It took five intense periods for Hall to defeat crosstown West Hartford rival Conard. 

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

Hall vs. Conard girls volleyball. Oct. 21, 2025. Photo credit: Maddie Geraghty

By Maddie Geraghty 

On Tuesday, Oct. 21, Hall (12-6) and Conard (10-7) girls volleyball teams battled it out in a match that could only be described as combative. Both teams brought equal competitiveness and energy to this rowdy showdown, in order to show West Hartford who runs this town.

The game, played at Hall, had the fans out of their seats, teammates losing their voices in support of the players, and lots of screaming. They played five periods; the first four were played to 25, win by 2, and the last one to 15. 

In the first, Conard came out of the gate hot, with a lot of energy, beating out Hall’s effort. Both teams still put on a show, with good communication between the starters. Hall showed growth from their first games, with improved connection and playmaking. However after a couple minutes, Conard picked it up and Hall seemed to lose their edge.

Hall vs. Conard girls volleyball. Oct. 21, 2025. Photo credit: Maddie Geraghty

In efforts to bring themselves back into the running, Natalie James (15) took the lead as a playmaker, distributing the ball effectively to players like Zuri Freeman (21). Freeman also showcased her ability to serve, hitting a streak of four in a row in only the first set. The scores stayed fairly even throughout the majority of this match. The teams tied it up, 17-17, and Hall had great effort from the defense. Regardless, Conard managed to slip a few points by them. With a score of 17-20, they took a time out. This helped the teams regroup and refocus for the home stretch. Both teams ended this period with fiery energy, jumping for kills and diving for low digs; however, Conard got the point for this set, which ended 25-17.

Hall needed a win in the second set to even the playing field. Conard started out strong with two strong kills and Hall clapped back with three. Throughout this part of the game Reva Shrestha (7), Captain Alison Chen (19)  and James showed their steady defensive skills and got to any loose balls. Both teams fought their way up the scoreboard, point by point they kept their effort intact.

Hall vs. Conard girls volleyball. Oct. 21, 2025. Photo credit: Maddie Geraghty

One of the minor struggles that affected both Conard and Hall was the difficulty to recover after getting low digs. The liberos were consistent and effective but sometimes you don’t catch the ball at a good angle. Recovering from the strong kills both teams were sending over the net was no easy feat. The energy in this game is what defined it. Conard brought the heat, jumping up and down, fans cheering loud and players leaving their all on the court. With this liveliness they got a small lead 14-9 over Hall and increased it to 25-19 to win this period.

Hall families with pom-poms and cardboard cutouts in the stands kept morale high. The bench was supportive and encouraging, reminding players that the game is never done until it is done. In set 3 the crowd was roaring, and Hall was up 6-12. But anything can happen so early on, and the score tied up at 13-13. Freeman took this pressure and made it a motivator, she was focused. She kept Hall in the lead with her repeated aces off almost all of her serves. Once again she went into a streak which Conard just couldn’t recover from.

Progressing from 17 to 22, they didn’t need much to win. If Conard came back from this, they would win the whole game. Hall needed to hold them off. A team effort won them this game, with two sets to one, Hall needed just one more set to secure the match victory. 

Hall couldn’t let this win get to their head. Conard could still get this match and take the three out of five needed for success. Hall didn’t let them.

The fourth period was a fight, a scrappy battle. Hall came out fiery and rowdy and had a huge lead 21-11. In an unexpected turn of events, Conard stormed right back, making their way back into the playing field and tied up the game 23-23. Conard still had a chance, they had an amazing kill to the far right back corner, which brought the score to 24-23. Hall hit right back with a short tip over the net right back bringing the score 25-24. With all fans biting fingernails, captain Faith Wada (13) had a set winning kill. The final score was 26-24, giving Hall another win so each team had 2.

This last set would be a brawl.  

In the fifth set they played to 15, win by 2. Both teams were perfectly matched, trading punches until deep into the set. It was a classic tug of war that kept the score within only a few points. To end this match 16-14, Hall’s Alison Chen served it over and Conard shanked the serve. 

A super close game, only can be described as a scrappy battle. While this game seemed scrappy, both teams stayed calm and organized, not letting the pressure shake them. Hopes were down after the first two sets for Hall, but recollecting during timeouts, and the fans in the stands, brought back the team’s energy for the win. 

Conard has one more regular season game remaining, against Avon on Friday. Both teams have already qualified for the postseason Class LL tournament.

Hall vs. Conard girls volleyball. Oct. 21, 2025. Photo credit: Maddie Geraghty

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