Slow Start
Westies fall to Jonathan Law in season opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 8, 2017) 
- If there was one thing West Haven volleyball coach Kate Coldren wanted to avoid, it was a slow start to the 2017 season. Unfortunately for Coldren, that was exactly how the season for the Westies started. 

Getting out of the gate slowly, West Haven fell in its season opener at home to Jonathan Law by scores of 25-7, 25-20, 27-25.

















CC Condon (2) with a dig against Jonathan Law, September 8, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

"We got off to a super slow start with far too many unforced errors and not enough communication," Coldren said "Despite all of this, we fought and made a game of it. We played very good defense and started to put everything together. We can definitely build on the positives and move forward. We just need to stay focused and play smart."

After losing the first game in convincing fashion by 18 points, the Westies rallied in both the second and third games, but could not prevail. 
Irene Ronan led West Haven with 10 kills and three blocks, Megan Paterson ran the offense with 14 assists, and C.C. Condon had four digs.
















 

Irene Ronan (20) goes up for a kill against Jonathan Law, September 8, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
"Irene (Ronan) had an impressive game at the net, Coldren said. "She dominated when we could get her the ball. Once our hitters settled down, we had some really smart plays and strong hits. It was the same for our defense. Once we settled in, the girls didn't let anything drop. Alyanah (Bonilla), Danna (Tortal), and CC (Condon) hustled and really made things difficult for the Law hitters."

Danna Tortal added four digs,  Lexi Burzynski had five kills and three aces, and Nancy Tapia added three kills and two digs. 
"We have Hamden next and they will also be tough," Coldren said. "We need to be ready to fight from the first serve. As long as we clean things up, we will be fine."


Hamden blanks Westies
WH falls to 0-2 with 3-0 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 11, 2017) 
- West Haven coach Kate Coldren and her team are looking for their first win of the season. To do that, the Westies will need to get off to a quicker start. 

Starting slowly for the second straight match to open the year, West Haven could not recover in a 25-11, 25-18, 25-10 loss against Hamden in West Haven Monday evening. 

















West Haven volleyball fell to Hamden, September 11, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
"It was another slow start," Coldren said after her team fell to 0-2. "We need to go back to basics and keep it simple and fundamental. We need to get some solid passing and get our offense going. We are struggling to get in a rhythm. We have to keep working hard and fix our mistakes.  It sounds like a lot to do, but it's the little details that will hopefully get us a win and some confidence."

















Megan Paterson sets up the offense as the West Haven volleyball team fell to Hamden, September 11, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
The Westies fell behind quickly in the match, losing by 14 points in the opening game. West Haven battled and played a tighter second game, but Hamden cruised to the win by handling the Westies in the third game. 
"I see improvements, but they are sporadic and inconsistent," Coldren said. "Our defense looked pretty good tonight, but serve receive needs some more work. We had less service and hitting errors, but there were still far too many. Lexi (Burzynski) played well at the net and made some smart plays. Danna (Tortal) handled things very well in the back row,  but Hamden did their best to keep the ball away from her. We have to spend the next three days cleaning things up and moving forward to get ready for Mercy."

Megan Paterson ran the offense with 11 assists, Lexi Burzynski added seven kills, Danna Tortal had five digs, and Nancy Tapia chipped in three kills. 


Mercy tops Westies
WH falls to 0-3 with 3-1 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 16, 2017)
 - West Haven coach Kate Coldren was looking for her team to take steps in the right direction when the Westies played host to Mercy Saturday evening. 

West Haven fell 3-1 to drop to 0-3 on the season, but Coldren saw plenty to be happy about. 

"Although we were on the losing end of this match, the girls played very well," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "They worked hard for every point and it was a battle. It was so good to see that fire in them. We still need to clean up our unforced errors. That will make a huge difference. Our defense was tight tonight against some pretty strong hitters. The front row needs to make better decisions and that will come with more experience. We played as a team and communication was significantly better. We just need to keep pushing forward with this attitude and work ethic because we have another tough week coming up."

Megan Paterson ran the offense with 12 assists, Irene Ronan had six kills and four aces, and Nancy Tapia had three kills. Defensively, C.C. Condon had nine digs, Danna Tortal had seven digs, Marianne Loo added five digs, and Tapia had four digs. 
"Irene (Ronan) had another solid night at the net," Coldren said. "She placed the ball very well and got some key blocks. Lexi (Burzynski) and Nancy (Tapia) also made a big contribution at the net. We need to be able to spread the sets around and keep the defense on their toes. CC (Condon) and Danna (Tortal) both had solid and consistent performances in the back row."

