Boys volleyball: Northwest All-Area team

Dan Aloisio, Conant

After a stellar junior season on the right side, the two-year varsity starter moved outside this year and rose to the occasion. The team captain finished his varsity career with 489 kills and led the team as a junior and senior in kills per game. "Dan became one of the most difficult hitters to defend in the area," said coach Peggy Scholten. "His incredible vertical jump combined with his wicked arm speed made him a constant threat to all opponents."

More Coverage Links The captain: Mitch Wiskirchen

Tom Angerame, Buffalo Grove

Mid-Suburban East's player of the year led the Bison to a No. 1 sectional seed and a berth in the 2008 Elite Eight. Angerame had an amazing 802 assists, served up 43 aces and hammered 85 kills on 134-of-142 hitting. "Tom is the most savvy and complete setter in the state," said coach Matt Aiello. "He's taken over many games this year. He can dump kill to any spot on the court and literally frustrates a team. It's been a pleasure to watch Tom mature into a great all-around player and a leader on the court."

Joe Ascher, Buffalo Grove

The dominating 6-foot-5 lefty smashed 346 kills, served 31 aces and had the ability to take over matches for BG with his intimidating hitting. Ascher proved his all-around skills as well with 87 blocks, 208 digs and 39 assists on 71-of-75 setting. "Joe is an imposing threat to kill from anywhere on the court," said coach Matt Aiello, "and as a blocker, he can take out any team's top hitter, and even plays solid back row defense. His intensity and drive pushes his team to fight for every point."

Matt Bronson, Buffalo Grove

Widely considered the best libero in the state, the senior rarely let a volleyball hit the floor on the Bison side of the court. Bronson recorded 545 digs and his spectacular play saved the day many times for BG . "He reads the game better than anyone," said coach Matt Aiello, "and can get to any ball. His teammates agree that he's been a constant for us." Bronson was aced only 7 times all season and finished 375-for-482 on serve receive. "Teams actually game-planned to stay away from him," added Aiello. "He's worked unbelievably hard and has represented our program with great heart."

Daniel Brophy, Fremd

Brophy was one of the top all-around players in the Mid-Suburban League this season. In addition to slamming 220 kills, the outside hitter was 319-for-338 on serve receive, led the Vikings at the service line with 19 aces, and recorded 46 block kills. "Dan came into this season with focus and the tools to become one of the best players in the area," said coach Curt Pinley. "I was impressed with his dedication and his leadership as captain of our team. He improved tremendously this year due to his unyielding work ethic."

Kevin Cayton, Hersey

Cayton was a record-setter for the Huskies this season. The 3-year varsity starter established school marks at Hersey in match digs (29 vs. Stevenson), season digs (512) and career digs (852). The senior also served up 24 aces with a .992 serve percentage. "Kevin was a leader on the floor for us," said Hersey coach Jodi Blazek. "He was an excellent server and also excelled on serve receive where he had a pass grading average of 2.59."

John Condon, Elk Grove

Condon made the transition from libero, the position he played in his first two varsity seasons, to setter this year and proceeded to speed up the Grens' offense. The setter finished the year with a school-record 839 assists, served 25 aces, knocked down 30 kills and had 231 digs. "John allowed our hitters to become more involved in the offense," said Elk Grove coach Dan Windholz. "He ended his season with a career-high 40 assists against Wheaton St. Francis. John has done an incredible job."

Tom Devitt, Wheeling

Despite battling tendinitis the entire 2008 season, Devitt developed into one of the Mid-Suburban League's top hitters with a kill efficiency mark of .468. The relative newcomer to volleyball also had 62 blocks and 24 aces. "I convinced Tom to give volleyball a shot as a sophomore," said coach Ed Uhrik, "and by the time his junior season came around he was playing club and developing into an outstanding hitter. It was very enjoyable to be a part of his development and had he been 100 percent healthy, his stats would have been even better."

