Southington Ends RHAM Volleyball Winning Streak at 46

HEBRON, CT — The unstoppable juggernaut that is the RHAM High School girls volleyball team finally was stopped Monday night - and in its own gym, no less.

After a 46-match winning streak that included back-to-back Class L state championships and shutout 3-0 victories in their past 29 outings, the Sachems hosted Southington, which lays claim to some pretty fair volleyball credentials in its own right.

That ability was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt Monday, as the Lady Knights not only ended RHAM's incredible run, but did so in shutout fashion by a 3-0 count. Game scores were 27-25, 25-20 and 25-20.

A veteran squad containing five seniors and four juniors, Southington was paced by senior setter Olivia Carpenter, who had 32 assists, and 26 digs by senior Lynsey Danko.

RHAM had not lost a match since Oct. 7, 2016, a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Farmington. The last time the Sachems had lost a set was a 3-1 victory in the 2016 Class L finals, also against the Indians.

By coincidence, Southington (5-0) takes the court again Wednesday, at Farmington.

Led by coach Rich Heitz, in his 18th season, the Lady Knights have established themselves as a top program in Connecticut over the past decade. The current crop of seniors has made two trips to the Class LL semifinals and another to the quarterfinals during their tenure, compiling a career record of 46-7. Earlier, Southington won the Class LL crown in 2009 and was runner-up two years later.

File photo credit: Tim Jensen

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