Jan & Feb Newsletter 2026

January / February 2026

Guidance Reminders

Villa Walsh Academy NEWSLETTER

Seniors:Ifyouhavebeenacceptedto yourEarlyDecision Schoolorhave made yourcollege decision, pleaseremember tonotify theadmissions officesofanyother school youhave appliedtoinorder towithdrawyourapplication oradmission offer.Remember–collegedepositsaredue byMay1.

Juniors:Pleaseremembertoregister for upcoming standardizedtestdates.Ifyouhave not yetupdatedyour transcript,please dosoas soonaspossible.College planning meetings willrestart inthe upcomingmonths.

Sophomores&Freshmen:Individualmeetingswillstart tooccurtodiscuss careerandcollegesearches. Shouldany student need atranscriptforvariousreasons, pleasestop bythe Guidance Officeto llouta transcriptrequestform.is form isrequired beforewecan sendatranscriptanywhere.

COLLEGENIGHTCLASSOF2027

On February10,Mrs.Devinshostedavirtual College KnowledgeNightforstudentsandparentsofthe Class of 2027.is eveningincludedMrs. Elizabeth Devins,Director ofGuidance atVilla WalshAcademy,speakingaboutthe college application process atVillaWalshAcademy,aswellas fourcollegeadmissionsofficialswho spokeaboutthe many facets of thecollegeprocess.Parentsandstudents hadthe pleasureofhearingfrom:Brenna St.John,AssistantDirector ofAdmission attheCollegeoftheHolyCross;Marlena Bhame,AssistantDirector atRutgers University; Nainaa Oberoi,Admissions RepresentativeattheUniversityofSouth Carolina;andAbigailTipton,Assistant DirectorofAdmission atVillanovaUniversity.ankyoutoallwho attended;we hope youfoundthe eveningvaluable.

ImportantUpcomingDate:

CareerDayisscheduled for Tuesday,March24,2026. estudentplanningteamhas beenworkingdiligentlyto coordinate this day,andweareverymuch lookingforwardto hearingfromouralumnae!

UpcomingTesting:

PSAT 8/9– April15,2026– for8thand9th grade students

PSAT 10–April 22,2026–for10th gradestudents

Moreinformation willbe forthcomingcloser tothe testingdates.

For allstudents and families– please remembertoutilizethe Guidance webpageforresources,includingsummerprograms, pre-collegeopportunities,andscholarships.

COLLEGECORNER

eClassof2026isremindedandencouragedtonotify Guidance with college decisions.Whileweknowthewaitingpart ofhearingbackfromcollegescanbe challenging,weaskfor you tokeep thefaith.

 Studentsshouldalso update theGuidanceOfficewith anyscholarship awardsoradmissiondecisions.

 Researchscholarships!Somenationalsourcesinclude: www.fastweb.com and www.collegeboard.org.ereis alsoscholarship information on theGuidancewebpage andindividualcollege websites.

 Studentsarealsoencouragedtolook forscholarship opportunities through their residential highschool and/ orlocallibraryfor additionalopportunities.

 Anysenior whowouldlike toreviewor discusscollege decisionsshouldpleasestop bytheGuidanceOffice.

PEERTUTORING

Peertutoringremainsavailable forallstudents whofeel they couldbene tfrom some additionalhelpwitha class.esignup for requestingandprovidingpeertutoringcan befoundon the dooroftheGuidance Office.PleasestopinoremailMrs.Devins ifyouhave anyquestions.

Villa Serves

Weonceagainhada Superbowl collection,butthisyear itwas for cereal andboxedmilk. KendallKiraly’28, AveryDraeger’28, So aMarcello’28and SarahShaloub’28organized over150 pounds of products thatweredroppedoff attheInterfaithFood Pantrywhere agrowingnumber offamilies continueto struggle within ated costsoffood,housing,insurances and other necessities oflife.

Researchhas shown thatkindnesscan domorethanmakeyou feel good,it can alsohelp withpsychologicalandphysicalhealth.