Drew Fisher, Conant

A solid playmaker, student-of-the-game Fisher was a leader on and off the court and constantly kept opponents on their heels with his set selection and deceptive jump-sets. The junior finished the year with a .399 assist percentage. "Drew picks up on opponent's tendencies," said coach Peggy Scholten, "and makes sure that his teammates make the necessary adjustments. We're looking forward to both is leadership and his outstanding play next year."

Dan Frommeyer, Barrington

Frommeyer parlayed hard work, teamwork and talent into a spot as one of the top middles in the area. The imposing senior led the Broncos in hitting (195 kills) and blocking (75), finished with a .389 hitting percentage and a .550 kill percentage. "It's amazing how far Dan has come in a such short period of time," said coach Rob Ridenour. "He's become one of the best middles Barrington has ever had, and he became an emotional leader for the team this season."

Ryan Kedzie, Rolling Meadows

Talk about consistency - the Mustangs' junior excelled in 2008 with not only 200 kills but also 200 digs. And according to Meadows coach Janet Opels, the best is yet to come for this athletic player. "He was a quiet force on the floor," said Opels, "and I think this was a warmup year for Ryan, being only his first year on varsity. I look for an even more dominating performance next season." Kedzie was a highlight reel on defense as well with a serve receive percentage of .78, 32 balls blocked. He also served at a 95 percent pace with 13 aces.

Ronny Lampen, Palatine

Late bloomer Lampen, who started playing volleyball in his sophomore season, was a pleasant surprise for first-year coach Frank Stark. The athletic middle was dominating at times as evidenced by his 200 season kills and 96 blocks. The 6-foot-5 senior was a huge factor for the Pirates at crunch time and always seemed to come up with a key kill or clutch block. "Ronny's excellent attitude allowed him to learn the game quickly," said Stark, "and become an outstanding varsity player."

Peter Lauterbach, Conant

The unsung hero of Conant's regional championship team was aggressive on attack with 222 kills but was also a underrated performer on defense (293 digs) and serve receive (91.8 percent on 680 attempts). "It's usually the big hitters that get all of the attention," said coach Peggy Scholten, "and although Peter was one of the top hitters in the area, he was a mainstay in other areas as well. We're fortunate to have him returning for another season."

Max Martin, Hoffman Estates

The consistent and enthusiastic Martin excelled in every category this season for the Hawks. The three-year team captain smashed 316 kills, got 61 blocks, had 127 digs and 41 aces. "What a fantastic player," said coach Dan Hutton. "Max is a solid player who never left the court for us this season. He's a solid leader, and a very vocal guy who knew how to motivate the team. He definitely got us going."

Ricky Mena, Leyden

The "man in the middle" flew high for the Eagles, hammering 276 kills and recording 92 block kills. Mena played at a high level in every match, was one of the West Suburban Conference's most dominating hitters, and was also a force from the service line with 68 aces. "We had a great year," said Leyden coach Dave Sebald, "and Ricky was our go-to player. He became an offensive player that could become a large part of any match, and he did the things off the court to make himself a very good player."

Sean O'Connor, St. Viator

O'Connor was stellar in every phase of the game for the Lions. Whether it was a clutch kill, a big dig, or a stifling block, O'Connor always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. The senior finished 113-of-127 at the service line, recorded 33 blocks, slammed 101 kills with a .393 hitting percentage, and had 50 digs. "When we needed a kill this season," said coach Charlie Curtin, "Sean was our go-to guy. He gave us a great block on the right side, was a team leader both on and off the court, and is a respectful young man who led by example at all times."

Robin Phillip, Elk Grove

Top defensive player and server extraordinaire Philip became a starter this season and quickly impressed with is work ethic and leadership. The senior set a school record with 316 season digs, owned a .944 serving percentage with 29 aces, and enjoyed a 2.71 serve receive rating. "Robin was our best passer and defensive player," said coach Dan Windholz. "His passing allowed our defense to run efficiently and his work ethic was incredible. He was a team leader by his actions on and off the court."

