The Valley Regional volleyball squad won its first two matches in the Class M State Tournament last week to advance to the quarterfinal round, where the Warriors took a 3-1 defeat against Haddam-Killingworth. Entering states as the No. 5 seed, Valley notched a win over 28th-seeded Bulkeley and then another versus No. 12 seed Waterford before losing to H-K in the quarterfinals. Still, the 2017 season marked one of the most successful campaigns for Warriors’ volleyball in decades as they finished with an overall record of 20-5.

Valley started the season hunting for a Shoreline Conference Tournament championship and made it all the way to the final to face Haddam-Killingworth, which won the match 3-1. The two teams ended up meeting again in the Class M quarters at H-K High School on Nov. 10. Although Valley was unable to exact revenge for its loss in the conference final, Head Coach Kathy Scott felt that her squad played a stronger match.

“We said going in that we haven’t played H-K our best. So that was our goal, just to have everybody bring their best game that match,” Coach Scott said. “Whatever happened was going to happen. We wanted to play like we play. We wanted to trust each other...Everyone had to do what they needed to do to be successful and leave nothing out there.”

No. 4 seed H-K won another 3-1 decision, although no set was decided by more than four points. The Warriors took the first set 32-30, and then H-K inched ahead of Valley by taking the next three sets behind final scores of 25-23, 25-22, and 25-21. The Warriors improved their serving in this match after struggling in the Shoreline final. Coach Scott saw that her athletes were determined to give H-K the fight of its life.

“We worked on our serving, because that was a big issue. The serve against H-K [in the state semis] was so much better. There were 100 serves, and we missed 12,” said Scott. “There were some really great points, really long rallies, and some great saves. It was so close...The seniors were really determined.”

Senior captain Jessica Paholski, who was recently named Valley’s first CIAC Senior All-Star in volleyball, turned in a huge effort against H-K by totaling 46 attacks, 16 kills, 16 receptions, 13 digs, an ace, and an assist. Fellow senior captain Electra Cassells had 15 receptions, nine kills, eight digs, two assists, and an ace. Senior captain Hannah Clark supplied 29 assist, six digs, and a block for Valley. Senior Alex Figuenick got to nearly every ball and finished with 30 digs and 25 receptions, while fellow senior Heidi Clark was 19-for-20 on her serves with four aces to go with 17 receptions, nine digs, three kills, and two assists. Additionally, junior Emily Hutchinson continued to be a wall at the net by posting three blocks.

Coach Scott felt her club showed some guts by coming back even harder against the team that ended their Shoreline title hopes.

“We have this great group of seniors. They have worked from the beginning of the season. They’re heavily invested in this,” Scott said. “I’m really proud of the girls for bouncing back instead of being overwhelmed by the loss in the Shorelines.”

Two days before that match, Valley hosted Waterford for a second-round contest on Nov. 8 and prevailed 3-2. Valley won the first two sets, 25-12 and 25-21, and then Waterford put together a run by winning the next two sets, 25-21 and 25-21. In the fifth and final set, Valley triumphed by the score of 15-11.

Coach Scott thought she saw the best set her team played the whole year to open the match. Although the Warriors started to fatigue as time wore on, they pulled it together to take the final frame.

“The first set was probably our best set of the year. We were passing really well and serving well,” said Coach Scott. Toward the end of the second set we were breaking down a little bit, and they started playing well. They were able to rally and get the third and fourth set, but if you just saw the first two sets, you would have thought we would have won 3-0.”

Paholski scored 16 kills, 19 receptions, five digs, and two aces for the Warriors. Meanwhile, Hannah Clark notched 31 assists to go with three aces, while Cassells had 10 kills, 10 receptions, eight digs, two aces. Maddy Just provided 18 receptions, five digs, four kills, and three aces.

Valley had opened the tournament at home with an easy 3-0 first-round win (25-7, 25-12, 25-9) against an up-and-coming Bulkeley team on Nov. 6.

“They were just glad to be there, and they had good energy,” Scott said of Bulkeley. “They did some good things, but it was our home court.”

Coach Scott feels proud of her team for its accomplishments this year and believes the Warriors generated local attention and support for the program.

“It really is a great year to build on. The thing that is so nice, too, is that parents and alumni come back,” she said. “It’s nice to see parents in the crowd come back and continue to support us. The players feel that connection. This is a really special time.”

With the 2017 season in the books, Coach Scott knows that she will look back fondly on this year’s and the members of senior class who led one of the most successful runs for Valley volleyball in recent history.

“This is a really special team. This one will be memorable for a long, long time. The younger players have been inspired by them, and now they know what it takes to get there. Now, we have that experience,” said Coach Scott. “Hannah said it best: ‘There’s not another 12 to 15 girls I’d rather have over my house for a sleepover.’ When they like each other like that, it makes so much of a difference. We were really fortunate to have the girls connect with each other that much.”

From the Sidelines

The Valley volleyball team’s regular-season wins came against East Hampton (3-1, 3-0), Creed (3-0, 3-0), Hale-Ray (3-1), Morgan (3-0, 3-1), Cromwell (3-0, 3-0), Haddam-Killingworth (3-2), Old Lyme (3-0, 3-0), North Branford (3-0, 3-0), Coginchaug (3-1, 3-2), and Fitch (3-1).

The Warriors’ regular-season losses were versus Lyman Memorial (3-1), Hale-Ray (3-1), and Haddam-Killingworth (3-1).

In the Shoreline Conference Tournament, Valley defeated Hale-Ray 3-0 in the semifinals before losing to Haddam-Killingworth 3-1 in the championship game.