September 19 and topped Woodstock Academy 3-0 in another home match on September 22.

In the Brookfield match, the Bobcats prevailed 3-2 (29-27, 13-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-10). Newtown racked up 18 aces led by seven from Allie Nowacki’s strong serving, with four apiece from Jordan Kemp and Charlotte Miller, and three from Ava Lombardo. Cassie Pickering was a force at the net with 14 kills to go along with five of her team’s ten blocks, and two digs. Nowacki had seven kills and four blocks; Kemp contributed five kills; Miller four kills and a block; and Lombardo three kills, two blocks, and 35 assists. Elena Burdo compiled eight digs, Ava Ashla recorded six digs, and Leah Botta, Addy Cordova, and Taylor Leighton each had a trio of digs.

Against Kolbe, the Hawks dominated by scores of 25-2, 25-9, and 25-4. They earned 32 aces with nine from Nowacki, eight from Pickering, seven from Leighton, four from Miller, three from Burdo, and one from Sophia Galassi. Newtown registered 25 kills with Nowacki recording ten, Pickering six, and Kemp five to lead the charge.

Newtown defeated Woodstock Academy 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-22). Nowacki had three of Newtown’s 14 aces to go along with 12 kills and six blocks; Pickering logged four aces and had eight kills and two digs; Kemp had three aces and three kills along with a pair of digs; Burdo had two aces and three digs; Lombardo had an ace, a kill, 27 assists, and two digs; and Ashla recorded an ace and four digs.