DuringVWA’sMental Health Day,VillaServespromoted ways offeelingthe rewardsandconnections ofkindness.  Blythe Dudley’26 introducedstudents toourthemeof “ePowerof Giving:  DoGood;FeelGood”.  Ashortvideo with Dr.Laurie Santos,a Yalepsychologyprofessor,highlightedscience-backed “happinesshacks”andtheideathat “actsof kindnessbringus happiness”.

Representativesofthe manyVillaWalshserviceprojects participated toshowhowstudentscan increasetheir happiness bygettinginvolvedinimportantactivities.

LaurenDoss’28andMrs.Cheiferpromoted CareCore andmade cardsforGoryeb Children'sHospital.

BlytheDudley’26and EmmaNaughton’26 representedSoldier’s Angels cards.

AnnieRionda’27represented We’veGotFriends.

ErielPorter’29discussedher workcollectingfemininehygiene products.

VivienneXiao’28shared information on localfoodpantries.

PeytonSimmons’27discussedEpoch, an aer-school program for developmentallychallenged children.

AmyPerlera’28 and SorayaTamas’28 sharedinformation on theirpajamadrive.

AmeliaKleinle’27discussedSoles-for-Soulsandinitiated a new drive.

RileyMurphy’29and EmilyO’Malley’29 sharedtheworkof Holiday Hope ChristmasDrive.

AudreyStreem’29 discussedFeedingHands.

ElodieTuck’29and NaomiScotto’29 sharedstickerspromoting ourkindnesstheme.

HOSA

eVilla WalshChapter ofHOSAheldamedical drive toprovidehygienic andmedicalproducts for Tanzanian communities as partof theMsamaria Project. ankyouto BridgetDrew’26for leadingusinthisproject. In addition,four students, MilaChevallier’29,BridgetDrew’26,LiaGriffin’27 andVivienneQiao’28 attendedVillaWalsh Academy’s rststate leadership conferenceheldatKean University.  A specialthank youtoMrs.BetsyDrewfor makingthisevent possible and attending withourstudents.

February hasbeendesignated asBlackHistoryMonth and Diversity Cafe'asked the VillaWalsh Academyfaculty andstudents tohonor theachievementsofAfrican Americans.

ABlackHistory banner wasplacedin thecafeteria toremind studentsoftheseachievementsalongwith ourspecial eventto “Openthe Doors ofHistory”. Each year,teachersandstudents areencouragedtoshare thewealthof contributionsof African Americansbydecoratingtheirclassroomdoors. Averyspecial thank youto allthe teachersandstudents thattookupthe challenge... andthewinningdoorbelongstoMr.Daher!

Inaddition, aselectionofbooks has been placedinthe library honoringAfricanAmericans and AfricanAmericanstories.

forensicsteamcompetedatthe PatersonCatholic ForensicsLeague meetsatthe followingschools:Delbarton(12/20/25– themorning aersemiwitha greatshowing),MaryHelp ofChristian(1/10/26) andMorris Catholic (1/27/26).

On February7,Villa Walshhosted thePatersonCatholic Forensics League.ereweresixschoolspresentwithover 35competitorsplus parentsandcoaches. Wewouldlike to thankthe followingparents andfaculty forhelpingwithourmeet:Mrs.Bentz,Mrs.Scannella andMrs.Carvalheiroprovidedsnacks andranourkitchen and when neededserved as judges; Dr.InnellaandMrs.Dossran the tabulationroom;Mrs.Manleyand Mr.Goldman servedasjudges; andMr.Goldman alsosupplied thebagels.Weareindebted tothese individualsforalloftheirhelp in makingourmeet asuccess.

Wewantto continueto recognize ourmemberswho havemake theNationalForensicsHonorSociety. LaurenDoss’28 made the HonorSociety last year with aMeritdesignation;weapologizefor leavingheroff last year’slist. SamanthaInnella’28 hasquali edfor membershipinthe HonorSocietywithanExcellencedesignation (theirdlevel). KieraVowells’27 hasmovedupfrom theMerit leveltotheHonorlevel (thesecondlevel).efollowingstudents madetheHonorSociety’sMerit level(the rst level): Nicole Aragon’28,NataliaBruzzichesi’29,SaraCarvalheiro-Santos’28, MilaChevallier’29,HelenaEast’29,ZoeLenz’28,Cecilia Timmons’27 and WhitneyWitko’28.

