Waubonsie's 3rd-game rally stuns St. Charles North
St. Charles North spent most of Thursday's boys volleyball showdown looking like a team that was ready to earn the sort of win that can define a season.
Waubonsie Valley arrived in St. Charles sporting a perfect, 6-0 Upstate Eight record, while the North Stars came in with a lone conference loss to Neuqua Valley.
"I'm very pleased with the effort tonight," St. Charles North coach Guy Lum said. "This was our chance to prove what we could do against a tough opponent in conference, and win a big match."
It looked as though Lum's team would do just that as it opened a 20-8 lead in the third game, only to watch the Warriors storm back to win that game, 25-23, and the match - 18-25, 25-23, 25-23.
"I called a timeout when we were down and told the kids to keep their heads up, keep the ball in play, and get on a run," Waubonsie Valley coach Alan Lagger said.
St. Charles North took control of Game 1 from the opening serve, as Jeff Beach and Kegan Haeseli went to work at the net, leading their team to a 13-6 advantage.
"This was one of the better matches that we've played," Beach said. "We came out really intense at the beginning."
A series of unforced errors by the North Stars allowed Waubonsie Valley to hang around until late in the game, but Matt Behrens and Haeseli helped St. Charles North put away the 25-18 win.
But whatever momentum the North Stars might have had after that win quickly vanished when Warriors rebounded as though Game 1 never happened.
"The kids just kept believing in themselves," Lagger said. "In the first game (St. Charles North) did a really good job of putting the ball in play and we putting the ball in play and we made mistakes. In the second game we did a really good job of putting the ball in play and they made mistakes."
Waubonsie Valley's Connor Dougherty and Erik Johnson patrolled the net as though it was their turf, while Traeger Penicook and John Ghassan frustrated their opponents with perfectly timed tips.
After three straight kills by Dougherty and an unforced North Star error, the Warriors had their biggest lead, 18-9. But in a sign of what was to come, the North Stars rallied as Haeseli knocked down three kills, Beach put up a pair of blocks, and Dillon Havens appeared to be everywhere his team needed him as they narrowed the margin to 23-21.
"Dillon really came through today in the clutch," Lum said. "He found the hole between the block so many times."
Waubonsie Valley won Game 2 on a block by Dougherty, but once again, momentum proved elusive. The North Stars bolted to an 11-4 lead in the decisive game, and were up 20-8, when the tide began to turn.
The Warriors took their first lead when a kill by Penicook put them up 23-22. After Beach tied the game at 23, the North Stars had a chance to serve out. But a service error swung the lead and the ball back to the Warriors, and Scott Johnson nailed down the win by serving an ace.