Boys volleyball: Beating Larkin satisfying for Elgin
Timing is everything and the Elgin boys volleyball team picked a good time to get its first win of the season.
The Maroons (1-1) head into an 8-day layoff over spring break feeling real positive after a 27-25, 25-15 Upstate Eight River win over crosstown rival Larkin in front of a sizable crowd at Chesbrough Field House Thursday night.
Junior Marcus Gonzalez led the way for the Maroons with 12 kills and 2 blocks. Courtese Cooper added 7 kills and 4 blocks.
The Maroons will resume action next weekend at the U46 tournament hosted by Streamwood.
"It's a nice way to start the break," Elgin coach Scott Stewart said. "We have a lot of nice pieces and it's just a matter of continuing to put them together. We'll take a few days off to relax and enjoy this one. Then next week we'll start getting ready for the tournament. We are expecting to do real well there."
Game 1 against Larkin went back and forth with the score being tied 8 times. The Maroons avoided dropping the opener when Marcus Gonzalez knotted the score at 25-25 with a kill. After a Larkin hitting error put the Maroons on top 26-25 Gonzalez closed out the game with another kill.
"We were able to come together and get the win," Gonzalez said. "I have never played in front of this size crowd. I was a little rattled at the start, but I was able to calm down and get myself together. "
Gonzalez has been working hard in the off season to improve his game and it seems to be paying off.
"I have gone to a lot camps," Gonzalez said. ' It's really helped me with my serving and with seeing the blocks at the net better. I'm using my peripheral vision more."
The momentum carried over to the second game for the Maroons as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead on kills by Walker Demel and Cooper. The Maroons never trailed in Game 2. A 7-2 run midway through opened an 18-11 lead. The Maroons closed out the game scoring the final 5 points, including an ace by Gonzalez.
The Maroons had an 11-5 kill lead in Game 2.
"I think we were a little nervous in the first game," Stewart said. " We just kept telling them to to embrace the crowd and use it to your advantage. Eventually we settled down and I think we did a good job of keeping the ball in play and staying aggressive without getting careless."
Francisco Ceballos had 19 assists for the Maroons and Kyle Tayag added 16 digs.
Larkin drops to 0-2. Josiah Harris led the Royals with 8 kills and 4 blocks.
"Dropping that first game kind of took the wind out of our sails," Larkin coach Jason Yeates said. "They made the plays in that first game when they needed to and we didn't. Then in the second game we found ourselves playing catch up."