Southington Volleyball Starts State Tournament With Straight Set Win
- Dan Fappiano
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Captain Paige Raines and all six of the Southington girls volleyball seniors entered the Class LL State Tournament knowing their high school careers could end there. But their first-round matchup against Darien didn’t mark the final chapter, as the Blue Knights came away with a straight-set victory, winning 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-23).
“We found the heart, found the drive, found the passion,” Raines said. “We knew this was a season-ending game for one of us. We didn’t want to stop playing. We didn’t want tonight to be the end.”
For Raines and company, the key was keeping their composure. When the Blue Knights found themselves down, they could not take their foot off of the gas. It was that mantra that led Southington to victory.
“Tonight was a big step up from how we’ve been playing,” Raines said. “Usually when we get down, we don’t fight back. But we really brought it today. We played with heart and passion, which is what I’ve been waiting for.”
Blue Knights Don’t Back Down
The first set was all in Southington’s favor until Darien took a 16-15 lead. Coach Rich Heitz took his first timeout a point later, before seeing the Blue Knights fall behind 20-18. Southington dug in and tied the game at 22-22, forcing Darien’s first timeout. The Blue Wave used that to their advantage, taking a 24-22 lead.
The Blue Knights were just one point away from losing the set. But they didn’t lose their focus. Southington rallied off three straight points to force Darien’s second timeout. After the break, the Blue Knights won the next point, securing a crucial set victory.
“It is so important to try and win that first set, especially when you have an even, competitive match,” Heitz said. “We were down a little bit at the end and we were able to pull it out. Now you’ve got momentum.”
Southington was much more in control throughout the second set. They never trailed and forced numerous long rallies. The sixth point in particular saw the Blue Knights take on numerous Blue Wave attacks and still win the rally.
But the third set was a different story. A 4-1 start for the Blue Knights proved misleading, as the Blue Wave came back to take a 15-13 lead. Heitz was forced to take a timeout, only to have to call another when Southington went down 18-13.
At that moment, Heitz sent a message to his team: “‘Guys, your body language right now is not real good.’” The squad rallied, eventually tying the game up at 21. The Blue Knights were in control, rediscovered their focus and earned a State Championship victory.
“We’ve had a lot of success in recent years. I knew if we played the level we could, we would have success tonight,” Heitz said. “It’s the seniors last game here. It was nice to lock up a win at home for them.”
Raines had 16 digs while fellow senior Cameron Wallace had six. Senior Camilla Garcia had nine kills and three aces as senior Laura Esguerra had five assists, four kills and two aces. Senior Alexandra Wagner and junior Lauren Warych each had five kills while junior Lily Eidukaityte had 11 kills, 10 digs and three aces. Freshman Emme Steindl recorded 28 assists and six digs.
Looking Backward, Looking Forward
Southington, the No. 12 seed, will take on No. 5 Amity next, tonight at 6pm. They will not host another home game unless a higher seed is knocked out. Raines acknowledged that fact, noting how much the program has meant to this group of players, shaping them as people and allowing their work on the court to translate into their lives outside.
The coach said Tuesday’s match was an opportunity for this year’s seniors to leave their mark.
“This is their moment. This is what they’ve been waiting for,” said Heitz. “For a lot of them this is their second year of varsity. They were behind some very impressive players last year. Paige has been here three years, she understands it, has been in State Championship games. It’s nice for them to finish with a win.”
In the 2024 Class LL State Tournament, Southington was the No. 1 seed and reached the semifinals. Darien came in at No. 3 and won the entire tournament. Heitz knows that both programs are held in high esteem.
But for the Blue Knights to be successful in this year's tournament, they must focus on the present. They cannot let the prestige of their jersey cloud their judgement. The 2025 Southington team must be prepared to play at the best of their abilities; nothing less will do.
“One of the things we struggled with this year at times is the fact that you’ve got Southington on your jersey and you’ve had a lot of success. Sometimes it was hard for us to get started because we figured that would make the difference,” Heitz said. “Same thing with Darien this year, the mystique of their program.”
The immediate challenge is facing Amity. Southington knows they will be a difficult matchup. Their No. 5 ranking came after a 15-3 season. No matter the competitor though, Heitz has the Blue Knights ready to fight. “They’ve got to do their job inside this 30 x 30 box,” he said. “And I’ve got to do my job by watching some video and getting them the information they need to pass the test.”
He has kept his message simple – one he hopes will carry Southington as far as they can go: “Why not us? Keep it simple. Why not us?” Heitz asked.