On theeveningofMarch1,coachesDr.LisaLemkeand Mrs. ChristinaDiMarzio-EmeryattendedtheNationalSpeechandDebate Association’sWoman’sCoaches’ SpringCaucusMeetingbyzoom.

Congratulationstothe Forensics Team!

Campus Ministry

XXXXX Adoration/Reconciliation

Aer returningfromChristmasbreak,Villa’sstudents, along withfaculty,staff,Sistersandparentsmadetime on January16th andFebruary 6th tospendwithJesusin adorationofthe Blessed Sacramentin ourbeautifulSt.LucyChapel. ere wasapriest available on both daysduringlunchforanyone whowished to receivethe SacramentofReconciliation.  ForLent,adorationand confessionisscheduled onceagain forthe Sisters’privatechapel, onMarch25th, onlyforstudents, Sisters,facultyand staff.Wewill gather together againin St.LucyChapelwhen wereturnfromour Easter break.

SoupKitchenMeals

Rave reviewswithlots ofgratitude are comingfromtheneighbors oftheFranciscan Friarsofthe RenewalinNewarkforthe monthly lunchthatweprovidefortheir soup kitchen. Alternating between meatballorchicken parmesan casseroles,VillaWalshstudentsare helpingtofeed200peopleeverymonth,with leoversavailable totakehome. StudentsgatheredintheCafe'on January27th and February 26th toassemblethemeals,made possiblethroughthe funds raisedfromadress-down dayinJanuary. Wewillbecooking againon March24th,answeringJesus’commandto loveour neighbors.

WeeklyRosary

EveryMonday,studentsandfacultycome togetherat 2:40p.m. inSt.Lucy Chapeltopraythe rosaryfortheneedsofthe world.  Rememberingthat OurLadyisbothJesus’motherandours,we ask herto intercede foruswhenlife seemsdifficultorconfusing. Lent isagreattimetohelpbuildthis holyhabit of therosary. All are welcome.

AshWednesday Liturgy

VillaWalsh AcademybeganitsLentenjourneyon Wednesday, February 18with a Mass celebratedinSt. LucyChapel.In additiontolendingtheirvoices tothe Chorus,ledbyMr.Paul Daher,seventh-gradestudents NorahAli'31,So aAli'31, NayahAmin'31, AmandaCarter'31,ChloeDane'31,Sheridan Davidson'31, AudreyGuerrero'31, AmeliaJohn'31, Kaitlyn Ku'31,CarinaLehnes'31,ElianaSexton'31,ElizaStreem'31, AlexaVanSlyke'31,EllaVanSlyke'31, AnnaWestaby'31, and MariamWestaby'31 assistedatthe liturgybyservingat the altar,welcoming ustochapel,proclaimingthe Scriptures,reading thepetitions,carryingthe gis,andprocessingwith thecrossand candles.e mass wascelebratedbyFr.DanMurphy,CFR.Itwasa greatstartto theLentenseason.

YouthForum with theBishop

On Tuesday,February17,VillaWalsh Academy students (Seniors MiaMagnier'26,BlytheDudley'26, Juniors Ella Trzesniowski'27, KieraVowells'27, CarolineTully'27 and Sophomores KendallKiraly'28, MaryCafasso'28),Sr.Elaine,and MissGeraghtyjoinedfellow students andcampusministersfroma varietyofCatholichighschoolsthroughout theDioceseofPaterson

toparticipatein thethirdannual“YouthDay,” hostedbyBishop Sweeneyat St.Paul Insidethe WallsinMadison.

edaywascentered onhoweachschool livesouttheir 'Catholic Identity.'eday'sthemecenteredaroundtwo questions:  "What makes a Catholic school 'Catholic'?"and"Whatdoyoumean when yousay,'Igo toa Catholic school'?" eday focused on answering thesequestionsanddiscussionaboutthingswecouldinclude andimproveon inourownschools.edayincluded prayer, icebreakers,smallgroupdiscussions,andadoration.

