Scouting DuPage County boys volleyball
Top teams: Wheaton Warrenville South, Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South, Glenbard East, Glenbard West, Hinsdale Central, Lake Park, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, St. Francis.
Top players: Addison Trail: Ryan Merkel, MH, sr., Armin Trgo, OH jr. Benet: Luke Ladowski, OH, so.; Dan Nesnidal, MH, sr.; Downers Grove North: Bill Fox, OH, sr., Greg Petty, OH, jr., John Walgamuth, L, sr.; Downers Grove South: Buddy Steinhaus, OH, jr.; Phil Szuck, S, sr.; Glenbard East: Andrew Achenbaugh, OH, sr.; Peter Wingard, DS, sr.; Glenbard West: Adam Lepold, MH, jr.; Kevin McGinnis, L/S, jr.; Hinsdale Central: Graham McIlvaine, S/OH, sr., Ryan Vozenilek, OH, sr.; Hinsdale South: Justin Hart, OH, sr. Lake Park: Mike Kreiser, OH, sr.; Matej Mitev, MH, sr. Pat Proctor, OH, sr.; Naperville Central: Ales Povejsil, OH, sr., Ryan Thill, MH, sr.; Alex Whipple, OH, sr.; Naperville North: Ray Birtcher, MH, sr.; Sam Wilson, OH, sr.; Shane Witmer, OH, jr.; Neuqua Valley: Johnathan Rychly, OH, sr., Jon Storm, OH, jr. St. Francis: Thomas Culligan, L, sr. Steven Howe, MH, sr.;: Joe Mordell, OH, sr.; Mark Roberts, S, sr.; Waubonsie Valley: John Ghassan, MH, sr., Russell Penicook, OH, sr.; Wheaton North: Luke Fulton, OH, sr.; Wheaton Warrenville South: Bodie Ebergeny, OH, sr.; Eric Luhrsen, OH, jr., Eric Wilkins, S, sr., Matt Wilkins, OP, sr.; Willowbrook: Eric McCarthy L/DS, jr.
Outlook: Wheaton Warrenville South has won the past three Illinois championship and six in the past decade, but the Tigers graduated five players who were instrumental in their success the past three years. So which team is one of the two or three favorites for this year's state crown? Why Wheaton Warrenville South, of course. Coach Bill Schreier is building this year's team around the four veterans listed above, and they'll be joined by a group that won the DuPage Valley Conference JV championship, including several who were named high school All-America during the club season. "We've learned to win in various situations," Schreier said. "And our players have gained valuable experience in the off-season. This is a team that expects, once again, to be a state power."
The Tigers won the DVC outright last year, and the three teams that tied for second place, Glenbard East, Naperville Central and Naperville North, are hoping to narrow or eliminate the gap. The Rams also lost heavily to graduation and like WW South, the program is solid enough to sustain those heavy losses. Naperville Central has almost everyone back, but setter Victor Lei, who will be succeeded by his younger and taller brother, Albert. Naperville North suffered through some growing pains last year, but those young players are veterans now and eager to show first-year coach Nate Bornancin why the Huskies are being rated so highly in the preseason polls. "There's a lot of parity this year, both in our league and throughout the area," said Naperville Central coach Bryan Johnwick.
Neuqua Valley has gone to the Elite Eight the past three years while amassing a record of 103-11, but the Wildcats must replace almost everyone from the team that made the state run. Coach Erich Mendoza believes he has the horses to challenge again with a sprinkling of veterans and the graduates of an undefeated JV team. "We have athletic, team-oriented guys and they've all had success in JV and club," Mendoza said. "We have to develop consistency and maturity through the season."
Lake Park, which dominated the Upstate Eight in the old days, and Waubonsie Valley, with a deep, tall group of veterans, will have something to say about the conference championship.
St. Francis has more returning talent and cohesiveness going into the season than it has had recent years, and that's saying something, because the Spartans have been consistent winners. Coach Mike Lynch continues to uprade the schedule with an eye toward sectional seeding and challenging the perennial top teams in the postseason.
Hinsdale Central, which is led by McIlvaine, one of the top players in the county, is looking to once again win the West Suburban Silver and, hopefully, go further than last year's sectional semifinal, where they were stopped by the defending and eventual state champs. Glenbard West, which is in only its seventh year of boys volleyball, could be ripening into a future power and challenger to the Red Devils. The Hilltoppers' top players, Lepold and McGinnis are both juniors.
Benet, which started boys volleyball even more recently than Glenbard West, is young, but Ladowski, a sophomore, is an emerging talent and Nesnidal should be a force in the middle. The Redwings' progress will be interesting to watch as coach Amy Van Eekeren points them to the postseason.
The battle for bragging rights to Downers Grove should be close as both the Trojans of North and the Mustangs of South are returning a lot of talented players. The two teams kicked off their season Tuesday at South with Downers Grove North winning 25-21, 25-17. Petty led the Trojans with 9 kills.
Addison Trail, with its usual scrappy brand of volleyball, will challenge Downers Grove South near the top of the West Suburban Gold.