THE HOME OF WEST HAVEN SPORTS
Westies fall in Opener
WH drops match to SHA
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 13, 2019) - As the season opener approached, West Haven volleyball coach Kate Coldren wanted to see her team come away with a road victory. While that did not happen, Coldren learned plenty about her team.
The Westies battled throughout, but could not come back in a 19-25, 14-25, 25-23, 11-25 defeat against Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden Friday evening.
"It is not exactly the start we were hoping for, but we definitely know what we need to work on," Coldren said. "We were very evenly matched skill-wise, but they (SHA) played with much more excitement and energy. Bria (Stanley) had a decent night at the net and Noelle (Noble) played extremely well in the back row."
Sacred Heart used its energy to come away with a first game victory by six points in what was a tough battle. The Sharks controlled the second game, pushing West Haven to the limit being down a pair of games, before West Haven rallied and held on to win the third game by two points. West Haven could not sustain that energy in the fourth game and the Sharks controlled play to close out the contest.
"We really need to work on consistency and fixing our mistakes," Coldren said. "We really struggled to get any kind of momentum going."
Giliana Santaniello led the Westies with three aces, five digs, and 10 assists. Bria Stanley added three aces, eight kills, and four digs, while Noelle Noble chipped in two kills and 13 digs.
Savannah Lopez had one ace, five digs, and four assists, Neve Krajcir added two aces, three kills, and two digs, and Thiana Baez had one ace and five digs.
First of the Year
Westies top Bassick
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 16, 2019) - The West Haven volleyball team picked up its first win of the season and improved to 1-1 overall with a 3-0 victory over Bassick Monday evening at West Haven High. The Westies won by scores of 25-9, 25-6, and 25-14.
Noelle Noble (7) looks to get West Haven a point against Bassick, Monday September 16, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
“It was a nice win for us tonight,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We needed to get this first win under our belt and now we need to keep this positive energy going. Tonight was about serving for us. It was strong and consistent. Our focus and enthusiasm were much better tonight, but we still need to work on our communication. There were too many times that we didn't talk enough and plays fell apart. This is something that we need to continue to improve on for the rest of the season.”
West Haven controlled the match from start to finish with a team effort. The Westies did not allow Bassick to get in double digits in terms of points until the third game, and received solid efforts throughout the team.
“Bria (Stanley) and Gilly (Santaniello) both had great games from the service line,” Coldren said. “Bria and Noelle (Noble) played well at the net. It really was a team effort.”
Bria Stanley led West Haven with 11 aces, eight kills, and one assist, Giliana Santaniello had nine aces, one kill, one dig, and 11 assists, Savannah Lopez added six assists, and Noelle Noble had five kills. Romelin Mendoza chipped in three aces, and Neve Krajcir had two aces and two 2 kills.
Mercy rallies past Westies
Comeback falls short for WH
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 18, 2019) - After a feel good win over Bassick for West Haven’s initial victory of the season, the Westies were looking to keep the momentum going against Mercy Wednesday evening.
While West Haven put up quite a battle, it was not enough in a 3-2 loss to the Tigers. Mercy prevailed by scores of 17-25, 22-25, 25-23, 28-26, 6-15.
The West Haven bench reacts to a point against Mercy, September 18, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
“Although tonight was heartbreaking, there are a lot of positives that we can take away from this game,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We didn't quit. Even with our backs against the wall, we fought hard. They showed real heart tonight and never gave up. They made adjustments quickly and recovered from their errors. Hopefully, they learned that they need to play consistent and smart from the first point of the first game rather than have to fight back from a deficit.”
After losing the first two games in close fashion, West Haven rallied to take the third and fourth games by two points apiece. Mercy then pulled away in the fifth game for the victory.
“Noelle (Noble) is doing extremely well and is my most consistent player,” Coldren said. “Her passing on defense and serve receive has been outstanding, and she really turned on her hitting tonight. And lastly, Bria (Stanley) is our go to hitter thus far, and her serving has been very good. We have a lot to build on for the rest of the season.”
