Hersey springs into action against Conant

The gorgeous spring night was more conducive to outdoor sports than a volleyball match indoors in hot, stuffy conditions.

But the competitors inside Ken Carter Gymnasium, while feeling the heat for sure, didn't mind in the least - especially the host Hersey Huskies.

This is the time of the season, early on, when the thoughts and hopes of most teams are focused on playing hard and improving with an ultimate goal of competing at the state tournament in June.

And the weapons at their disposal, it looks like it could be a distinct possibility for Hersey.

The Huskies, led by sophomore Matt Cayton's 22 assists, overcame a stubborn effort by visiting Conant to win the Mid-Suburban crossover 25-22, 25-17.

The Cougars (1-4) kept things close and held the lead several times in Game 1 before falling just short, then succumbed to a 6-point Hersey run midway through Game 2 that put the match away.

"All in all I thought we played well," said Conant coach Steven Peter. "We battled against a very good team. They've got some big hitters. Some of their hits, we just had to look past them and move on to the next point."

Hitters that excelled Thursday night included senior outside Brandon Klein, who was 17-of-18 on attack with a match-high 10 kills.

"Did it ever," said Cayton, when asked if the intense heat in the gym affected the teams' play. "I was soaked before the match even started."

Hersey coach Jodi Blazek appreciates the fine work of her sophomore setter, whose brother Kevin (now at Arizona) was a libero at Hersey and still holds the school record for digs in a season.

"He (Matt Cayton) was a starter last year as a freshman, so he's got some experience," said Blazek. "He played a nice all around game tonight and did a great job."

Senior Paul Kolesar (11-of-11 on attack, 6 kills), and Bobby Dolan (5 kills) contributed to the win for Hersey (3-3).

"We've got a lot of weapons," said Blazek. "Paul and Bobby were both a force in the middle tonight, Brandon had an outstanding game, Dave (Mullen-Muhr) played a strong match and Greg (Torvik) has been oustanding on the right side."