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H-K Puts Another Storied Season in the Books

The Haddam-Killingworth girls’ volleyball team put together another top-notch performance during the 2021 season. The Cougars claimed their second-straight Shoreline Conference title and then advanced to the Class M state quarterfinals on their way to an overall record of 19-5.

Head Coach Robin Callender feels proud of her squad for what it accomplished on the court this fall. Callender knows that defending the Shoreline Conference crown is no easy feat.

“Overall, I feel like H-K volleyball had a successful season this year,” Callender said. “We completed our regular season with a record of 16-4, which gave us the top rank in the Shoreline Conference. Although I felt we had our chances to win the State Tournament, I was very proud that our team fought to the very end and never gave up.”

H-K won its first 12 matches of the year its way to a regular-season record of 16-4. The Cougars earned two wins versus Morgan, North Branford, Hale-Ray, Cromwell, East Hampton, and Old Lyme to go with single victories against the Sport & Medical Sciences Academy, Coginchaug, Valley Regional, and Hand during the regular season.

As the top seed in the Shoreline Conference Tournament, the Cougars had a bye through the quarterfinal round and then claimed a 3-2 win over No. 4 seed Coginchaug in the semifinals. H-K took the match by the final score of 25-23, 15-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-10.

H-K went on to post a 3-0 shutout versus No. 3 seed Hale-Ray in the Shoreline final. The Cougars swept the Noises by the score of 25-18, 25-18, 25-17 to capture the league title for the second year in a row.

Following Shorelines, H-K entered the Class M State Tournament as the No. 7 seed, receiving a first-round bye. In their first matchup, the Cougars notched a 3-0 sweep against No. 10 Branford in a second-round contest, prevailing by the final tally of 25-18, 25-22, 25-20.

H-K went on to take a 3-1 loss to No. 2 seed Seymour in the quarterfinal round of the Class M bracket. The Cougars lost the match by a 25-22, 25-22, 26-28, 26-24 score to finish at 19-5 overall on the campaign.

Senior captains Jessica Timothy and Audrey Snyder led the charge for H-K throughout the 2021 season. Timothy and Snyder both earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team and All-State First Team accolades for the Cougars.

Timothy led the Shoreline Conference with a hitting percentage of .315 and 355 kills this year. She also had 106 digs, 147 service points, and 49 aces. Snyder posted a hitting percentage of .231 to go with 267 kills for H-K. She also recorded 239 service points and 63 aces with a serving percentage of nearly 93 percent.

“Jessica and Audrey were our dynamic duo,” said Coach Callender. “They both were elite in all fundamentals of the game and were two of the most talented outside hitters in the state. They were also strong with serve receive and defense.”

Senior Carly Rettberg garnered All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors on behalf of the Cougars this season. H-K’s senior class also included Megan Butler.

Junior Payton Yazmer was an All-Shoreline Conference Second Team recipient for H-K. Fellow junior Kaleigh Bodak was recognized with All-Shoreline Conference Honorable Mention.

The Cougars’ junior class also featured Lola Chagnon, who was the team’s libero, along with Audra Yazmer, Paige Corcoran, Lorin Danaher, Gillian Miller, and Jenna Whitmer.

H-K’s sophomore class included Samantha Minickene, Reese Timothy, and Anabelle Zajac.

Although H-K is losing four talented seniors from this year’s team, Coach Callender expects the Cougars to be a strong and competitive squad once again next season. Bodak, Corcoran, Audra Yazmer, and Payton Yazmer have been named H-K’s captains for the 2022 campaign.

“We will have eight seniors who have been extremely dedicated to H-K since they walked onto the court their freshmen year. All eight players got significant playing time at the varsity level, along with three varsity sophomores,” Callender said. “There is no doubt in my mind that our four strong captains and the rest of our senior squad will lead the way for H-K in 2022. They will bring our team to another successful and competitive season.”