Giliana Santaniello led the way with 19 assists, five aces, four kills, two digs, and two blocks, Bria Stanley added five aces, 12 kills, three digs, and two blocks, Neve Krajcir had seven aces, three kills, and nine digs, Noelle Noble was again solid with 14 kills, nine digs, and three aces.
Savannah Lopez added 12 assists, five kills, and four digs, Thiana Baez had five digs, and Lexi Prion added four digs.
Westies top Academics
West Haven sweeps Hillhouse
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 20, 2019) -The West Haven volleyball team improved to 2-2 on the year with a 3-0 victory over Hillhouse Friday evening in New Haven. The 26-24, 25-16, 25-15 victory saw Bria Stanley lead the way with six aces, six kills, five digs, and three blocks.
“It wasn't pretty but we won,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We got off to a slow start, but managed to get it together enough to get the win. We still need to communicate better especially when things don't seem to be going right. We are in this together no matter what, so we need to work together.”
After a battle in the first game which was extended, West Haven prevailed by two points. The Westies won in an easier fashion over the next two games to move to the .500 mark.
“Bria (Stanley) played well at the net and served very well,” Coldren said. “Noelle (Noble) had another good night in the back row passing and Gilly (Santaniello) held our offense together by setting well. She also served extremely tough, getting us back in the game a few times. We have another busy week coming up so we need to get back on track.”Giliana Santaniello ran the West Haven offense with eight assists and five aces, Noelle Noble had four digs and three kills, while Thiana Baez and Neve Krajcir each added three aces.
Cheshire blanks Westies
West Haven falls to 2-3
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 23, 2019) -The West Haven volleyball team fell to 2-3 on the year with a 3-0 loss at Cheshire Monday evening. The Rams cruised to a 25-7, 25-17, 25-12 victory.
"It was a rough night tonight," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We had some good moments, but they were few and far between. We had a lot of trouble getting our offense going because our passing wasn't up to par. They had some really strong servers and we struggled. We can't expect to win games if we can't pass the ball. Our defense was probably our strongest skill tonight."
Giliana Santaniello led the offense with six assists and Bria Stanley had four kills. Noelle Noble led the defense with six digs, and also added three kills, while Thiana Baez had three digs as did Savannah Lopez. Anh Nguyen had four digs.
"Noelle (Noble) and Thiana (Baez) both played well in the back row. We have a whole lot more volleyball to play this week, so we need to regroup and play better."
West Haven tops Lyman Hall
Santaniello leads Westies
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 25, 2019) -The West Haven volleyball team pushed its record back to the .500 mark with a 3-1 victory over Lyman Hall Wednesday evening. The 25-18, 25-18, 24-26, 25-19 victory over the Trojans at West Haven High improved West Haven’s record to 3-3 on the year.
West Haven against Lyman Hall, September 25, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandeske.
“We played a pretty solid game tonight all the way around,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said.“ “Everyone played their role and did their part to contribute to this win. Tonight was a much needed win.”
Giliana Santaniello had a solid outing for the Westies as she ran the offense with 18 assists, three kills and three aces, while also leading the way on defense with 11 digs. Bria Stanley also played well with 13 kills, four digs, and three blocks, while Noelle Noble added nine kills and seven digs.
“Gilly (Santaniello) had a great game tonight on both offense and defense,” Coldren said. “She was the glue that held us together. Bria (Stanley) also had a great game on both offense and defense. She was most definitely our go to hitter tonight. Everyone really stepped up and played very well tonight and I'm proud of all of them.”
Neve Krajcir played well with five aces, four kills and three digs, and Savannah Lopez had eight assists, four digs, three kills, two blocks, and two aces.
Westies sweep Foran
Krajcir leads WH
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 26, 2019) -The West Haven volleyball team improved to 4-3 on the season with a 3-0 victory over Foran in Milford Thursday evening. The Westies won by scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 25-11.
“It was a great game tonight,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “They came out ready to play and got a lead immediately. Serving was consistent and aggressive. Hitting and defense were on point. The girls really put it all together tonight and we need to keep this momentum going.”
Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 15 assists, Bria Stanley had 11 kills, and Noelle Noble added eight digs, three kills and two assists. Neve Krajcir also played well with six aces and six kills.
