Harris, Cougars take control

Vernon Hills senior outside hitter Keegan Harris found the magic formula Wednesday at Libertyville.

"Keegan played today like he always plays in practice," Cougars coach Chris Curry said. "There are times when his energy overwhelms his control. Today, he found his optimum level to play at."

Harris had a match-high 14 kills to lead Vernon Hills to a 25-21, 18-25, 25-17 victory.

Vernon Hills, the defending NSC champions, ran its record to 15-3, 4-0. Libertyville dropped to 12-5, 3-2.

To stay perfect in the conference, Vernon Hills had to withstand strong performances from Libertyville seniors Tom Hannum (13 kills) and J.J. Hill (11 kills).

"We knew they would get their kills," Harris said. "We were able to focus on the next point."

After a disappointing first game, Libertyville controlled play in the second game.

To win the third game, the Cougars had to improve their blocking. Libertyville's hitters had enjoyed an easy time of it in Game 2.

"Instead of just trying to block, we actually wanted to block," Harris said. "That made a big difference."

Harris, senior Ernie Choi and sophomore Justin Opitz proceeded to all come through with block-kills.

Opitz (17) and senior Sam Lee combined for 37 assists. Choi and junior Mike Robinson had 7 and 6 kills, respectively. Senior Alex Tartakovsky and junior Pat Stone each had 5 kills.

"(Opitz) has become a better blocker and is seeing the hitters better," Curry said. "He's understanding the flow of the offense and where to put the ball. His improvement is a large reason we don't have big lulls. He's coachable and learning so quickly."

Senior Quintin Anderson was all over the floor defensive and finished with 21 digs.

Lee said the Cougars were able to regroup prior to the start of the third game.

"Our intensity had dropped, and we knew we had to come back," Lee said. "Our bench was amazing. They were loud and supported us well."

Libertyville's attack was strong throughout. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their ability to execute on offense was limited because of subpar passing.

"We weren't moving our feet or communicating in the back row," coach Steve Rochon said. "(Games) one and three were really disappointing."

At the net, Libertyville rode the play of Hannum and Hill.

"They are major weapons," Rochon said.

While Hannum was a known quantity coming into the season, Hill is one of the area's most improved players.

"Last year he was a basketball player playing volleyball," Rochon said. "This year, he's a volleyball player. He's a tremendous young man to coach and fun to be around on a daily basis."