Lexi Burzynski also played well with three kills and three digs.


Guilford keeps Westies Winless
Westies fall to 0-4 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 18, 2017) -
The search for the first victory of the season continues for the West Haven volleyball team. Traveling to Guilford, West Haven had hoped to pick up its initial win of the season. 

Instead, the Westies fell to 0-4 with a 3-0 loss to the Indians at Guilford High Monday evening. 

"We still need to work on our unforced errors," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "Our defense was solid again tonight, but unfortunately, nothing else was working. We have to figure out a way to shake off errors and just play."

Megan Paterson led the Westies with nine assists. Veronica Lynn had five kills, Nancy Tapia added seven digs, Lexi Burzynski had three aces, Marianne Loo had  three digs, and Irene Ronan chipped in three blocks. 


In the Win Column
Westies improve to 1-4 with win over Career
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 18, 2017) -
 It may have taken five matches, but the West Haven volleyball team is finally in the win column. Behind the play of Lexi Burzynski and Irene Ronan, the Westies cruised to a 25-12, 25-12, 25-4 victory over Career Wednesday evening at West Haven High. 

Ronan continued her solid play with six kills, while Burzynski had four kills and four aces in the win. 

"Irene (Ronan) and Lexi (Burzynski) did a great job at the net and hit around some pretty big blockers, and found the open spots on the court," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "Veronica (Lynn) , Lexi (Burzynski), Megan (Paterson) and Tenzin (Tsokey) had some good runs at the service line and served tough at Career. Passing and setting were also more consistent and that's very important to our success."  

















Irene Ronan (c.) and the Westies topped Career, September 20, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

West Haven controlled the match from the start, winning each of the first two games by 13 points. The Westies then closed the contest with a dominant third-game victory.

"It was a solid team effort and we played at our level," Coldren said. "Our goal going into the game was to play with as few unforced errors as possible because that has been a continued problem. We were going to stay focused on every point and every play and not let any mistakes distract us. I think we did a very good job of that. We had a few too many service errors but we're still working on it. We're looking forward to playing a tough Hand team next."

















​West Haven celebrates a point against Career, September 20, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.


Bad Hand
Westies fall to Tigers
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 22, 2017)
 - The West Haven volleyball team suffered its fifth loss in six matches with a 3-0 loss to Hand of Madison Friday evening. The loss dropped West Haven to 1-5 on the season.
"We got off to a slow start in the first game, but by the second game, we were playing pretty well," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't quite come up with the plays we needed to get a win. We are continuing to work on our focus and cut back on our unforced errors. I know the girls are frustrated with their mistakes but we have to move past it and play our best and smartest volleyball. I am hopeful for a successful week coming up."
West Haven got going late in the game and could not catch up against the Tigers.
Irene Ronan continued her solid play with six kills and four blocks, while Marianne Loo added six digs. Megan Paterson continued to run the offense well with 14 assists, while Nancy Tapia had four kills, four digs, and two blocks. Lexi Burzynski added five kills, two aces and two assists, while Danna Tortal added three digs and two aces.

"Marianne (Loo) had a really good night in the back row," Coldren said. "She read the hitters well and worked hard to not let a ball drop. Irene (Ronan) had another solid night at the net.  She is our most consistent hitter and blocker and continues to make a positive impact on this team."


Westies top Indians
Paterson leads WH to second win of season
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 25, 2017) -
 If the West Haven girls volleyball team is to get going this season, it will have to turn to its senior leadership. That leadership responded Monday evening. 

Behind the play of Megan Paterson, Lexi Burzynski, Marianne Loo, Alyanah Bonilla, Tenzin Tsokey, and Danna Tortal, West Haven picked up its second win of the season with a 3-1 victory over North Haven at West Haven High. 

















West Haven coach Kate Coldren and her team celebrate a point against North Haven, September 25, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

The Westies improved to 2-5 with the 10-25, 25-18, 25-23, 26-24 victory. 

"We got off to a really rough start, but we turned it around in the second game and pushed through to win three in a row," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "This win feels really good. I saw a lot of hard work, heart, and enthusiasm tonight. We put it all together and played like I know we can. I am beyond proud of the team effort that I saw."

