“Neve (Krajcir) and Bria (Stanley) played very smart at the net and Gilly (Santaniello) held the offense together with outstanding setting,” Coldren said. “Noelle (Noble) and Thiana (Baez) handled everything in the back row. They read the hitters well and were exactly where they needed to be on the court.”
Hamden rallies past Westies
Green Dragons win final two games
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 30, 2019) -The West Haven volleyball team saw its two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 4-4 on the season with a 3-2 loss to Hamden Monday evening in West Haven. In a sloppily played contest, West Haven fell, 25-22, 14-25, 25-22, 15-25, 4-15.
“We started off strong tonight and took the first game,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “Then we started to struggle with our passing and things pretty much unraveled. Hamden has some very good blockers and we didn't adjust well on offense. We made a lot of mental errors and just didn't fight for the win. I know we'll bounce back and get back on track.”
Chekeenah Jeudi at the net against Hamden, September 30, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
After winning two of the first three game by identical 25-22 scores, West Haven could not close out the match. The Westies could not get anything going consistently and Hamden fought back to win the fourth game.
With all the momentum, the Green Dragons easily closed out the contest in the fifth and deciding game by 11 points.
Bria Stanley led West Haven with seven kills, five digs, two blocks and two aces. Giliana Santaniello added three aces, five digs, and six assists, Noelle Noble had three aces, four kills, and seven digs, Savannah Lopez had six assists and two digs, while Neve Krajcir chipped in three aces, three kills, and five digs.
Westies fall to North Haven
Indians send WH to fifth loss of year
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 2, 2019) -With a loss to Hamden still fresh on its mind, the West Haven volleyball team was looking to bounce back. A road trip to North Haven was going to be a tough battle.
Unfortunately for the Westies, the Indians were too much to handle as North Haven posted a 12-25, 15-25, 25-23, 7-25 victory at North Haven High. The loss dropped West Haven to 4-5 on the year.
“It was not a good night at all, West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We needed to bounce back from the loss on Monday and we just didn't. We didn't fix errors or recover from them either. Communication and attitude has to be better. Our offense is critical to our success, so passing has to be better.”
The Westies did not get off to a good start, dropping the first two games. West Haven rallied to win the third game, before North Haven cruised to the win in the fourth game.
“Game three tonight was a great example of what this team is capable of and we need to figure out how to sustain that consistent play throughout the entire match. Bria (Stanley) played well at the net, but she can't be our only offensive threat. We need to spread sets around and hitters have to finish plays. Gilly (Santaniello) and Savannah (Lopez) have been very consistent and smart, but I need this entire team to step up and play their best volleyball together.”
Giliana Santaniello led West Haven with eight assists and six digs, Bria Stanley had eight digs and seven kills, Neve Krajcir added five digs and three kills, while Chekeenah Jeudi had four digs and three kills.
Even
WH tops Career to improve to 5-5
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 4, 2019) -The fall season is a quick one. If any team knows that, it is the West Haven volleyball team.
Already at the halfway point of the season, the Westies entered the second half in style, winning their second straight contest to improve to 5-5 on the year.
Traveling to Career Friday evening, West Haven battled to a 3-0 win in New Haven. The scores in the victory were 25-20, 26-24, and 25-23.
“It was not an easy win tonight, but it was a much needed one,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “Every single game was close. Career's defense is incredible. We definitely had to work extremely hard to place the ball where they weren't. Bria (Stanley) did an amazing job doing that. She and Noelle (Noble) did a great job on defense as well.”
Bria Stanley had a monster game for the Westies, finishing with 15 kills, 14 digs, four blocks, and two aces. Giliana Santaniello also played very well with 13 assists, nine digs, and two kills.
West Haven’s defense was on its game tonight as Noelle Noble finished with 15 digs, Savannah Lopez had 13 digs, and Neve Krajcir had seven digs.
Lopez also added eight assists, Krajcir had four kills, and Thiana Baez finished with five digs.
