The Sacred Heart Academy girls volleyball team celebrates its SCC title after beating Amity 3-2 on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at West Haven High School. (Mike Madera/For Hearst Connecticut Media) Mike Madera · CT Insider Fri, November 6, 2026 at 5:09 AM UTC About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WEST HAVEN - It is often said that offense wins games and defense wins championships. Sacred Heart Academy senior libero JJ Kirck will attest to that.
Playing spectacular defense, including 31 digs, Kirck was one of the keys in leading the second-seeded Sharks to a 3-2 (21-25, 25-11, 25-19, 23-25, 15-11) victory over top-seeded Amity in the Southern Connecticut Conference championship game at West Haven High on Thursday evening.
"Our team battled all year," Kirck said after being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "We played so many different games this year, and every game besides one, we came out on top. Tonight was just a show of how much we faced adversity."
The Sharks avenged consecutive SCC championship game losses to Amity and improved to 20-1 on the season.
"It means everything to me," Kirck said. "I'm from Amity. I love all these girls across the net. I grew up playing volleyball with all of them. I am so glad my senior year, I was able to get the dub, and I am so glad I was able to do it with my best friends."
Both teams entered the contest without losing a set thus far in the SCC tournament. Amity, which has been in the final every year since 2021 and won two in a row over the Sharks, delivered the first blow in handing Sacred Heart Academy its first set loss of the tournament by riding the play of Calleigh Parkin and Brooke Cichon in the opening set.
The Sharks pushed back and dominated the second set with a 14-point win that saw a kill by Aliya Church put the Sharks ahead 16-8 and her ace extend the lead to 20-9.
"Their defense played really well," Amity coach Seth Davis said after his team fell to 19-3 on the year. "They dig a lot of balls. They pass really well. Once we started passing, we could keep the ball in system and get the ball to Olive (Hubbard)."
The two teams used strong defensive play to split the next two sets as Kirck's defense thwarted Amity in the third set before she closed it out with a pair of service points.
The Spartans would not go quietly, overcoming a 21-19 fourth-set deficit with a pair of kills by SCC Player of the Year Olive Hubbard, a kill by Parkin, and a block by Hubbard to close the set.
"We did our job from the service line," Sacred Heart Academy coach Dave Alexandro said. "Tough serves to the seams, and it kind of took them out of system which allowed us to get some swings on the ball, and then build up a little bit of a lead. With that confidence, swinging well, hitting the ball well, kind of moving them around the court made a big difference."
The turning point came in the fifth set when a block by Paige Nelson gave Sacred Heart Academy a 10-9 lead. The Sharks never looked back as a kill by Church increased the lead to 12-9 before Isabella Pellegrino sealed the championship with a kill.
Bella Spinato was dominant for Sacred Heart Academy with 43 assists. Pellegrino finished with 25 kills, and Church added 16 kills.
Cichon had 16 kills and 17 digs, and Hubbard finished with 15 kills in the loss for Amity.
JJ Kirck, Sacred Heart Academy: The senior libero had 31 digs as her team topped Amity 3-2 to win the SCC title.
"I know wherever I get the ball up, my setter is going to set it perfectly. My job is really easy. All I have to do is get the ball off the floor." - Sacred Heart Academy's JJ Kirck.
SHA 21 25 25 23 15 Amity 25 11 19 25 11 Records: SHA 20-1; Amity 19-3.
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This article originally published at Sacred Heart Academy claims SCC volleyball title over Amity behind JJ Kirck's 31 digs .
Source: Sports