Akeyfocus of thedaywasre ectingonwaysin whichto liveout ourfaith andfullydedicate ourlivestothe Lord.Students le with acardwherethey wrotea wordthattheywanted tolook backon for the restoftheyear.Wealsodiscussed theupcoming Lenten season,with anemphasison prayer,fasting,andalmsgiving.

Itwasa meaningful dayofprayer,fellowship,andspiritual growth.

Epoch Ministry

Everyursday,VWAHighSchoolstudentsareinvitedto jointheir peersingoingto EPOCH, moderatedby Miss Geraghty'15. EPOCH (EducationalProgramsofChildren Handicapped)isa uniqueaer-schoolprogram forspecial needs children whoareunable toparticipatein traditionalaerschoolactivities. Established inMadison nearly50yearsago,it servesdevelopmentallydelayedchildrenbetween theagesof6 to21.estudent Epoch VolunteersfromDecember/January are:Seniors KayleyBascom'26, GiselleScannella'26, Karina Siegel'26, Juniors PeytonSimmons'27, EveLoughran'27, SarahPorr'27, GraceSokol'27, AvaSansano'26,Isabella Orosz'27, MaeveDam'27, LiaGriffin'27, andCecilia Timmons'27

Art Department

CongratulationsElizabeth!

Weareveryproudto announcethat ElizabethLebowitz’27 won two GoldKeyAwards,threeSilver Key Awards,and oneHonorableMention with her sportsphotographyinthe prestigiousregionalScholastic ArtAwardsCompetition. Her GoldKeyworks willnext advancetonational judging.National winnerswillbe announced inMarch.

ArtworkonDisplayatMPAC

SheridanDavidson’31,Mei-LinnKellam’30,VeraWang’30 and MariamWestaby’31 submitted works of artthatwereaccepted into theannual Mayo PerformingArtsCenterCoverContest. eirworkwillbeondisplayforthe month of Marchinthe MPAC gallery.ereception isonTuesday,March3rdat 6:30pm atMayoPerformingArts Center.

Congratulationstoourartists!

Spanish Department

Felicitacionesto AnneRionda’27,whose artwork“Gloria”was published inAlbricias,nationalmagazineoflaSociedadHonoraria Hispánica.LaSociedadhas2,000schoolchapters throughout theUSA.Eachteachermaysubmit3studentworksperissue, prose-poetry-or art.ecolorfulcollage wasatributeto Anne’s grandmother,Gloria,who escapedin heryouthfrom Cubaunder theregime of FidelCastro.

Italian Club / Italian Honor Society

On February3rdand4th,the ItalianClubandItalianNational HonorSociety organized abakesaleto supportthevictimsof CycloneHarry inSicily,Italy.ankstothegenerosityand hard workofourstudents, we raised$225,whichwas donatedto the towns affectedvia the ItalianAmerican Relief.org connected tothe NIAFassociation(e NationalItalianAmerican Foundation).

Aspecialthankyouto ValentinaCalipa’26,Elizabeth Edattel’26,EveLoughran’27,SarahPorr’27,TessaArturi’29, and AudreyStreem’29fortheirdelicious desserts. iseventwas awonderfulexampleofour school communitycomingtogether tomakea difference acrossthe world.

Robotics

eVWRoboticsTeamhas beenworkinghardsincekickoff,and thatdedicationwas on fulldisplayatthe1st AnnualTriviaNight.It wasanightfulloflaughter,fun,andgreatmemories.Itwasahuge successandwe lookforwardtodoingitagainnextyear! anks to theincrediblesupportfromourcommunity,weraisedsigni cant funds tosupportthe team thisseason.

eteamhasputinlatenightsandcountlesshoursto make sure theyarereadyforthe rstcompetition,whichisheldthe rst weekendinMarch.Inadditiontobuildingandre ningtheir robot, theyhavebeen creatingavideo submissionfortheImpactAward. eteamis proudof howfar theyhavecomeand theyareexcited tosee everythingcometogetheratcompetition.