“What really gave us an edge was tough serving at critical times in the match,” Coldren said. “Savannah (Lopez) and Chekeenah (Jeudi) really came through in the third game when we were down. Cheech had back to back plays at the net that got us momentum and Savannah served the game out. We are about to begin the second half of our season and we have some work to do, but we are going into it with confidence.”
VOLLEYBALL 2019
Turning the Table
WH tops Mercy 3-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 7, 2019) - In a season full of highs and lows, the West Haven volleyball team, sure knows how to play some thrillers. In yet another close match, West Haven rallied to defeat Mercy 3-2 in Middletown Monday evening.
The 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 26-24, 15-13 victory allowed West Haven to avenge an earlier season 5-game loss to the Tigers. With the victory, West Haven improved to 6-5 on the year.
“It was another five-game thriller against a tough Mercy team,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “I can't say enough how proud I am of these girls and their growth this season. We owed Mercy this loss and we did our job as a team. We got down in the first game and fought our way back to keep it close. Although we dropped the first game, the girls kept the momentum going and came out strong in the second game. It was a point for point battle the entire match.”
Savannah Lopez and Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 19 and 18 assists, respectively, Bria Stanley had 21 digs, Neve Krajcir added 10 kills, and Noelle Noble had eight kills in the win.
Noble and Krajcir also stood out defensively with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.
“My setters Gilly (Santaniello) and Savannah (Lopez) have really been playing very consistent volleyball,” Coldren said. “Their leadership and confidence running the offense has been outstanding. Bria (Stanley) and Neve (Krajcir) were strong at the net and were so smart placing the ball. Noelle (Noble) and Thiana (Baez) were very good on serve receive and defense, which is imperative to us running our offense. I think we are realizing how important it is to focus on playing as a team and shaking off our errors. Attitude is everything.”Santaniello finished with six kills and five aces, Lopez had three aces, three kills, and three digs, while Thiana Baez and Stanley each had four digs.
Inching Closer
WH tops SHA 3-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 10, 2019) - After a slow start in the first half of the season, the West Haven volleyball team knew it had to take everything one step at a time. Those steps are on the verge of leading to a postseason berth.
Behind a balanced effort which saw senior Bria Stanley lead the way with 18 digs, and Giliana Santaniello and Savannah Lopez combine for 32 assists to run the offense, West Haven rallied to defeat Sacred Heart Academy 3-2 in a Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision contest Thursday evening at West Haven High.
The 25-12, 18-25, 25-19, 16-25, 15-6 victory helped West Haven avenge an earlier season loss to the Sharks and also improved the team’s record to 7-5.
Noelle Noble goes up for a kill against Sacred Heart Academy, October 10, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
“We constantly talk about communication,” Coldren said. “We need to communicate better. I told them (between fourth and fifth games) now is the time to do that. I love the way we responded.”
With the games even at two, Sacred Heart Academy (8-4) got the first point on a West Haven error. A net serve by the Sharks gave West Haven a 3-2 lead and the Westies never looked back.
A pair of kills by Stanley put West Haven up by three points, before Noelle Noble increased the margin to 6-3. Lopez extended the margin to 8-4 with an ace, before the Sharks got within 9-6 on an ace by Julianna Corniello.
An ace by Noble had West Haven up 11-6, and Neve Krajcir and Chekeenah Jeudi followed with kills to get the Westies within a point of closing out the match.
“I think we are realizing we need to be a team on the court,” Stanley said. “We have that chemistry off the court. We need to bring it to the court. We are close to making the playoffs. We are realizing this and coming together.”
The fifth game was necessary as the Sharks pulled away in the fourth game to win by nine points. Sacred Heart closed the fourth game in dominant fashion with a 17-8 run, including an ace by Nina Longobardi for an 18-10 advantage, and a kill by Jill Manning to close the game.
“We ran out of steam after that,” Sacred Heat Academy coach Kim Curbow said. “We are battling a little illness and I think that did not help. We fought hard. I think our mental toughness is amazing. This team has so much heart. They are fun to watch and fun to coach.”
West Haven opened the contest in impressive fashion, winning the opening game by 13 points. Stanley had a pair of kills for a 19-10 lead, added another for a 21-11 advantage, then saw a kill by Noble for a 23-12 lead.