​The West Haven defense was strong against North Haven, September 25, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

Paterson was superb all evening as she ran the offense, allowing the Westies to win the final three games. The senior had one dig and one block defensively, but stole the show offensively with 32 assists. 

Burzynski also chipped in defensively with two digs and one block, but made her impact with six kills. Tortal was solid on defense with five digs, Loo and Bonilla each had an ace and two digs, and Tsokey had one ace, one kill, and one dig. 

Junior Nancy Tapia was solid with nine kills, seven digs, and four aces, Irene Ronan had nine kills and three blocks, and C.C. Condon played well defensively with six digs. Veronica Lynn added four kills, and Skylar Serenson added three kills in the win. 
"Nancy (Tapia) and Irene (Ronan) dominated at the net," Coldren said. "All my hitters played smart and placed the ball very well, and they couldn't have done it without the consistent sets from Megan (Paterson). Our defense had a tremendous game tonight. They were confident and determined to not let a ball drop. C.C. (Condon), Danna (Tortal), and Nancy (Tapia) led the team on defense and serve receive. Everyone did their job and did them well." 


​No Momentum
Westies drop match to Lyman Hall
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 27, 2017)
 - After coming off a solid victory over North Haven two days earlier, the West Haven girls volleyball team was looking to ride the wave and get on a winning streak. That wave never came. 

Struggling on both sides of the ball, West Haven dropped a 3-1 decision at Lyman Hall Wednesday evening. With the loss, West Haven fell to 2-6 on the season. 

















Veronica Lynn and the Westies fell to Lyman Hall, September 27, 2017. File photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

"We didn't play our game tonight," Coldren said. "We seemed to be a step behind every single ball on both offense and defense. It was extremely frustrating. Once again, we were plagued with unforced errors. We have to clean up our play if we're going to reach our potential and our goals. We need to get past this game and regroup and get ready for Sacred Heart."

















The Westies fell to Lyman Hall, September 27, 2017. File photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. ​​

​Megan Paterson continued to run the offense well with 23 assists, while also adding three digs. Nancy Tapia added nine kills, six digs, and two assists, Lexi Burzynski had nine kills, Irene Ronan had six kills, and C.C. Condon added six digs. Veronica Lynn also had four kills.


Off Pace
Westies fall to Sacred Heart Academy
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 30, 2017) -
The West Haven volleyball team is looking to get on a streak.That streak will have to wait as the Westies fell to Sacred Heart Academy on Saturday 3–1. West Haven (2-7) never got going in a 25–22, 25–13, 20-25, 25–21 loss. 

















Nancy Tapia (23) against Sacred Heart Academy, September 30, 2017. Photo courtesy Todd Dandelske. 

"The girls played pretty well today," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We just made mistakes at the worst times. We were ahead in two of the games and let them back in the game. With a scrappy team like Sacred Heart, that can't happen. We played well on defense, but couldn't finish plays. We're making progress, but we really need to get focused and learn from these games so we're ready for the second half of the season. We need to turn things around quickly and just play more consistent volleyball."

















West Haven played solid defense against Sacred Heart Academy, September 30, 2017. Photo courtesy Todd Dandelske. 
Megan Paterson ran the offense with 27 assists and also added six digs on defense. Nancy Tapia added six digs and five kills, Veronica Lynn had six skills, two blocks, and two aces, while Lexi Burzynski added four kills. Marianne Loo and Danna Tartal each had four digs in the loss.

"Veronica (Lynn), Irene (Ronan) and Nancy (Tapia) played pretty well up front and our defense was solid," Coldren said. "Nancy (Tapia), Danna (Tartal), and Marianne (Loo) did well in the back row and our serving was consistent today. We have a lot of positive things every game to build from. We just have to stay hopeful and work hard."


Three in a Row
Westies fall to Law
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 2, 2017) -
 The West Haven girls volleyball team is searching for answers. That search continued Monday evening. 

Falling behind early, the Westies dropped a 3-0 decision in Milford and fell to 2-8 on the year. 

"They're just not playing to their potential," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "I feel as though the girls are focusing too much on their individual play and not what needs to be done for the team. The only way we're going to turn things around is by relying on each other. We need to get back to our love and passion for the game, and hopefully that will spark some fire in all of us."  

