The Haddam-Killingworth volleyball team may not have achieved the outcome it desired in its final game of the 2023 campaign, though it still walked away with a shining sense of accomplishment by building a superb sorority of young athletes that cared about the sport and harbored even more passion towards prevailing for each other.

The Cougars finished 15-5 overall for the regular season prior to competing in the Shoreline Conference Tournament, defeating Old Lyme in the opener before bowing out to Valley Regional in the semis. Yet as the No. 5 seed in the Class S State Tournament, H-K earned an opening-round bye prior to prevailing with 3-0 sweeps over No. 12 SMSA, fourth-seeded Wolcott Tech, and No. 8 Holy Cross to notch a spot in the state final–the program’s first appearance since taking the Class S championship in 2014.

Facing third-ranked Coventry for the crown on Nov. 17 at SMSA, the Cougars took a three-set defeat in a valiant effort to finish an impressive body of work with their season record, finishing at 19-7 overall.

Head Coach Robin Callender explained that the squad utilized the extra downtime between the league and state draws to fine tune the physical execution of their offense, and overall mental acumen for handling pressure-packed moments.

“After losing to Valley in the semifinals of the Shoreline Conference Tournament, we had a meeting to discuss what we thought went wrong, what we needed to work on, and how we could improve our mindset so that we could go far in states for our seniors,” said Callender. “Our team focused on working hard on agility and conditioning to ensure a faster pace for our footwork, having confidence in our ability to perform at a competitive level, and having composure when we are down a few points, especially towards the end of a set. We played our strongest matches against SMSA, Wolcott Tech, and Holy Cross. We had less unforced errors and shined on offense, with all of our hitters getting numerous kills and dominating. Our serving and defense were consistent and precise.”

In the opening set, H-K gave Coventry all it could handle in a lengthy stanza that saw the Cougars fall by a close 28-26 margin. The Cougars then tried to even the evening up, but dropped the second set by a 25-17 tally prior to not letting the Patriots procure the title without a fight, tying the set at 17-all. H-K then fell in a 25-23 final decision.

“When we played Coventry in the State Championship, we started out extremely strong, but then started playing too safe, trying not to make errors, which Coventry took advantage of,” said Callender. “I believe that we, at times, played not to lose instead of playing to win, by not taking advantage of our strengths with our offense and strong and talented hitters. I was extremely proud of the team, as they never gave up and they fought to the end!”

For All-Shoreline recognition, senior Reese Timothy was named co-Player of the Year and made First Team, while junior Ava Mazzotta was a Second Team selection. Senior Sammy Minickene was additionally an Honorable Mention. Timothy additionally notched a spot on the All-State First Team.

In her closing remarks on the Cougars’ run to the state final stage, Callender commented that it all stemmed from the top, with stellar senior leaders that allowed the team to create cohesive connections that flowed onto the court. This naturally helped to unlock the club’s ultimate potential to overcome any amount of adversity thrown at its feet.

“Throughout our season, the team continued to gel together and concentrated on improving their skills and footwork. They all were dedicated, focused, and determined to continue to excel in all areas of the fundamentals of volleyball,” said Callender. “I believe that this is because of the seniors and their leadership, patience, and supportive demeanor. The team bonded, believed in themselves and their team’s ability to overcome obstacles and perform at an elite level of play. This team was so successful this season because they really liked and cared for each other, and they wanted what was best for their teammates first before themselves. I believe that each player was kind, respectful, and loyal to each other, which gave the team as a whole a positive, optimistic outlook on our 2023 season.”

The 2023 Haddam-Killingworth volleyball team roster is comprised of seniors Ava Harriman, Jillian LaRosa, Minickene, Timothy, Annabelle Zajac; juniors Jayani Bennett, Mazzotta, Caley Napoletano, Caoimhe Sweeney, Lauren Wiese; sophomores Stephanie Coleman, Olivia LaTorre, Nola Minickene, Grace Natanzon, Emma Valls; plus freshmen Audrey Bailey, Kacey Coon, Ava Geissler, Juliette Harriman, Maizie Irons, Makenzie Keating, Mia Lomuntad, and Ava McNamara.

Callender just completed her ninth season as the Cougars’ leader on the bench. Sandee Moyher, the JV Coach, has been at that post for nine campaigns as well. H-K was also assisted by part-time assistants and program alumni Emily Jennings and Kate Porter.

The Cougars previously notched state final berths in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2014, all in Class S, with H-K emerging victorious in 2014 and 1991.

2023 Haddam-Killingworth Volleyball Team Regular Season Results

Sept. 7: H-K 3, Portland 0

Sept. 11: H-K 3, Cromwell 0

Sept. 13: H-K 3, Coginchaug 0

Sept. 15: H-K 3, Old Lyme 2

Sept. 18: H-K 3, North Branford 2

Sept. 20: Valley Regional 3, H-K 2

Sept. 22: East Hampton 3, H-K 1

Sept. 26: H-K 3, Hale-Ray 0

Sept. 29: H-K 3, Morgan 0

Oct. 2: H-K 3, Portland 0

Oct. 4: H-K 3, Cromwell 0

Oct. 6: H-K 3, Coginchaug 0

Oct. 10: Hand 3, H-K 0

Oct. 11: H-K 3, Old Lyme 1

Oct. 12: H-K 3, North Branford 0

Oct. 16: Valley Regional 3, H-K 2

Oct. 18: East Hampton 3, H-K 1

Oct. 20: H-K 3, Hale-Ray 1

Oct. 23: H-K 3, Morgan 0

Oct. 25: H-K 3, Lyman Memorial 0

Oct. 30: Shoreline Conference Tournament quarterfinal: H-K 3, Old Lyme 0

Nov. 1: Shoreline Conference Tournament semifinal: Valley Regional 3, H-K 0