“One of our goals was to do so in the first half of the season,” Coldren said of qualifying for the postseason. “But, if we do it just a little under a week after, I can live with that.”
The Sharks battled back in the second game to even the contest as a kill by Manning had the Sharks on top 20-14. A pair of kills by Corniello increased the margin to 22-17, before an ace by Ally Kirck gave the Sharks a 22-19 lead.
Kirck was on the line for the final three points to close out the game.
Manning finished with nine kills and five digs, while Corniello had nine digs and five kills in the loss for the Sharks.
West Haven was led by Noble who finished with nine kills, seven digs, and four aces. Krajcir added seven digs, four aces and four kills, while Santaniello and Lopez each had six digs on the defensive side.
Mission Accomplished
WH in postseason with win over Hillhouse
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 12, 2019) -The West Haven volleyball team qualified for the postseason Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over Hillhouse at West Haven High. The 25-19, 25-16, 25-13 victory allowed the Westies to improve to 8-5 on the year.
“We played well today,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “Our serving started out slow with too many errors, but we got our focus back and really served tough. We did a great job passing so we were able to run our offense effectively.”
Giliana Santaniello (15) sets up the offense against Hillhouse, October 12, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Westies controlled play from the start, winning the first game by six points, the second by nine points, and the third by 12.
Bria Stanley led the offense with 11 kills, Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 15 assists, and added seven aces, and four kills. Savannah Lopez played well with 11 digs, eight assists, and two kills, while Noelle Noble had eight digs, four kills, and four aces.
“It was a good team effort today,” Coldren said. “Gilly (Santaniello) and Noelle (Noble) played extremely well today. Their serving and defense made a huge impact on the outcome of this game. All the girls have stepped up and are playing very consistent volleyball and we need to keep that going.”
Neve Krajcir chipped in five kills, four digs, and three aces, while Thiana Baez added five digs, and Stanley had four digs.
Streak Over
WH falls to Cheshire
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 15, 2019) - The West Haven volleyball team saw its four-game winning streak come to an end with a 3-1 loss to Cheshire Tuesday evening at West Haven High. With the 20-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-25 defeat, West Haven fell to 8-6 on the year.
“We started out very strong tonight,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We knew we had to pass well tonight in order to get our offense going and we definitely did that. Unfortunately, we started to play tentative in the third and fourth games and that killed our momentum. We had a bunch of service errors and started to make mental mistakes and Cheshire took advantage of our errors. But, overall, I'm proud of how they played. We worked really hard on defense and made some incredible plays.”
Thiana Baez (37) serves against Cheshire, October 15, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
After a strong first game in which the Westies lost by just five points, West Haven came back to take the second game by six. Cheshire showed why it is one of the top teams in the area over the next two games, capitalizing on West Haven’s mistakes to win games three and four.
Noelle Noble led West Haven defensively with nine digs, while Neve Krajcir had seven digs, Giliana Santaniello five digs, and Bria Stanley four blocks.
On the offensive side, Santaniello had six assists and three kills, Stanley had six kills, Savannah Lopez added four assists, Noble had three kills, and Krajcir added three aces.
“Despite the loss, I feel like this was a confidence boost for us,” Coldren said. “They know exactly what they are capable of and the type of energy we need for the rest of the season. Bria (Stanley) played well at the net and had some really big blocks against some very tough hitters. Noelle (Noble), Neve (Krajcir) and Thiana (Baez) played great in the back row on defense and serve receive.”
Back on Track
WH tops Bassick
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 17, 2019) - The West Haven volleyball team won its fifth match in six decisions with a 3-0 decision over Bassick in Bridgeport Thursday evening. The 25-8, 25-11, 25-10 victory allowed the Westies to improve to 9-6 on the year.
“We played very well tonight,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We served tough and stayed focus. Our passing was consistent and they stayed disciplined on defense.”
Giliana Santaniello led the Westies with 13 aces and 11 assists. Bria Stanley had nine kills, four aces, and three digs, Noelle Noble had nine aces, three digs, and two aces, while Savannah Lopez had six aces and six assists.