Megan Paterson ran the offense with 14 assists, and added five digs on defense. Nancy Tapia had nine digs, Veronica Lynn had four kills, two digs, and two blocks, Irene Ronan added four kills and two blocks, CC Condon had four digs, Lexi Burzynski chipped in three kills and two digs, and Danna Tartal finished with three digs.

​​​​​​​​Westies fall to Hamden
Losing streak hits four in 3-0 defeat at Hamden
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 4, 2017)
 - The West Haven girls volleyball team is going through a tough stretch. In the midst of a four-match losing streak, the Westies have won just two games in the process. 

Looking to turn things around, the Westies again were on the short end Wednesday evening, galling on the road against Hamden, 3-0. With the loss, West Haven dropped to 2-9 on the year.

















Marianne Loo (c.), seen here against Sacred Heart Academy, played well in a loss to Hamden, October 4, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.   

"Tonight, we were forced to play a lot of defense against a tough Hamden team," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "Unfortunately, we didn't convert our defense into offense. We made it far too easy for Hamden to score on us. Our serve receive struggled a bit tonight and we let them run too many points in a row on us. On the flip side, the girls worked hard to fix mistakes and didn't quit. We had positive energy for most of the match and worked well together. I'm looking forward to playing Mercy on Friday."

Marianne Loo led the defensive efforts with five digs, while Nancy Tapia and Danna Tartal each had three digs in the loss. 

Tapia, Veronica Lynn Irene Ronan each added two kills, while Paterson had three assists and two aces, and Ronan and Skylar Serenson each had a pair of blocks. 

"Marianne (Loo) played very well in the back row," Coldren said. "She out hustled everyone on the court and made adjustments right away. Nancy (Tapia) also passed well tonight. She was calm and confident and we needed that at times tonight." 


Mercy nips West Haven
Westies drop 3-2 decision
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 6, 2017)
 - While the West Haven volleyball team lost its fifth consecutive match, the Westies did not go quietly. Pushing Mercy to a fifth set, West Haven fell 3-2 to drop to 2-10 on the season. 

"Although we lost, I'm proud of how well we played," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "The girls are really starting to find their stride. They are working hard together and playing much more consistent volleyball. I really think they have figured out that they have to do this together and not focus so much on their own performance. Now, we just need to get over the hump and get some wins."  

Megan Paterson ran the offense with 20 assists, two aces, and two kills, while also having six digs on defense. Nancy Tapia led the defense with 13 digs, while adding five kills offensively, 

Veronica Lynn chipped in eight kills and three aces, Irene Ronan had seven kills and three blocks, Lexi Burzynski had five kills, Alyanah Bonilla was solid on defense with eight digs, and Danna Tartal added five digs. C.C. Condon also played well with five digs and two aces. 

"Defensively, we were solid," Coldren said. "The entire back row did their job and did it well. Because they did such an amazing job, we were able to run our offense. All our hitters played well tonight. Nancy (Tapia), in particular, had a great night on both sides of the ball. Veronica (Lynn) also did well on offense and served tough. Both Megan (Paterson) and Lexi (Burzynski) have been playing much more consistently and that's exactly what we need. I really think they are seeing how they all have a role to play on this team and each one is just as important as the other." 


Guilford blanks West Haven
Westies drop 3-0 decision
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 10, 2017) -
The goal of making the postseason for the West Haven volleyball team is slipping away.

Unable to get going, West Haven fell to Guilford 3-0 Tuesday evening at West Haven High to drop to 2-11 on the season. 

















Lexi Burzynski (r.) and the Westies fell against Guilford, October 10, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

"It was not a good night for Westie volleyball," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We didn't seem ready to play at all. There wasn't a lot of energy and very little communication. We have to all get on the same page and really work hard together to make the best of what's left of this season. I've seen it at times so I know they can, but it has to happen starting Friday before it's too late. Bottom line, we have to play more consistent volleyball."

















The Westies fell against Guilford, October 10, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

Veronica Lynn led the Westies with four kills and three digs, Megan Paterson had four assists and two digs, and Alyanah Bonilla had four digs. Danna Tartal had three digs, Nancy Tapia added three digs and two kills, and Marianne Loo added two digs. 


​​Westies snap Skid
Losing streak ends at six with win over Career
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 13, 2017) 
- The West Haven volleyball team snapped its six match losing streak with a 3-0 victory over Career Friday evening in New Haven. The Westies were in control from the start, winning 25–10, 25–18, and 25-8.

