Woodland secures seventh league title with 3-0 sweep of Naugatuck
The 22-0 Hawks defeated the Greyhounds in straight sets at Kennedy High, ending their 2026 season with a league championship before moving to the state tournament.
By Nadia Rahman ·
High school volleyball tournaments in Connecticut often feature close matches, but the Naugatuck Valley League championship on Thursday offered no such contest. Woodland defeated Naugatuck 25-12, 25-18, and 25-19 to claim its seventh league title, securing its third championship in the last five seasons.
The Hawks, who finished the regular season with a perfect 22-0 record, dominated the match at Kennedy High. Naugatuck, the defending league champion, had previously held Woodland to five-set victories in both regular season meetings. Despite that history, the Greyhounds failed to win a single set on Thursday, marking the third consecutive tournament opponent to be shut out by Woodland.
Sophomore outside hitter Lilly DeGennaro was named the outstanding player of the match. She recorded 13 kills, nine digs, and four aces. Senior middle hitter Nora Nemec contributed 14 kills, while senior outside hitter Ayla DeCrescenzo added eight kills and nine digs. Sophomore libero Leila Sheetz recorded 14 digs, which included the 500th of her career.
Naugatuck coach Kevin Wesche credited Woodland’s offensive variety for the loss. He noted that their setter distributed the ball effectively from all court positions. “They kept attacking from all different angles, front and back, middle, left and right,” Wesche said. “We tried our best, but we couldn’t stop them.”
The Hawks faced early deficits in the second and third sets but managed to overcome them. In the second set, Woodland trailed early but took control after a rally sequence. In the third set, Naugatuck led 11-5, forcing a timeout. Woodland tied the score at 13-13 before pulling away. Naugatuck held its final lead at 15-14, but Woodland scored eight consecutive points to close out the game.
Nemec recorded three kills during that final run, with her last kill serving as the championship point. DeGennaro described the team’s approach as staying focused on every point regardless of the score. “We just acted like it was 0-0 and we played every point out,” DeGennaro said.
Naugatuck, which finished 19-4, is seeded second in the Class L state tournament. Woodland enters the Class M tournament as the top seed, seeking its first CIAC title since 2013. Maya Chatfield led Naugatuck with 14 kills, while Carly Luchina recorded 14 assists and five digs. Woodland coach Jim Amato described his team’s coordination as a product of hard work in practice, noting that the players understood each other’s movements on the floor.
