Boys volleyball: Glenbard East overcomes Willowbrook
It may have been the first match of the season for both teams, but a second set that needed extra points to determine a winner created an electric atmosphere in Glenbard East's victory 25-19, 31-29 over Willowbrook on Tuesday night.
"That was a great match," Rams coach Marci Maier said. "It was back and forth, (and) it was unfortunate it ended on a controversial call because the play on both sides was fantastic. That was playoff atmosphere volleyball in the first match. It was high energy and fans were on their feet. That was an awesome atmosphere to play in."
The way the match ended was anything but awesome from the Warriors' perspective. A hit attempt by Willowbrook senior Tim Keefe sailed long, but everybody wearing Warriors blue and black thought two Rams blocking at the net had tipped the ball. However, the referees disagreed, and the Rams won on that point.
"I went ahead, and I voiced my disagreement with that, but unfortunately at that point I really can't do much more than that," Willowbrook coach Ryan Bazon said about the play. "And I told the guys we can't get in a situation where that's the end-all, be-all. We have to make sure we are not leaving it in the officials' hands."
Drama was the buzzword of the night, as the Rams erased a 24-21 deficit in the second set behind back-to-back-to back kills from juniors Cal Iwinski and two from Carson Brandt in quick succession to knot the game at 24. The point that pulled the Rams to within 24-23 lasted over a minute, as Brandt finally ended it with one of his many floor-smashing slams. Maier called it a key sequence in the match.
"That huge rally that just went back and forth, like in boys' volleyball you don't see [that], that's more girls' volleyball (where) there is great defense," Maier said. "But there was great defense on both sides, it went back and forth 10 or 15 times over the net. I think we ended up winning that point which obviously gave us some momentum to try to finish (the match) out."
Brandt finished the night with 14 kills, including one that knotted the second set at 25 and then another to inch the Rams ahead 30-29. Senior Matt Smith landed 9 kills and 4 aces and threw down the kill that allowed his team to gain a 30-29 advantage and set up the controversial play that ended the match.
The first set was a bit less dramatic as the Rams quickly erased an early deficit to win comfortably 25-19. Willowbrook jumped out to a 14-9 lead behind 4 kills from Keefe, but a 5-1 run from the Rams out of a timeout tied the game at 16-16.
After retaking the lead at 18-17, the Rams went on an 8-2 spurt to run away with the first set. Smith, sophomore Jack Wozniak, and Brandt slammed down kills during that sequence leaving the Warriors with nothing to show for their competitive effort.
"We see where the bar is now, we see how (well) we can play," Bazon said. "But if this is how we play the rest of the year, I'd be a little disappointed. I think we need to progress and work each game and see where that ceiling is at and hope this isn't the peak."