For the Valley Regional volleyball team, it was on a redemption mission after being the Shoreline Conference runner-up last fall. The girls swarmed through the regular season and once they earned their return trip, they were determined to not be denied the gold–going the distance for it and exhausting every last ounce of energy and resilience.

The Warriors displayed prowess on the court during the regular season to the tune of an 18-2 record with only one loss against Shoreline Conference clubs–a 3-1 defeat to Haddam-Killingworth way back on Sept. 5 in only their second game of the campaign. As the top seed in the Shoreline Conference Tournament, Valley earned a bye into the semifinals, where it punched its ticket to the final with a 3-1 triumph over No. 4 North Branford on Oct. 26.

In the championship matchup–Valley’s second consecutive conference championship game berth–they faced No. 3 Hale-Ray on Oct. 30 at Morgan and grinded out a thrilling five-set win to give the Warriors their first conference crown since 2019. The Warriors faced arguably their biggest test of adversity in the title bout, but they persevered by rallying back from two sets down to sweep the ensuing three.

“Winning Shorelines has been a goal of the teams since Day 1. This is a goal that everyone on the team wanted to achieve, and that's what made the difference,” said senior Regan Grow. “I love those girls on my team more than anything, and this match displayed our passion to deliver for one another more than anything else. Everyone on this team showed their talent and grit in this championship game, and I couldn't have pictured a better fought game. Everyone stepped up and had their run to help guide the team to victory. This win showed that we are so much more than a few good players, and that each teammate is a fantastic player with so much to offer. You focus on one of us and shut us down, but then another player will step up and perform amazingly.”

The Warriors dropped the inaugural set in a close-fought affair, 25-23, and then they put themselves in an 0-2 hole with a 25-20 defeat in the second. Valley started its comeback rally with a 25-19 triumph in the third and knotted up the night at two sets apiece with a decisive 25-14 score.

“Regan went on a great serving run for us mid-third set that was capped off by a big kill from [junior] Nia Marchese and an amazing block by [senior] Grace Lunz at the net,” said second-year Head Coach Jaimie Bickelhaupt. “That separation allowed us to play a little looser and forced Hale-Ray into mistakes we took advantage of.”

After the resilient Warriors bounced back to take the third and fourth sets to bring it to a decisive winner-take-all stanza, Valley took an early eight-point command. At that juncture, it was a matter of when the title-clinching point would be produced, which the Warriors did with a 15-8 win. Yet despite the excitement of the matchup and anticipation of the win, Grow was locked in on the next play.

“After being down two sets, I was so focused on winning each point that I forgot the outcome was a championship win,” said Grow. “Stepping on the court, I could not have been surrounded by more passionate, talented girls on the court. [Junior] Kellyn Kolber was an absolute powerhouse on the court, and her mental and physical play is truly unmatched. Looking at my team, I knew there was no way we were losing this last set. Once I checked out of the game in the final set, I just had to wait. Our team was up 12-4, but those last three points had to be the most valuable, patience-testing points I've ever seen in volleyball since I just wanted to be on the court with my girls.”

Grow had 16 kills and three blocks in the championship win, while Marchese added 20 kills and 16 digs. Kolber handed out 44 assists and 23 digs, junior Hallie Moore punched up 24 digs and four assists, plus senior Rubee Cecchini notched seven kills and 28 digs.

Bickelhaupt detailed that the girls made a wish list in terms of what they wanted out of the campaign. Yet the girls knew that in order to make those hopes and dreams a reality, they had to get out and earn it, which they did by committing year-round to the game.

“These girls wrote down their goals at the beginning of the season, and each one of them had a Shoreline championship on that list,” said Bickelhaupt. “We got to the championship last year and fell short, which hurt, but I think it was the true motivator for this year. These girls put in countless hours in the offseason, we have faced plenty of adversity throughout this season, and we were able to close it out this year. This one was that much more rewarding.”

In harkening back to the Shoreline title defeat last fall, the emotional downfall ended up galvanizing the group to get back to that same spot and scale the summit this time around. While returning a vast majority of the core from the year prior, the genuine care and friendship around the court and away from it was a pivotal X-factor.