“Gilly (Santaniello), Noelle (Noble), and Savannah (Lopez) served extremely well,” Coldren said. “Bria (Stanley) and Neve (Krajcir) were aggressive and smart at the net. All of the girls played well together and we played our game, at our pace.”
Rally Time
WH tops Foran
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 19, 2019) - The West Haven volleyball team improved to 10-6 with a 3-2 victory over Foran Saturday afternoon. The 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-12, 15-10 comeback victory was won in the fourth and fifth games.
“We got off to a slower start than I'd like, but we pulled it together and got the win,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We weren't able to get everything going at the same time until about the fourth game. When we did, they played extremely well. It started with Neve (Krajcir) and Thiana (Baez) in the back row. They passed very well today, and Savannah (Lopez) made some really smart plays to get us back on track. Their energy was very positive and it helped lift everyone up.”
After losing a tough third game, West Haven rolled by 13 points in the fourth game and pulled out a fifth game victory.
Savannah Lopez led the way for West Haven with 10 assists, seven digs, and six kills, while Bria Stanley had seven killls, six digs, and four aces. Noelle Noble had nine digs and six kills, Thiana Baez had seven digs, Neve Krajcir wassolid with 11 digs, six kills, and three aces, and Chekeenah Jeudi added three blocks and two kills.
“We have four really big games left to finish out the regular season and we have to start and finish strong in all of them,” Coldren said.
On a Roll
WH wins third in a row
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 21, 2019) - The West Haven volleyball won its third straight match and seventh in its last eight contests with a 3-1 road victory over Hamden. With the 25-23, 18-25, 25-17, 25-23 victory, the Westies improved to 11-6 on the year.
“We started off kind of slow again tonight, but were able to pull it together to get the win,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We really need to figure out a way to start off these games with more intensity and energy and play more consistent volleyball, starting with our serving. Getting this win was very important and we played well in general, but I know we're capable of much better. We need to finish off the regular season strong and keep the momentum going for playoffs.”
Involved in a tough match from the start, the Westies won both the first and fourth games by two points each. After losing the second game, West Haven pulled away for a third game victory, before edging Hamden in the fourth game.
“Collectively our serve receive and defense was very good,” Coldren said. “We struggled a bit in the front row against some tough blockers, but we found a way to make it work. Bria (Stanley) and Noelle (Noble) played well in the front row and came up with some big hits when we needed them the most. For the third and fourth games, we served tough and that made all the difference.”
Noelle Noble and Neve Krajcir led the defensive efforts with 11 and 10 digs, respectively. Giliana Santaniello added eight digs, eight assists, and four aces, while Bria Stanley had six kills and five digs, and Savannah Lopez had seven assists and five digs.
Noble also had six kills, and Krajcir finished with four aces and three kills.
Trojans edge past Westies
WH falls 3-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 23, 2019) - West Haven coach Kate Coldren was looking for her team to extend its three-game winning streak and solid play when the Westies traveled to Wallingford Wednesday evening to play Lyman Hall. Missing that intensity which has carried the Westies during their recent streak, West Haven fell 3-2.
With the 28-26, 21-25, 25-22, 26-28, 7-15 loss, West Haven fell to 11-7 on the year.
“Unfortunately, we played very flat and without energy most of the evening,” Coldren said. “We had moments of good volleyball and then lost it. Our inconsistency with our serves and hits dragged us down and we couldn't recover. We have two tough games left and we need to turn things around as soon as possible.”
Savannah Lopez led West Haven with 14 assists, seven kills and three digs, while Giliana Santaniello added 13 assists, six digs, three kills, and three aces. Bria Stanley had 13 kills and eight digs, while Neve Krajcir was stellar on defense with 17 digs.
Westies tops North Haven
WH wins 3-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 25, 2019) - The West Haven volleyball team posted its fourth win in five matches with a 3-1 victory over North Haven. The 19-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22 victory allowed West Haven to improve to 12-7 on the year.
"They played so much better and seem to be back on track with a solid team effort," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We got off to a slow start, but they put everything together by the second game. We were able to run our offense because our passing was on point."
