Boys volleyball: Grant reverses course in time to stop Antioch

It was like the Grant boys volleyball team simply flipped a switch.

One minute the Bulldogs seemed lethargic and discouraged, the next they were energetic and full of confidence.

Grant did a complete turnaround after losing decisively to host Antioch in the first set of their Northern Lake County Conference match.

The Bulldogs then rallied to win the next two sets for a come-from-behind victory, 10-25, 25-17, 25-12.

"I think we were kind of scared for some reason in that first (set) and I'm not sure why," Grant hitter Alec Barrettsmith said. "We don't have the best players out there. Not many of our guys play club. But when we get together and play as a team, and we chant (from the bench) and we cheer for each other, that's how we start playing well.

"We finally got some momentum going, the crowd got us going. Our JV guys were great. And we knew we could do much better in the second (set) and that's what we did."

Riding the dedicated cheers of the Grant junior varsity team, which filled an entire section of bleachers across the gym, the Bulldogs did everything a little crisper in the second two sets. They served better, passed better and were in more control on their attacks.

And their energy level jumped about 10 notches.

It was one of the most inspiring wins in the short five-year history of the Grant program, and a bench mark win in a season in which the Bulldogs started off 0-5.

Grant is now 7-9 overall and 3-2 in the NLCC.

"I think it comes from past years. This is a relatively new program, five years in, and we've never had a winning season," first-year Grant boys coach Michele Keenan said. "I think there's an issue with confidence. Sometimes, I think it feels like, 'Oh, here we go, we're going to lose again.' But we're trying to change that mindset and just to play the next point and they've really started believing."

Grant started the second set down 5-1, but then went on a run to take an 8-6 lead. Barrettsmith came through with a couple big kills, as did Tim O'Toole. Down again 15-14, the Bulldogs scored seven of the next eight points to take firm control. John Warren and O'Toole served most of those points during that run, and Dierk Frank had 2 big kills.

The momentum from the win in the second set carried right over into the third set. Grant got off to a 4-0 start and was up 11-3 quickly.

Barrettsmith wound up finishing off the match with two straight aces on jump serves.

"I was going to float them (the serves), but Tim (O'Toole) told me to jump, so I did," Barrettsmith. "I have a good jump serve, it's just not that consistent. But I was feeling good in that third set."

It seemed like all the Bulldogs were as they enthusiastically cheered every point as they got closer to victory.

Barrettsmith wound up with a match-high 9 kills. O'Toole added 7 kills and Jeff Helmich had 6 kills. Setter Michael Albiter had 27 assists and 9 digs and Christian Soeder added 9 digs as well.

Meanwhile, Sean Bering, Kristian Jimenez and Joey Whittall each had 4 kills for Antioch, which lost big middle hitter Will Smithson early in the match. Smithson, who had 3 blocks over Antioch's first 13 points, came down funny on one block attempt and injured his right knee, the same one he had injured two years ago. Smithson had to be helped off the court, and the Sequoits clearly missed his big block.

"Will is a crucial part of our team," Antioch coach Jamie Atkinson said. "I thought we were going to recover (from the loss of Smithson) when we won that first set. I don't know what happened in the next two (sets). It was tough without (Smithson), but we have other guys who should have been able to get the job done.

"I think we lost faith in each other a little bit and that was hard to watch. We just fell apart."

Antioch, which drops to 7-6 overall and 2-2 in the Northern Lake County Conference, also got 13 digs from Bryan Ortiz, 12 digs from Bering, 8 digs from Jimenez and 7 assists from Nathan Cielek and 6 assists from Jordan Hart.

"I think we were missing that big block in the middle that Will (Smithson) would have given us, and I think we got a little confused on our rotations without him," Cielek said. "And I think their fan section got in our heads a little bit, which was hard because we were the home team.

"I could see that we were getting frustrated."

Warren d. Vernon Hills: Despite facing deficits in each set, Warren pulled out a win, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23.

For Vernon Hills, Drake DeBoer had 9 kills and Derrick Jones had 8 kills while setter Jake Fiarito had 26 assists.

But Andrew Kim had one of his best matches of the season for Vernon Hills with a team-high 6 aces and 8 digs.

"The man of the match tonight had to be Andrew Kim," Vernon Hills coach Chris Curry said. "He kept us in a lot of points. He's really picked up his game this year. When we find a little blocking and get more experience with the offense, we'll start getting some wins."

Vernon Hills drops to 6-10 on the season.

Lakes d. Grayslake North: Lakes stayed undefeated in the Northern Lake County Conference by getting a 25-8, 25-12 sweep.

Lakes is 14-9 overall, 5-0 in league play.

Jacob Deener led the Eagles with 10 kills while setter Jake Keenan had 21 assists.

Matthew Haufe added 5 kills, 7 digs and 3 aces.