Athletics

SwimmingVarsity

eswim team nishedtheseasonstrongona 3-gamewin streak.  eteambeatParsippanyHigh89-73. e followingswimmers had1stplace nishes: 200medleyrelayof LaurenPetrie’27,Anne Rionda’27,CameronShull’26,and SierraWarjanka’26;200 FreeChloeScheuerman’28;200IM AnneRionda’27; 50 Free & 100 Fly CameronShull’26;100Free LaurenPetrie’27;400Free AnneRionda’27;200FreeRelayofCatherineAzares’29,Chloe Scheuerman’28,SierraWarjanka’26and CameronShull’26; 100 BackLaurenPetrie’27;100Breast CatherineAzares’29; 400 Free RelayofLaurenPetrie’27,CatherineAzares’29,Chloe Scheuerman’28,and AnneRionda’27. eteambeatParamus Catholic90-74. efollowingswimmershad1stplace nishes:  200 Medley Relay LaurenPetrie’27,AnneRionda’27,Cameron Shull’26,and SierraWarjanka’26;50Free SierraWarjanka’26; 100 Fly CameronShull’26;100Free LaurenPetrie’27;200 Free Relay LaurenPetrie’27,CatherineAzares’29,Cameron Shull’26,and AnneRionda’27;100Back LaurenPetrie’27; 100 BreastAnneRionda’27. eteambeatFranklin School 92-46. e followingswimmershad1st place nishes: 200 Medley RelayofMilaChevallier’29,AnneRionda’27,Cameron Shull’26,and SierraWarjanka’26;200Free LaurenPetrie’27;50 FreeSierraWarjanka’26;100Fly CameronShull’26;100Free AnneRionda’27;200FreeRelayofAnneRionda’27,Lauren Petrie’27,CatherineAzares’29,and CameronShull’26;100Back LaurenPetrie’27;400FreeRelayofSierraWarjanka’26,Mila Chevallier’29,LaurenPetrie’27,and CatherineAzares’29. e teamisalreadyexcited for nextseason.A special thankyouto teammanagerAlexisSica’26 forall of her help overthe past two seasons.

WinterTrackVarsity

eWinterTrackTeam “raced”fromonemeet to thenext during themonthsofJanuaryandFebruary.

e rst trip of theseasontothenewly renovated“Bubble”in Tom’sRiverprovedtobethe highlightoftheseason.Forthe4th yearinarow,VillawontheNon-PublicBStateRelays,aera close battlewith HudsonCatholicandMorristown Beard.e distance medley teamofBridgetBoler’26,LyndsaySheaffer’28,AvaVan Etten’29,and BlytheDudley’26 placed rst.e sprint medley squad,consistingof GraceBoler’29,JillianPaolino’26,Emma Naughton’26,and BlytheDudley’26, nishedinsecondplace (7 hundredths) behindMorristown Beard,butwitha new school recordtime of 4:23.71.

AttheMorris CountyChampionships at OceanBreeze,two athletesbrokethree school records. BlytheDudley’26wonthe 1600mracein5:03.30andbroketheschool recordbytwo seconds -arecordthat she herselfsetlast year.Shethentooksecondplace inthe1000m,breakingherown schoolrecordfromearlierthis seasonbyhalfasecond.AzariahAndrews’27 tookdownthe 55mdashschool record,whichwas setby GiannaVilloresi’19 in 2017.Azariah ran theracein7.40seconds,9hundreds faster than Gianna.atgother2ndplaceoverallinMorrisCounty.Congrats tobothrecordsetters,andcongratulations totheentireteamfor manystrongperformances.Villaplaced4thamong20teams!