"We played very well tonight," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We were focused on playing  consistent volleyball and that's what we did. We didn't let up when we got a lead, and we stayed disciplined with our skills. It was a solid team effort. We still have a goal of qualifying for the post season but it's going to take a lot of hard work and I believe that they can and will do it."
Megan Paterson ran the offense with ten assists, Nancy Tapia and Irene Ronan each had seven kills, Veronica Lynn added six kills, and Lexi Burzynski also had four kills.

Defensively, the Westies were led by Lynn and Danna Tortal, along with Alyanah Bonita and C.C. Condon. Condon had three digs, while Lynn, Tortal, and Kara Erickson each had two digs.
"The girls did a great job attacking Career with strong serves and smart hits," Coldren said. "Veronica (Lynn), Nancy (Tapia), Lexi (Burzynski) and Irene (Ronan) did a tremendous job at the net tonight. They played relaxed, but were aggressive with their swings. Danna (Tortal), Megan (Paterson), and Marianne (Loo) had some good runs on the service line as well. It was just all around good play from everyone."


Upper Hand
Tigers top Westies 3-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 16, 2017)
 - The winning streak for the West Haven volleyball team is a short one. After defeating Career, the Westies had hoped to wrap a string of wins together. 

That did not happen as the Westies fell to Hand 3-1 Monday evening at West Haven High. The loss dropped the Westies to 3-12 on the year. 

















Lexi Burzynski (10) against Hand, October 16, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

"They started really strong and confident in the first two games," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said of her team. "They had a lot of energy that led to a ton of communication. Part way through the third game, they made mistakes and fell apart. We have been discussing all season shaking off mistakes and not letting them get into their heads and they just couldn't do that tonight. We have to stop beating ourselves."

















Veronica Lynn against Hand, October 16, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

Megan Paterson led the way for West Haven with 20 assists and five digs, while Veronica Lynn had seven kills and two aces, Lexi Burzynski had five aces and five kills, and Nancy Tapia added six kills and digs. 

C.C. Condon added six digs, and Irene Ronan chipped in five kills. 
"Veronica (Lynn) and Lexi (Burzynski) had a good night. Both served and hit consistently tonight. Marianne (Loo) has really stepped her game up in the back row. She has a lot more confidence and is really passing very well."


Westies top Panthers
Tigers top Westies 3-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 17, 2017) -
 The West Haven volleyball team won its second match in three contests with a 3-0 victory over Platt Tech at West Haven High Tuesday afternoon. With the victory, West Haven improved to 4-12 this season, keeping its playoff hopes alive. 

















Nancy Tapia (23) and the Westies defeated Platt Tech, October 17, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

"We started out a little rough and made far too many errors," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "But, when we settled down and played our game, we were fine. It was good to see them have fun and be relaxed. One thing we need to learn from this game is we have to stay focused and we can't let up no matter who we are playing."

Megan Paterson was a big key to the match as she ran the offense with 21 assists. Veronica Lynn also had a big day with six aces and four kills, Irene Ronan had nine kills and two aces, Lexi Burzynski had eight kills and two aces, and Nancy Tapia added three kills and two digs. Alyanah Bonilla also chipped in three aces and two digs.

















The Westies defeated Platt Tech, October 17, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

"All of the hitters had a pretty good night," Coldren said. "They adjusted to sets well and found the open spaces on the court. Our free ball passing was consistent so Megan (Paterson) could do her job setting. Serving was very good. As long as we can put everything together, we can get those wins that we need to make it into the post season.


Westies fall to Indians
North Haven tops Westies 3-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 21, 2017) -
 The West Haven volleyball team came up short when it traveled to play North Haven Saturday afternoon.

Looking to put a winning streak together, the Westies could not do so and fell 3-1 to the Indians. The loss dropped the Westies to 4-13 on the season. 

"We played well and all the games were close," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We just made mistakes at very critical times in the match. Despite that, this was one of our most consistent matches of the season. We have three games in a row this week and we need to stay this relaxed and finish out the season on a positive note."

Megan Paterson led the way with 28 assists, Nancy Tapia had 13 kills, six digs and three blocks, Irene Ronan added 11 kills, Lexi Burzynski had eight kills, and Veronica Lynn chipped in seven kills and three digs.

