advertisement

Boys volleyball: York touts team chemistry in win vs. Waubonsie Valley

Ah, the first match of a season - the hopes and dreams are fresh, and achievable, for every team.

That included the York and Waubonsie Valley boys volleyball teams, who began their seasons facing each other Tuesday in a nonconference matchup.

The Dukes prevailed 25-16, 25-18, but both teams had reasons to feel optimistic after the contest, which took less than an hour to complete.

"I think the energy is really high and the guys are doing really well, especially on the bench, if they're not getting in," said York senior outside hitter Ethan Chael. "So I think there's a positive attitude, and going into harder games, there's going to be a lot of fun energy, and we'll be able to execute a lot better because of the guys who are on the team."

Added senior setter Riley Wilson: "We have a lot of seniors this year, so I think the experience is a big part of it. We're a very bonded team that's ready to get after things."

  Waubonsie Valley's Carter Langendorf can't stop a shot by York's Jacob Wiggins in a boys volleyball game in Elmhurst. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com

Chael and Wilson played big roles in both game wins for the Dukes.

In the first game Wilson served York from a slight 6-4 lead to 9-4 in the blink of an eye, which prompted Waubonsie Valley coach Noel Soto to call the first of two timeouts in the contest. The second came after Wilson's serving increased the lead to 20-15. A little while later, Chael ran the table to secure the win, thanks in part to a Warriors' return into the net and a defensive miscommunication that allowed the ball to drop between several players. A big block by Sam Walsh clinched the victory.

In the second game York had to battle back from a 14-11 deficit and did so thanks to the serving of senior outside hitter Aidan Hickey and senior middle hitter Jack Rosenberg. With the game tied at 16, Wilson served York up to 16-19, and after a serve into the net by the Warriors' Marc Bailey, Chael bumped that lead to 21-17.

Down 23-18, Soto called time out again, but to no avail, as York senior Collin McCarville posted an ace and induced Waubonsie Valley to return a serve into the net to conclude the game and match.

"This is the first time in eight years we've run a 6-2, and always having three attackers in the front row makes me really optimistic," York coach Ken Dowdy said. "We have 12 seniors. We have senior leadership."

Across the court you might have thought it was a tough night for Soto and his charges, but he, too, was optimistic.

"We're a young team - we have two returning starters from last year," he said. "There's only one place we can go - up. This is a team that really wants to work. They come to practice every day, they push themselves to get better, and I think they only are going to get better."

  York's Sam Walsh celebrates a point against Waubonsie Valley in a boys volleyball game in Elmhurst. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com

Senior Matthew Despain led the Warriors with 5 kills, while freshman Michael Lu had 4 and sophomore Ben Schweiger had 3. Bailey had Waubonsie Valley's only ace.

"We're a young team and we're only going to get better," Schweiger said. "We're going to face them later in the season, so we're going to have to work our behinds off in practice and we're going to get it."

"Although we don't have very many returning varsity players, even in our first game we had a pretty good amount of charisma, and played pretty well together and gelled pretty decent," Bailey added.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.