ATHLETICS

ePrepMeetatLawrencevillewasa2-day meetwithseveralPR’s andgreatperformances. Villawasin rst placeduringday1,but eventuallycouldnotkeepupwithMontclairKimberley,thewinner ofthe2026PrepBmeet.On daytwo, BlytheDudley’26won3 events:the 800m,1600m,and3200m,whichhasneverbeendone bya Villaathletebefore.Manyofourathletes achievedPRs,and GraceBoler’29broketheindoor 400mschoolrecordwitha time of1:01.25!

elastmeetoftheseasonforthe entireteamwasthe NJSIAA NP BGroup meetinToms River.AbigailWright’28 achieved anew personalbestin thepolevault andquali edfortheMeet ofChampions.Other quali erswereBlytheDudley’26(in the 1600mand3200m)and EmmaNaughton’26,wholaunched the shotput29feet,4 inchesforanew,shinypersonalbest. Villa nished the meetinfourthplace.

Congratulationstothe team,who thinkthat20degrees andsunny isagreatdaytorunoutside!Keepupthe good workandstayin shape!

Goodlucktoour3MOCquali erswhowillbecompetingat OceanBreezeinStatenIslandonMarch8,2026!

BasketballVarsity

eVikingscontinue to battle throughacompetitiveschedule, standingat 17–10 (4–5 NJACLibertyDivision)and provingthey can competewithanyoneinthe NJAC LibertyDivision.  eNew Yearopened ontheroadagainsttheMadisonDodgers,where theVikingsdelivereda remarkable comebackvictory,44–37, aertrailingbynineat halime.Adominant29–13secondhalf poweredthewin,ledby SerenaSabatella’28 13 points,6rebounds, 1assist, 3steals; MichelaVaccaro’2611 points,9rebounds,1 steal; and CaraFitzpatrick’26 8 points,3rebounds,and1 steal.  e Vikings then traveledto West MorrisCentral,wherea slowstart provedcostlyina43–53loss.MichelaVaccaro’26 ledwith 15 points,14rebounds,and3blocks; SerenaSabatella’28 added10 points,5assistsand1 steal;and KatherineCanon’28 contributed 9points,5 rebounds,3assists,1steal,and1 block. Returning homefortheir rsthomedivision matchupofthe season,the Vikings welcomed statetoptenpowerhouseMorrisCatholicand deliveredoneoftheirbest teameffortsofthe year.e nalscore, 45–75,didn’tre ecthow ercelyVillaWalshcompetedfromthe openingtip allthewaytothebuzzer,meetingevery challenge withtoughnessandenergy.e offensewaspacedby Michela Vaccaro’26 14 points,alongwith4rebounds and2 blocks. KatherineCanon’28turnedinabreakoutperformancewitha career-high 13points,2 rebounds, andan assist. BriannaPolito’29 added6 pointsand6 rebounds,battlinginthepaintandgivingthe Vikings astrong,physical presenceontheboards.

On asnowySaturday,theVikingshittheroadanddelivered adominant71–46victoryover the AcademyofHolyAngels, showcasingone of theirmostenergized teamperformancesofthe season.CaraFitzpatrick’26 lit itupwitha career-high24points, drillingseventhree-pointersandadding4rebounds,2 assists, and2 steals. KatherineCanon’28 netted 12points,battled on the boards with 5reboundsand2 assists,while SerenaSabatella’28 poweredin12points, 4rebounds,3assists,and4 steals. eresa Bowers’26 added11pointsalongwith 6reboundsand 3assists,

and EmmaGubernat’29 chippedin3 rebounds and acareerbest4assiststohelpseal thewin.A packedgymbuzzing withnoiseanda vibrantcrowdset thestagefora hard-fought rematchat MountainLakes,wherethe Vikingsbattledto the endina 32–39loss.Despitetheoutcome,thescoringwas balanced andtheeffort relentless. EmmaGubernat’29turned inabreakoutperformancewith acareer-high7points,1 rebound,and an impressive7steals. CaraFitzpatrick’26added 7points,whileBriannaPolito’29chippedin5pointsand2 rebounds,givingtheteamsteadyproduction inside.