Danna Tortal played well on defense with eight digs, Alyanah Bonilla added six digs, and Marianne Loo added four digs. 
"Megan Paterson) had an outstanding game tonight," Coldren said. "She made great choices with who to set and her sets were right where our hitters wanted them. Nancy (Tapia), Lexi (Burzynski) and Irene (Ronan) led the team on offense and Danna (Tortal) and Alyanah (Bonilla) did a great job in the back row on both defense and serve receive. They all really played strong and it's a shame we ended up on the wrong side of this one."


Westies top Panthers
Paterson, Lynn lead West Haven to win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 23, 2017) - 
 The West Haven volleyball team won its second match in three contests with a 3-0 victory at Platt Tech Monday evening. 

"The girls got off to a slow start in the first game, but really put it all together in the second and third game," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "Their serving and passing was strong and we were able to run our offense."

Megan Paterson was the key to the offense with 21 assists and ten aces. Lauren Erickson had 10 kills, Veronica Lynn added seven kills and two digs, Lexi Burzynski had six kills and two aces, Marianne Loo had three digs and two aces, and Kara Erickson added three aces and two digs.     
"Lauren (Erickson)  and Veronica (Lynn) did a great job at the net placing the ball. Megan (Paterson) was getting great passes in order to feed our hitters. CC (Condon) and Kara (Erickson) handled free balls consistently.  It was just an all around good game and a solid team effort."


Senior Sendoff
WH tops Lyman Hall on Senior Night
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 24, 2017) -
  For a better part of the season, the West Haven volleyball team has been looking for answers. Winning three of their last four matches, the Westies may have found what they are looking for.

Battling to the end, the Westies topped Lyman Hall 3-2 on Senior Night in West Haven Tuesday evening. While the winning ways have gotten the Westies back on track, the postseason run will come up short as the Westies now stand at 6-13 on the season.

















​West Haven seniors against Lyman Hall, October 24, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

"Tonight was a good win," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We played very well as a team, and stuck together to pull this one out. I feel like the girls are playing pretty relaxed, which is a good thing for this team. I appreciate them still working hard and having enough pride in this team to want to win. We won this one for the seniors tonight."  

Seniors Megan Paterson, Nancy Tapia, Lexi Burzynski, Danna Tortal, and Marianne Loo all played well in the victory.















West Haven against Lyman Hall, October 24, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

Paterson ran the offense with 23 assists and three kills, while also adding nine digs defensively. Tapia also played well on both sides with 14 digs and seven kills, while Burzynski added six kills and three aces. Loo and Tortal both played well on defense as Loo finished with six digs, and Tortal had five digs. 

Juniors C.C. Condon, Irene Ronan, and Veronica Lynn were also stellar on the court with Condon leading the defense with 14 digs, Ronan adding 10 kills and three blocks, and Lynn chipping in eight kills, three aces, and two digs. 
"Our defense held this team together tonight," Coldren said. "Because they worked so hard, it made everyone else do the same. CC (Condon) was focused and determined tonight, and as a result had 14 digs. Nancy (Tapia) once again had a great night on both sides of the ball. Lexi (Burzynski) and Irene (Ronan) did well finding the open spots on the court.  And Megan (Paterson) had another good night getting to the ball and feeding her hitters."  















West Haven with a point against Lyman Hall, October 24, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera.















West Haven with a point against Lyman Hall, October 24, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera.
















​Irene Ronan (20) with a kill against Lyman Hall, October 24, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera.


Season Finale
Westies fall to SHA 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 25, 2017) -
  The West Haven girls volleyball team was hoping to close the season on a positive note. Unfortunately for the Westies, they could not solve Sacred Heart Academy. 

After winning three of its last four matches heading into the contest, West Haven fell 3-0 to the Sharks n Hamden Wednesday evening. 

"Another season comes to an end," West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. "We had some highs and lows this season. Obviously, we would've liked to make it into the postseason, but we did accomplish some of our other team goals. The girls definitely learned how to work together, communicate, and trust each other. These were all things we struggled with at times. They learned to stay positive, even when they weren't playing well, and I'm hopeful that we will carry this over into next season. We know that coaching isn't just about x's and o's, and I'm beyond proud of how far the girls have come mentally, physically, and emotionally."
Megan Paterson led the way with eight digs and 12 assists, Nancy Tapia had nine digs and four kills, Danna Tortal had six digs, Lexi Burzynski added five kills and two aces, Irene Ronan chipped in five kills, and C.C. Condon had five digs. 

VOLLEYBALL 2017


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