Scott Pickle, Prospect

Pickle took over the "go-to" status for the Knights this season and delivered in a big way. His 332 kills led their attack, he was superb on service with 60 aces and delivered 210 digs defensively. "This is the second straight year that Scott was all-conference and all-area," said Prospect coach Mike Riedy. Pickle was effective on serve receive as well with 435-of-506 attempts. "Scott was an exciting player," added Riedy," who will be missed."

Kevin Prest, Fremd

A tremendous work ethic and winning attitude led Prest to be a formidable force on the outside for the Vikings. The senior was second on the team in kills with 192 and second in aces with 18. "There was never a time that Kevin was not willing to perform at his best," said Fremd coach Curt Pinley. "He worked hard to gain the trust of his teammates, and worked hard to make this season a memorable one for not only himself, but more importantly, his team."

Josh Rustman, Palatine

The 6-foot-10 Rustman towered over opponents and was an intimidating factor on the block for an improved Pirates squad. Rustman appeared in 30 matches and a team-high 87 games and hit 478-of 528 with 234 kills, 127 blocks and 65 digs. The senior excelled on service as well with a 93.5 percentage from the service line and 12 aces. "Josh is a monster in the middle," said coach Frank Stark. "He learned how to play like a 6-foot-10 middle, and led our team in attempts, kills, hitting efficiency, kills per game and blocks."

Ryan Schraub, Conant

Conant switched to a 6-2 offense this season and Schraub responded with a stellar year hitting and setting. The senior captain excelled with a .419 assist percentage in 2008. "Ryan was an offensive threat for us," said Conant coach Peggy Scholten. "He loves to jump serve and try to put opponents immediately on the defensive. He took pride in every aspect of his performance."

Bryan Skwirut, Elk Grove

Skwirut gave it his all on every point as evidenced by his 803 career kills, currently 24th on the IHSA all-time records. The dominating senior was 557-of-652 on attack this year with 323 kills, 202 digs and 40 blocks in leading the Grens to a regional championship. "No team relies on a player more than we relied on Bryan," said Elk Grove coach Dan Windholz. "He was a three-year starter and a player who made every team's defense focus on him."

Daniel Teshcner, Fremd

The quiet giant impressed teammates and opponents alike with his court presence and ability to put the ball down in key situations. Teschner led the Vikings on attack with a .92 percentage, hammered 166 kills and recorded 76 block kills. "Dan was our go-to inside player," said coach Curt Pinley. "Our team had complete confidence in him anytime he was set the ball. Dan accepted those expectations and produced when needed."

Stewart Turner-Jackson, Maine West

The Warriors' go-to hitter was a model of consistency this season. The Central Suburban North all-conference selection didn't miss a match or a game all season en route to a team-leading 135 kills, and also recorded 20 digs, 12 solo blocks and a 92 percent serve receive average. "Stewart is an amazing role model," said coach Maureen Moeller, "and his work ethic is second to none. It was a pleasure and honor to coach him for the past two seasons."

Ben Whitmer, Fremd

Whitmer ran the show at the setter position for the MSL West champion Vikings. The senior finished with 566 assists and served 243-of-251 with 16 aces. "Ben's been running our team as our 5-1 setter for the entire year," said coach Curt Pinley. "He was an athlete we could count on to bring his best effort at any time, whether it was at practice or on game day. Without Ben our team could not have achieved the goals we had set for ourselves at the beginning of the season."

Jim Wizniak, Buffalo Grove

Missing last year's Bison playoff run led the intense Wizniak to work even harder in 2008. The intimidating blocker hit 206 kills with a .401 hitting percentage, recorded 104 blocks and had 36 digs. "Jim has really added an all-around offensive game on the court for us," said coach Matt Aiello. "He wants the ball in crunch time. As the matches became more important, Jim stepped up and his emotion and intensity helps drive this team in practice and games."