Blue Knights Season Ends in Heartbreak

Momentum is the name of the game. In the end, it was a shift in momentum during the third set that cost the girls volleyball the state title.

With the match tied at one set apiece, the Southington Blue Knights built a 9-2 lead and appeared to have control of the match. That changed quickly as the Newtown Nighthawks stormed back, using a 14-3 run to take the set.

Southington never recovered.

The Blue Knights lost the Class LL finals in four sets, winning only the second, as the Nighthawks walk away with the state title. Southington, which came off a win over top-ranked Darien on Thursday night, had been looking for their second title in three years.

The Nighthawks stormed out of the gates, trading blows with the Blue Knights before taking the first set 25-23. The Blue Knights responded in the second set with a victory of their own, pushing it to 24 each before finally ending up on top 26-24.

The looked as if they were going to have their way in the third set as well, but things changed. After Newtown’s run, however, the Nighthawks had all the momentum they needed.

Newtown built an 11-point lead and held off the Blue Knights late surge, taking the final set and the match 26-24 en route to a state title.

Hard fought all the way, it should come as no surprise these two teams battled it out until the very end. Both had similar roads to the finals.

Southington entered the tournament at 17-1, sweeping Danbury and each 3-0 before advancing to the semifinals against powerhouse Darien. The Blue Wave entered the match with a 20-0 record, but – one that ended Darien’s run for a title.

Newtown, also 17-1 entering the postseason, showed dominance from the very beginning. The Nighthawks swept their way to finals, including an impressive victory in three sets against previously undefeated Cheshire in the semifinals.

In fact Southington should be proud of the fact that they were the only team to hand Newtown a set loss during the Nighthawks impressive run to victory. But that will comes as little consolation for the Blue Knights at this point.