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11/05/2017 11:00 PMThe Warriors’ volleyball squad is having one of its best campaigns in program history. After going 17-3 in the regular season, Valley entered the Shoreline Conference Tournament with its eyes on the ultimate prize. Unfortunately, after sweeping Hale-Ray in the semifinal round, the Warriors lost 3-1 in a hard-fought battle against Haddam-Killingworth in the championship game. Valley, which reached its league final for the first time in two decades, now enters the Class M State Tournament as the No. 5 seed with a 18-4 record.
Even though the end result of the Shoreline final wasn’t what Head Coach Kathy Scott and her squad had hoped for, she still feels proud of what her team has accomplished so far this season.
“We didn’t play as well as we wanted to. It was not one of our better performances. That was a hard thing to come from, but sometimes that happens,” said Scott. “I always tell them, 50 percent of the teams lose. Nobody wants to do it, but nothing takes away from the accomplishments they made.”
The Warriors received a bye through the conference quarterfinals and went up against Hale-Ray at home in the semis on Nov. 2. Valley won the match by sweeping the Noises 25-16, 25-21, and 25-23. It was a strong performance for the Warriors after splitting the season series against Hale-Ray with each team taking a match on the other’s home floor.
Coach Scott felt that her club came ready to win the rubber match against its rival.
“That was one that the girls were ready for. We beat them there and they beat us here,” said Scott. “We came out and beat them in three. Everybody was contributing to the best of their abilities. [Senior captain Electra Cassells] was just remarkable. She was pounding the ball.”
Cassells, an All-Shoreline Conference Second Team selection, provided 10 kills, seven digs, seven receptions, and three aces in the victory. Fellow captain Jessica Paholski also had an outstanding night for Valley with 11 kills, 10 receptions, eight digs, and three aces. Paholski has garnered several accolades for the season so far, including winning the Shoreline Conference’s co-Most Outstanding Player Award to go with a spot on the All-Conference First Team, as well as the state’s Senior All-Star Team. Additionally against Hale-Ray, Maddy Just also turned in a nice line of five kills, two aces, two blocks, three digs, and six receptions.
After getting past Hale-Ray, the Warriors went up against Haddam-Killingworth at Cromwell High School on Nov. 4 with the Shoreline title on the line. The games were long slogs for both sides with each team playing incredibly tough, although the Cougars were ultimately the victors. After losing the first set to the Warriors 27-29, H-K took the next three behind finals of 25-18, 34-32, and 25-17.
Coach Scott thought that her squad showed some guts in the contest, especially during those marathon sets.
“There were some exciting games. They played with courage and fight,” said Scott. “There were hard-fought sets that could have gone either way. It’s good that we were really competitive.”
Scott said that even though her team came ready to play, the Warriors weren’t able to execute their serve receive as effectively as they have been throughout the season. That led to limited attack options and kept Valley out of its offensive schemes. Scott also noted H-K’s previous experience in the conference final.
“H-K did well serving against us to keep us out of our offensive system,” Scott said. “We haven’t been to the finals in a while, and H-K has been there quite a bit. That makes a little bit of a difference. The last time we had been in the finals was 20 years ago, and it was 30 years ago that we won.”
All-Shoreline Second Team honoree Alex Figuenick had 27 receptions, 12 digs, and two aces, while Honorable Mention selection Hannah Clark, a senior captain, recorded 25 assists, three digs, two aces, and a block.
Coach Scott has told her team that even though the Warriors’ high hopes for Shorelines didn’t come to pass, it is now time to focus on the Class M State Tournament.
“It was a big deal. It had been the goal for the seniors for four years to win Shorelines. It was a tough loss for us, but it’s been a fun year. They are such a close team, and they have fun together. It’s been a special season with all the seniors and talented younger players,” said Scott. “That loss, we just have to put it behind us. We could play H-K in another match on [Friday, Nov. 10]. We hope we get to see them again, but we have matches we have to perform in first.”