Boys volleyball: Wheaton Academy outlasts Marmion

The first few weeks of the spring season have been tough for high school teams attempting to play outdoor sports.

Some indoor teams have endured some odd happenings as well.

Playing just its second match of the young season, Wheaton Academy's boys volleyball team rebounded from a subpar second set to defeat Marmion, 25-18, 15-25, 25-18, during Monday's nonconference action in Aurora.

"This was our first match with everybody together," said Warriors coach D.A. Nichols, whose team evened its record at 1-1. "We've had two practices with everybody there since we started back in March.

"It has just been a weird spring. We've had senior trips, choir trips and spring break so we just don't really know what we can do yet."

Wheaton Academy got off to a promising start as junior middle hitter Mike Ferek recorded 5 of his match-high 13 kills in the opening set, supported by senior middle Josh Walraven (6 kills, 2 blocks).

Junior outside hitter Jake Bettag led the Cadets with 4 kills in the first set.

"We do tend to start slow," said Marmion coach Barb Ebert.

Marmion raised its intensity level in the second set, using a 6-0 service run from junior Christian Damico to build a 15-6 advantage.

Junior captain John Roche recorded 4 kills in the second set for the Cadets while sophomore Zack Minnis added 2 kills and a pair of blocks.

"Zack is a huge scrapper," Ebert said of Minnis. "My favorite thing is when he gets his first hit of the game because I don't think anyone expects him to get as high in the air as he does."

In the decisive third set, Marmion clung to a 12-11 before the Warriors took charge, sealing their first victory of the season with a 6-0 run to end the match.

Senior outside Zach Upp and Ferek each delivered 6 kills while Walraven added 3 kills and a pair of blocks.

Playing with a prosthetic right arm, Upp (11 kills, 2 aces) sat out the first game due to an unusual circumstance.

"There's a piece that goes inside that keeps the arm locked in," said Nichols. "Of all things, I was excited to get everybody here and then he forgets that (piece)."

Once Upp got the piece for his prostethic arm, he displayed plenty of power with his left arm.

"It threw him off a bit and he missed two or three hits but he got it going," said Nichols.

"He forgot his arm at home so once he got that everything was good," added Ferek. "He's a huge attribute to our team."

Luke Fritz added 3 kills and an ace for the Warriors.

"We've got Streamwood Wednesday and then a tournament Saturday but we'll be missing two guys because of the ACT test," said Nichols. "Three weeks in, maybe we'll have everybody to stay."

Carlos Luna recorded a pair of aces for the Cadets while Bettag added 6 kills and a block.

"Last year was our first year ever so this one year has made such a difference," said Ebert. "Zach (Minnis) in particular has been one that has really embraced the game, staying after practice and working on his serve - just learning the game.

"They've all kind of stepped into that. We don't want to just play - we want to be good."