SeniorNight packedthe gymwithenergy,andtheVikingsfed offeverybitofitin athrilling57–46win overMendham.e crowd wasloud,thepacewasfast,andtheteamdelivereda performance thatmatchedthemoment. Scoringcamefromall over the oor:MichelaVaccaro’26poweredin 12pointswith 4rebounds,a steal,and ablock. eresaBowers’26 added 11points,4rebounds,and2 assists;while CarolineTully’26 matched her with11pointsofher own,includingthree clutch threes, plus 4rebounds andanassist. SerenaSabatella’28 keptthe offensehummingwith 9 points (twofromdeep), 6 rebounds, 6assists, andasteal.And So aKearns’26anchored thedefense with agritty,high-energyeffortandchipped in5 assiststo helpcloseout thewin.ecombination ofintensity, teamwork,anda red-up homecrowdmadethis2026Senior Nightoneto remember.eoffensewasfueled by Serena Sabatella’28,whoexploded for a career high 21points,along with6 rebounds,4assists,and6 stealsin astandouttwo-way performance. KatherineCanon’28 continued her strong play with 11points, 5rebounds,3 assists,and5 de ections, impactingthegameon bothends. CarolineTully’26 added 9points,3 rebounds,4assists,and3steals; while eresa Bowers’26 chippedin8 points. MichelaVaccaro’26 contributed 7pointsandhelpedanchor theinterior witha combined12 reboundeffortalongside her teammates. So aKearns’26 and KendallKiraly’28each added 5points toroundoutthe balanced scoring.

AlivelySaturday morning crowdpacked thegym for thePrepB semi nal,and theVikings fed off thatenergyfromtheopening tip,deliveringanotherpowerfulhome performanceandracing outtoateamseason high23pointsinthe rstquarter ontheir wayto aconvincingwinoverNewark Academy.Scoringand playmakingcamefromeverycornerofthelineup: Serena Sabatella’28 ledthechargewith 20points, including four threes, alongwith2reboundsand4 steals. MichelaVaccaro’26 dominatedtheinteriorwith9 points,11 rebounds,and2steals. eresaBowers’26 delivered one of hermostcompletegames oftheseason,adding 7points,5rebounds,and acareerhigh6 assiststo keep theoffense owing. CaraFitzpatrick’26 chipped in6 points,helpingmaintain themomentumthroughout. eVikingsreturned to thePrepBFinalathomeagainst Pennington,carryingthestingoflast year’s championship lossandcominginhungryforredemption.Aer astrong rst halfthatkeptthegamewithinreachat 26–32,themomentum slippedawaylate,andVilla ultimatelyfell36–57despiteatough, hard-foughteffortfromstartto nish. SerenaSabatella’28 led with15points,4rebounds,and2 assists. MichelaVaccaro’26 added6 points,4 rebounds,anassist,and2blocks,battling inside on bothends. eresaBowers’26turned ina strong

performance on theglasswith6hard-earned rebounds,giving theVikingsa neededpresencein thepaint. ErielPorter’29 contributed4 pointsand3 rebounds,providing valuableminutes offthe bench.Evenin defeat,the team’sgrit, urgency,andrefusal toback down showed justhowmuchthey’vegrown sincelast year’s nal.

Play4Kaynighton2/20/26turnedthe gym intoanunforgettable experience.A seaofpink,apacked house,andavibrant,buzzing crowd readyto honorthelegacyofthe lateKayYow.e energy waselectricfromthemomentwarmupsbegan,andbytipoff,it feltlikethe entirecommunity hadsqueezedinto cheer on the Vikings. EasternChristian jumpedoutto aquick 7–0lead,but theVikingsrefusedtolet themomentslip away.eyregrouped, lockedin,and completely ippedthe gamebeforehalime, takinga26–19leadinto thebreak.e momentumonly grew fromthere asVillastormed throughthethirdquarter with adeep (3)from CarolineTully’26thatsparkedan 18–9run,ultimately securingapowerful52–34 victoryona nightthat meant somuch more thanbasketball. MichelaVaccaro’26rose tothe occasion withacareer-high20points,12rebounds,3 de ections,anda steal,dominatingboth endsofthe oor. KatherineCannon’28 added7 points,2 rebounds,5assists, and2steals,keepingthe offense owing. ErielPorter’29delivered 4points, 6rebounds, andastronginteriorpresence with akeyblock. So aKearns’26 and EmmaGubernat’29 anchored thedefense,holdingEastern Christian’stopscorerto just twofree throws intheentiresecond half,a lockdown effortthatsetthe tone forthewin.Itwas anight lledwithpurpose,passion,andpride.An atmosphereworthyof KayYow’slegacyanda performancethatshowed exactlywhat it meanstobe aViking.

