WW South finds the bright side

The Wheaton Warrenville South boys volleyball team didn't have to look too hard to find a silver lining Friday night.

Squaring off against Hinsdale Central in the sectional semifinals at Willowbrook, the top-ranked Tigers started slowly, dropping the first game 25-23 and forcing themselves into a tight position against a 30-win club.

"(Hinsdale Central) came out with a lot of fire," Tigers outside hitter Kevin Mueller said. "We kind of had a complacent attitude. We had to realize they weren't going to go down easy."

To a man, the Tigers knew they hadn't played to their potential in Game 1. Rather than harping on the negatives, though, Wheaton Warrenville South chose to highlight the positive - having nearly stolen the game despite not playing to its standards.

After making some minor adjustments Wheaton Warrenville South steadied itself, pulling away from the Red Devils en route to a 23-25, 25-21, 25-18 victory in Villa Park.

The Tigers committed 8 unforced errors in the first game alone, hardly resembling the first-ranked team in the state. The three-minute break between games and a fresh slate after game one proved just what the doctor ordered.

"We've been in that position before," Schreier said of avoiding the panic button. "As off as we were, it was 25-23."

Hinsdale Central's final lead came early in Game 2, as another unforced error by the Tigers gave Hinsdale Central a brief 3-2 lead.

Save for two fleeting ties that lasted a single volley, the Red Devils trailed the rest of the way.

"We weathered the storm and battled back," Mueller said. "We were able to play sideout with them the rest of the way.

"We knew we could take them in the next two games."

Wheaton Warrenville South seized the lead for good in game two when a Rob Samp kill put the Tigers ahead 11-10. From there Wheaton Warrenville South played sideout against the Red Devils, keeping them from making any runs.

"We knew we can only control what we can do, and that's what mattered," Schreier said. "Eventually we were going to be able to put ourselves in a position to make a run."

"We didn't feel blown out by any means," Hinsdale Central coach Len Serwat said. "They got little jumps on us and we couldn't close them off."

The Tigers advance to face DuPage Valley Conference rival Glenbard East for the sectional championship on Tuesday night.

"It'll be the showdown," Schreier said. "This is for keeps now."