Buffalo Grove tops Huskies
The wait must have seemed endless.
The Buffalo Grove Bison boys volleyball team, psyched up to play their state tournament quarterfinal match against Oak Park-River Forest, couldn't take the court until the previous match, Neuqua Valley's three-game marathon win over Glenbard East, had finished.
But once the Bison took the floor, it was business as usual.
In the final Elite Eight match, BG rallied in both games to score a resounding 25-17, 25-21 victory over the Huskies at Hoffman Estates High School.
The Bison will face Neuqua Valley at 11:15 a.m. today in the second semifinal.
Providence Catholic (a winner over Glenbrook North) and Wheaton-Warrenville South (which defeated Brother Rice) square off in the opener at 10 a.m.
"We were all excited," said BG's Matt Aiello "All of the other matches went three games, and you could feel the intensity in the gym."
"At the start of our match, though, the intensity wasn't there, and I thought we came out a little flat."
The Huskies, who entered the match with a 17-22 record but still advanced out of the St. Ignatius sectional as the top seed, was the aggressor in Game 1 and grabbed an early lead.
But 1 of Joe Ascher's 4 blocks (to go along with 5 kills) pushed BG ahead 15-14.
Senior middle Mike McEvoy's 2 block kills helped the Bison score 10 of the next 13 points to win the first game.
"I don't worry about it," said Aiello of BG's recent tendency to get down early in games. "I look out on the court (at my team), and I see a bunch of experienced guys out there who don't overreact."
The second game was eerily remiscent of the first, as the Huskies -- behind junior outside hitter Mark Brady (4 kills) -- grabbed a 10-7 lead.
Then Ascher caught fire, libero Matt Bronson served up an ace, and just like that the Bison (30-5) were 2 points away from the match win at 23-21.
A kill from senior middle Jim Wizniak and a hitting error by OPRF sent the BG faithful home happy.
"Tonight wasn't as clean as we'd like it to be," said BG senior setter Tom Angerame (14 assists), "but it was one more step in meeting our goal. We've got a few things we've got to clean up, but we're moving on."
BG junior outside hitter Chris Falknor hammered 5 kills and had 2 blocks, while Angerame and Dan Wichmann each had 2 aces.
The Bison will go into the match against Neuqua Valley and their oustanding outside hitter Jake Blackman as winners of 25 of their last 26 matches.
"Our main focus," said Angerame, "is ourselves.
"Yes, we can pick out the best hitter on the opposing team, the main guy, but we don't focus on that. We want to make sure that we're not giving up any 5-or 6-point runs."