Glenbard West bags rivalry match

St. Francis couldn't beat Glenbard West on the boys volleyball court Wednesday, so the Spartans joined the Hilltoppers off the court.

Glenbard West collected the teams' traveling Feed the Need trophy with a 25-9, 25-16 victory in their annual match, though the Spartans (16-16) still lead the series 4-3.

More importantly, they collected about 120 bags of food for area food banks.

The teams not only have become partners in a good cause, they also have become friendly rivals over the years. In addition to the Feed the Need match, they see each other at tournaments throughout the season and could meet at the Oswego East sectional, where the Hilltoppers are the top seed and St. Francis is the 12th.

"This is a big neighborhood rivalry," St. Francis coach Mike Lynch said.

"It's fun because we've known the coach and the team for a long time," said Hilltoppers senior Ryan Condon, who played the national anthem before the match on his guitar, "just seeing how each team has progressed over the years. It's one big match every year. It's near the end of our season so we're preparing for playoffs."

Glenbard West (26-2) looks well prepared for the postseason.

The Hilltoppers cruised through the first game, putting the young Spartans away quickly.

The second game was a different matter. The Spartans led 4-2 after a kill by senior Conor Reinke, a Glen Ellyn resident. The Spartans kept the game close to 16-14, but the Hilltoppers closed with a 9-2 run, winning match point off a serve by senior Michael Marchetti.

"We had a letdown," Glenbard West coach Christine Giunta said. "There's (Advanced Placement) testing and so much, I'm trying to keep them focused. This is a really hard time for the kids right now, and I'm really proud of them for what they do every day.

"They're unbelievable. And they're perfectionists. When they're on, they're on, and when they're not on they're still fine. They're working really, really hard."

For St. Francis the second game was about a young team growing and improving.

"When we got to the second game they showed a lot more poise and we were able to run some stuff," Lynch said. "I seriously think they're the top team in the state, and when you play the top team in the state like that, I'm proud of how the kids played that second game."

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