Bria Stanley led the way with 17 kills, seven digs, and three blocks, while Neve Krajcir had nine kills, four aces, and four digs. Savannah Lopez had nine assists, four digs three aces and three kills, Noelle Noble had six digs, three aces, and two kills, and Giliana Santaniello had 16 assists, four kills, three aces and two digs.
"Noelle (Noble) and Savannah (Lopez) played very well on defense and really got the rest of the team motivated to work hard. Bria (Stanley) and Neve (Krajcir) were unstoppable at the net and really made some smart plays when we needed them the most. I can't say enough about how well they played, and it was good to get a win over North Haven."
Westies fall on Senior Night
Career tops WH 3-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 28, 2019) - Winners of four of five contests, the West Haven volleyball team looked to close the regular season in style on Senior Night. Unfortunately for the Westies, Career had other ideas.
After battling the entire contest, West Haven could not pull out the victory in a 23-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-15, 13-15 loss at West Haven High Monday evening.
“Tonight was a heartbreaker,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We didn't start off playing well, but we were able to pull it together. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough to get the win. Bottom line, Career played with more energy and heart than we did.”
After two-point losses in the first and third games, West Haven rebounded after each. The match came down to the final game and Career was able to hold off the Westies in the fifth and deciding game.
“Neve (Krajcir), Noelle (Noble), and Thiana (Baez) played very well on defense, but we weren't able to convert it to enough offense. Career's defense was outstanding so we had a lot of trouble finding open spots on the court. We have to move forward because we have a lot of important games coming up and we have to do some work to get ready for the post season.”
Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 11 assists. Santaniello also added 11 digs defensively, while Thiana Baez had 10 digs and three aces. Noelle Noble played well defensively with 17 digs and added seven kills on offense, while Neve Krajcir also had 17 digs, and added five aces and three kills. Savannah Lopez also played well with eight assists and six kills, while Chekeenah Jeudi had four kills.
Westies fall to East Haven
EH wins SCC opener 3-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(November 1, 2019) - With the postseason on tap, West Haven coach Kate Coldren was expecting big things from her squad. The initial contest was not what Coldren expected.
After playing so well the latter part of the season, West Haven never got going in a 3-0 loss to East Haven in the opening round of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament. The ninth-seeded Westies fell 11-25, 19-25, 21-25 to eighth-seeded East Haven and fell to 12-9 on the year.
“We started off flat and never got our energy level where it needed to be,” Coldren said. “We struggled to get our offense going and made too many mental errors. This is not the same team from a couple of weeks ago and we have to figure out how to get back on track before we start the state tournament.”
Savannah Lopez led West Haven with eight digs and four assists, while Noelle Noble added four digs and two kills, and Giliana Santaniello had four kills, four digs, and four assists. Bria Stanley finished with four kills, two digs, and two blocks.
Season Over
Amity tops WH in Class LL first round
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(November 11, 2019) - The season has ended for the West Haven volleyball team. Traveling to Woodbridge to play 15th-seeded Amity in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament, 15th-seeded West Haven fell 3-0. The loss by scores of 25-14, 25-17, 25-18 completed West Haven’s season with a mark of 12-10.
West Haven fell to Amity in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament, November 11, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
“We started off a little flat and couldn’t get our offense going,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “I saw some positive things throughout the match, but we just weren’t consistent enough with any of our skills.”
Amity was in control from the start, topping West Haven by 11 points in the opening game, and eight points in the second game.
“Bria (Stanley) and Noelle (Noble) played pretty well at the net, and defensively we worked hard,” Coldren said. “Sadly, we just didn’t do enough to keep our season alive. Despite the way we ended up this season, I was extremely proud of this team this season. They showed tremendous spirit and worked really hard to accomplish everything they did. I can’t thank my seniors enough for their dedication and pride in continuing to build our program.”
Giliana Santaniello led West Haven with eight assists and four digs. Bria Stanley added five kills and five digs, Noelle Noble had six kills and four digs, Savannah Lopez chipped in four assists, four digs, and three kills, while Neve Krajcir and Thiana Baez each had four digs.
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