Warren's Schuette drives to bigger, better success
There was nothing wrong with the way Warren senior Ryan Schuette played last year.
In fact, most players in their first year on varsity would have been ecstatic with 187 kills and 34 blocks for a team that won a regional championship.
But Schuette knew he could play better. He drove himself in the off-season to improve every aspect of his game.
His dedication paid off in a big way.
More Coverage Links Lake Co. boys volleyball All-Area team [05/31/08] Warren's Schuette drives to bigger, better success [05/31/08]
Schuette, an opposite, came through with 321 kills and 70 blocks. He led Warren (34-5) to the most wins in program history and a trip to the sectional final.
The 6-foot-5 Schuette is the captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County All-Area volleyball team.
"I did OK last year, but I really wanted to work on my skills to prepare myself for this season," he said. "I knew we would have a good team and I wanted to contribute as much as I could."
Last summer, Schuette worked with a personal trainer to improve his strength and jumping ability.
Schuette, who grew 2 inches in the last year, estimates that he added 5 or 6 inches to his vertical leap.
In addition, he attended a NIKE volleyball camp at Stanford. Schuette was excited at the opportunity to see how he stacked up against quality players from volleyball-crazy California.
Schuette was good enough to play with the top group -- and his confidence grew.
He followed that up with an excellent club season in the fall and winter. When the high school season began, he was on everybody's radar.
"You have to know where he's at," said Vernon Hills coach Chris Curry. "He hits shots from different positions. He will get his kills, but you can't let him take over the match."
When Schuette traveled to California in the summer, he tested himself as a player. The Blue Devils tested their ability as a team when they took a spring break trip to California.
Warren acquitted itself well and came back to Gurnee loaded with confidence.
"We made an impression on the teams out there and (proved) that we were really good," Schuette said.
Schuette credits Warren coach Yun Chen with fostering excellent team chemistry.
"We did team building during practice," Schuette said. "He was interested in us not just as players. He made a lasting impression on us outside of volleyball, and that was above and beyond what most coaches do."
For Schuette, volleyball is the perfect tonic after a day at school. Schuette, who is 26th in a class of 960, plans to study material science and engineering at the University of Illinois.
"Volleyball became a way to spend time with friends and get rid of stress from school," Schuette said. "You get to hit the ball as hard as you can, and you don't really do that in any other sport."
By pushing himself as hard as he could, Schuette enjoyed a senior season to remember.
"He had the potential to be good as a junior, but he wasn't as dominating as this season," Chen said. "He (became) one of the best right-side hitters in the state."