NextUp –eState Non-Public BTournament. GoVilla!

BasketballJV

eVilla WalshJVVikings hadaveryproductiveand successful basketballseason.eteam nishedtheregular seasonwitha 16-1recordandearnedthe#1seedintheMorrisCounty JV Tournament.e teamfoughthardbut losttoRandolphHigh Schoolin thesemi- nals.eJVVikings nishedthe yearwith anoverallrecord of16-2,butmoreimportantly,theteamgot better witheach game,andthegirlsgenuinelyenjoyed every momentofthe season.

Leadingthe teaminpointsthisseasonwere KendallKiraly’28 (11ppg), So aVelez’28(10ppg), and NatalieBrinkworth’28 (10ppg). IsabellaNilio’27 (4 apg)and LucySmart’29(5 apg) led theteamin assists. ErielPorter’29 (7 rpg),LexiStappas’27 (4 rpg), and KendallKiraly’28(6 rpg) led theVikings in reboundingthisseason. GeorgianaHushon’29,GraceCosta’29, SophieSims’29, and CarolineCaughey’29alsochipped in this season,havinga hugeimpactonthe team’sdefensiveculture and overallsuccess thisyear.

eVilla WalshJVVikings 2025-2026seasonwas lledwith manylessons,learning,laughing, andwinning. Wecan’twaitto seewhat isinstorefor nextseason.  Greatjob,Vikings!GoVilla!

BasketballFreshman

eVWFreshman Basketballteam hadanunforgettableseason!Each gameshowcasedgrowth,determination, andresilience. Caroline Caughey’29 played incredibledefense,grabbed offensiverebounds, nished withpowerlayups,andperformedwellatthefree-throw line.Ourstandout pointguard, GraceCosta’29,ledtheteamwith positivityandoutstandingperformances.Her quick handsresulted innumerousstealsand fast-breakopportunities. NoreenMack’29 worked hard,makingcrucial reboundswhenthe teamneeded them themost. SophieSims’29 wastheteam’sleadingthree-pointshooter; she hadastandoutgameagainstImmaculataHighSchool, sinkingfour three-pointers and had aseason highof17points. AlyviaSimmons’29 wasa erce defender,consistentlyshuttingdownheropponentsand stepping up tosinkcrucialjumpshots.ElodieTuck’29 nished the seasonstrong,contributingimportant baskets andforcingturnovers ondefense. BrookeKenny’29and TessaArturi’29showcased impressivedefensiveskills,effectivelystoppingtheopposingteam’s scoringattempts,whilebringingrelentlessenergyandteamwork! Jules Joshi’29excelledbehindthescenesasteammanager,meticulously ensuringthat ourgamesandpracticesran smoothly.

Congratulationstothe VWA Freshmanteam!Yourhardworkand dedicationmade ita fun rstyearonthebasketballcoaching staff for CoachPizzo!

BasketballMiddleSchool

VillaMiddleSchoolBasketballTeamwrappedupits awesome season onFebruary 6thwith anEndof Season Pizza Party.Awardsweregiven to:

MVP -EllaVanSlyke’31

Green& White -CarinaLehnes’31

Coaches Award-AmeliaJohn’31

DefensivePlayer oftheSeason- AlexaVanSlyke’31

MostImproved - AmandaCarter’31

HustleAward- So aAli’31

Best Shot Form- ChloeDane’31

SpringKick-OffMeeting

eathleticspringkickoffmeeting forallspringstudent-athletes and theirparents willbeheldon Monday,March 16,in theSDLACfrom 5:30-6:30pm.

AthleticLeadershipCouncil(ALC)

Dueto the snowandvirtualday,the ALCdidnotmeet in Februarybut will resumeworkatthe nextmeetingscheduledforursday,March 19.