“We wanted it badly last year, and there were a lot of tears following that game. We had a great chance and lost it, but I think it was a big motivator to get to where we wanted to be this year,” said Bickelhaupt. “Every day, they were pushed in practice. Every day, they worked tirelessly at their craft to get here, and after not starting the best in that game, they dug deep and found the mental and physical toughness they needed to have to pull out the win. Almost every girl that returned to varsity this year played club in the offseason, so they were ready coming into the season. We have some of the best players in the Shoreline and state here, and they know that, but they work like they are not. They work like they have something to prove, and that is a piece of the dominance. They also have great chemistry. On and off the court, these girls are friends and like being around each other. It's a positive and resilient culture we have built here, which aids to our success on the court.”

Grow and Bickelhaupt were named the conference’s Player and Coach of the Year, respectively, while Marchese was named First Team All-Shoreline. Second Team members were Kolber and Moore, plus Cecchini was an Honorable Mention.

“Winning Shorelines was everything. This title is a result of countless hours of practicing and true dedication to this sport. It represents the unity and strength of my teammates, and it's a great moment of recognition. This accomplishment is an ecstatic celebration of the talented girls on my team,” said Marchese. “Fighting back from a 2-0 deficit in the finals was the most challenging thing this season. In that third set, every single girl on the court flipped a switch–putting our all behind every pass, set, and swing. Our coaches and fans never gave up cheering us on the whole way through. In the end, by winning 3-2, never giving up on each other, and persevering through every hard-fought point, we were able to come out on top.”

Valley, which is now 20-2 overall, earned the No. 2 seed in the Class S State Tournament. After a first-round bye, the Warriors will host the second round on Nov. 6 vs. either No. 15 Norwich Tech or No. 18 Aerospace at 6 p.m. A win there would vault Valley into the quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 8. The girls are ready to complete their redemption arc of 2024 by taking another tournament title they fell just shy of claiming.

“We have a few days to enjoy this win and feel great about that accomplishment, but then it's back to work. Our focus is another championship,” said Bickelhaupt. “The mindset is that we still have something to prove. We made it to the semifinals last year and played a tough Coventry team to five sets and fell short. We have the ability to finish it this year and have to work even harder to get there.”

Bickelhaupt’s staff is comprised of longtime Valley veteran Sofi Cullina, now in her fifth year, along with a coaching newcomer in Nick Braga.

The Valley Regional 2024 roster is comprised of seniors Cecchini, Emma Gibson, Grow, Lunz; juniors Kolber, Moore, Taylor Zduniak, Helen Manco, Marchese; plus sophomores in Madelyn Delorso and Team Manager Linnea Winkley.

2024 Valley Regional Volleyball Team Regular Season Results

Sept. 3: Valley Regional 3, East Hampton 0

Sept. 5: Haddam-Killingworth 3, Valley Regional 1

Sept. 9: Valley Regional 3, North Branford 0

Sept. 11: Valley Regional 3, Coginchaug 0

Sept. 13: Valley Regional 3, Portland 0

Sept. 16: Valley Regional 3, East Hampton 0

Sept. 18: Valley Regional 3, Cromwell 0

Sept. 20: Valley Regional 3, Morgan 0

Sept. 23: Valley Regional 3, Old Lyme 1

Sept. 25: Valley Regional 3, Hale-Ray 0

Sept. 27: Valley Regional 3, Haddam-Killingworth 0

Sept. 30: Valley Regional 3, North Branford 1

Oct. 4: Valley Regional 3, Coginchaug 0

Oct. 7: Valley Regional 3, Portland 0

Oct. 9: Valley Regional 3, East Hampton 0

Oct. 10: Valley Regional 3, Cromwell 0

Oct. 15: Valley Regional 3, Morgan 1

Oct. 16: Valley Regional 3, Old Lyme 0

Oct. 21: Canton 3, Valley Regional 2

Oct. 22: Valley Regional 3, Waterford 1