Groton Central School District

JV Volleyball

The Groton JV volleyball team secured their first win of the season and kicked off IAC play with a 1-0 league record after defeating Moravia at home on September 9th. Groton set the tone early by dominating the first two sets 25-17 and 25-19, before dropping a hard-fought third set 17-25 to finish the match.

The victory was powered by strong play at the service line and a balanced offense. Selena Neiss led the charge behind the line with 6 aces and 8 service points, while Connie Dickerson kept the pressure on Moravia with 3 aces and 5 service points. Natalia Zikeyeva delivered an all-around performance with 3 kills, 2 aces, and 2 service points, supported by Ann Seamans who tallied 3 aces, 2 kills, and 2 digs. Setting up the offense, Audrena Roach, Olivia Baker, Isabella Acevedo, and Karlee Edwards each dished out 2 assists, with Edwards also chipping in 2 kills to complete an impressive team performance.

Varsity Volleyball

In a remarkable display of grit and determination, the Groton Varsity volleyball team pulled off a thrilling reverse sweep on September 9th, battling back from a two-set deficit to capture a memorable 3-2 home victory over Moravia. After dropping the first two sets 18-25 and 19-25, Groton showed unwavering perseverance and mental toughness to turn the match completely around. Refusing to yield, they rallied with dominant wins in the third and fourth sets—taking them 25-19 and 25-13—to force a deciding fifth set. Carrying all the momentum into the final frame, Groton sealed the dramatic comeback with a 15-12 victory, improving their overall record to 1-1 and starting IAC play at 1-0.

The victory was fueled by outstanding individual efforts across the court. Danika Wright orchestrated the offense with a team-high 15 assists while anchoring the defense with 14 digs, adding 4 service points and 1 ace. Coleigh Parker delivered a powerhouse all-around performance, leading the attack with 7 kills while contributing 10 digs, 7 service points, and 3 aces. Reed Dyson matched the front-row presence with 7 kills and 7 service points of her own along with 7 digs. Aleah Myers remained a key threat at the net with 7 kills, 6 service points, 1 block, and a dig. Cecile Rose anchored the back line with 11 digs while fueling the service game with 4 aces, 4 service points, and 2 assists. Lacy Batzer set up play with 3 assists, 6 aces, 1 service point, and 2 digs, while Ariana Hillery rounded out the balanced team effort by adding 3 kills. Additionally Alyciana Stewart tacked on 2 kills and one assist.

✂️🦅 A Huge Thank You to Our Amazing Community! ❤️🖤

Last week, Groton Elementary School was fortunate to host our Back-to-School Free Haircut Event, providing Groton students with an opportunity to start the school year looking and feeling their best!

We are incredibly grateful to the talented hairstylists who generously donated their time, skills, and services to support our students and families:

✂️ Kayse Jo McKnight — Shear Style on Triphammer Road in Lansing
✂️ Tasha Snyder — Mavin Hair and Beauty on Main Street in Dryden
✂️ Loretta Graham — Owner of Loretta’s in Groton
✂️ Alexis DeGraw — Kandi’s in Groton
✂️ Audrey Aloi — Owner of A&A Beauty Station on Main Street in Groton

Your generosity helped make this event so special for our kids and is another wonderful example of what can happen when our school and community come together to support one another.

We also want to give a very special thank you to our school social worker, Adrienne DeForrest, for the time and effort she put into coordinating this event. From bringing people together to working through all of the details, Adrienne helped make this opportunity possible for our students and families.

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this such a positive event for our kids and our community. We are very fortunate to have so many people willing to step up and support our Red Hawks! 🦅❤️🖤

JV Report: The Groton JV volleyball team brought high energy and relentless determination to the court in a hard-fought match against Waverly on September 3rd. Despite a tough battle through three sets—finishing 5–25, 16–25, and 8–25—the squad showcased impressive hustle, strong communication, and constant fight on every point.

The offensive effort was highlighted by Ari Myers, who paced the team at the net with 3 kills, alongside Karlee Edwards and Olivia Baker, who added 2 kills and 1 kill respectively. Audrena Roach helped orchestrate the attack with 2 assists and a service point, while Michaela Durkee also contributed an assist. From the service line, Kacee C-W led with 2 service points, supported by aces from Natalia Zikeyeva, Isabella Acevedo, Ann Seamans, and Selena Neiss.

Defensively, Groton showed grit under pressure, led by 2 digs each from Natalia Zikeyeva, Ann Seamans, and Karlee Edwards, with additional digs chipped in by Audrena Roach, Selena Neiss, and Alese Parker. Karlee Edwards delivered a standout all-around performance across the board with 2 kills, 2 assists, and 2 digs. Though Waverly took the win, Groton’s high-energy display and competitive spirit offer great momentum building into the rest of the season.
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Varsity Report: The Groton Varsity volleyball team set the tone for their season opener on September 3rd with an electric, high-energy performance against Waverly. Playing their very first match together, the squad demonstrated incredible cohesion, grit, and passion from the opening serve. Groton came out firing to make a statement in set one with a decisive 25–18 victory, and even as Waverly responded in subsequent sets (12–25, 9–25, 23–25), Groton fought tooth and nail to the very end, nearly forcing a fifth set in a thrilling final frame.

The incredible court chemistry was matched by standout individual statistics across the rotation. Aleah Myers anchored the attack and defense at the net with 6 kills and 3 blocks, while Coleigh Parker put on a masterclass from the service line with a team-leading 10 service points, 1 ace, 3 kills, and 9 digs. Reed Dyson made her presence felt in every facet of the game, tallying 3 aces, 1 service point, 2 kills, 1 block, and 1 dig, alongside Ariana Hillery and Alyciana Stewart, who added 3 kills (and 1 assist) and 1 kill, respectively.

Setting the rhythm for the offense was a dynamic dual-setter effort from Lacy Batzer (6 assists, 4 service points, 4 digs) and Danika Wright (4 assists, 3 service points), with Cecile Rose adding 2 assists, 1 ace, and 3 service points. On the defensive end, the back row was virtually seamless: Danika Wright anchored the floor with a game-high 11 digs, complemented by 9 digs from Coleigh Parker, 7 digs from Cecile Rose, 4 digs from Lacy Batzer, and 2 digs from Leah Allen.

Though Waverly ultimately took the match 3–1, the inspirational level of fight, mutual support, and pure excitement Groton displayed in their debut proves this team has an exceptional foundation and a bright season ahead.