Scouting Fox Valley area boys volleyball teams

Westminster Christian adds varsity boys volleyball this spring, bringing the number of Fox Valley area schools competing in the sport to seven.

Here's a look at what to expect from the local teams this season.

Bartlett Hawks

Conference: Upstate Eight

Coach: Kassandra Soderstrom (first year)

Key returnee: junior David Upp (OH)

Key newcomers: senior Akash Soni (S); juniors Mike Marciniak (MH), Russ Martin (OH), Jordan McCullough (S) and Macon Nalepka (MH); sophomore Upesh Desai (DS)

Outlook: Soderstrom takes over as coach for Brandon Mueller. A Glenbard East graduate who played at Elmhurst College, she was the boys freshman coach and varsity assistant last year and coached the girls sophomore volleyball team last fall. Soderstrom inherits an almost entirely new team with no returning starters. Only Upp saw playing time last year as a sophomore. The Hawks fell to Waubonsie Valley in a three-game match on Tuesday to open the season 1-3. McCullough will be out two weeks with an injury, leaving the setting duties solely to Soni, who contributed 17 assists and 6 blocks against Waubonsie. Upp is his go-to hitter. Nalepka is an adept blocker at the net. The Hawks lack experience but not drive. "They practice hard and they play hard," Soderstrom said. "I like how coachable they are. They go to practice and take the court with an open mind. We have some tough competition scheduled. We're hoping to end up at the top of the conference and go far later in the playoffs, but we need to take it one game at a time to get to our goals."

Elgin Maroons

Conference: Upstate Eight

Coach: Keith Foster (fifth year)

Key returnees: seniors Ivan Ceballos (S), Nikil Satish (DS)

Key newcomers: juniors T.J. Bruessard (OH), Dylan Morrisroe (OH/DS), Zayya Oshana (OH), Yatin Patel (DS); sophomore Omar Ceballos (DS/L)

Outlook: Coach Keith Foster hopes to guide the program another step forward in his fifth and final year at Elgin. Under his direction the Maroons have won 2, 4, 6, and 9 matches in his first four seasons. Foster has accepted a teaching position at Genoa-Kingston for the 20010-11 school year and will coach girls volleyball. These Maroons aim to crack double digits in wins. Oshana, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound outside hitter trained at Sports Performance, is a rising talent. Against Lake Park this week, he killed 6 of 11 attempts. He plays all the way around and can score just as effectively from the back row as the front, Foster said. Bruessard has worked his way into the lineup on the right side with his 36-inch vertical. Sophomore Morrisroe gives Ivan Ceballos multiple weapons to set. Defense is a team strength with Satish, Patel and Omar Ceballos digging. The Maroons opened the season 0-7, but the record is somewhat misleading, according to their coach. "We could easily be 4-3," Foster said. "We've been in four close matches and led late, but our lack of experience caught up with us. This team is die-hard from the start and they finish every match the same way. We're going to be a better team as the season goes on."

Larkin Royals

Conference: Upstate Eight

Coach: Henry Graack (third year)

Key returnees: Senior Griffin Yee (RS)

Key newcomers: Juniors Stephen Dominguez (OH), Mike Flowers (MH), Matt Harris (S), Mike Wright (OH); sophomore Adarion Mahone (MH)

Outlook: The Royals return one senior from a team that won 4 matches a year ago. A total of 10 juniors and two sophomores join Yee on the youthful, 13-man varsity roster. Harris had 12 assists Tuesday in a two-game loss at South Elgin. Wright led the Royals in the match with 5 kills to go with 14 digs and Dominguez led the team in digs (23) and blocks (5). "We have a very young team," Larkin coach Henry Graack said. "Our goal is just to keep improving. By the end of the year we'd like to do well in the state tournament and build for the next year."

St. Edward Green Wave

Conference: Suburban Christian (Gold)

Coach: Kyle Due (first year)

Key returnees: seniors DJ Byrnes (OH), Jack Cholewa (L)

Key newcomers: senior Greg Niemerg (MH); junior Jake Yohn (OH); sophomores Bob French (S) and Mark Sink (OH); freshman Tony Sandoval (DS/OH)

Outlook: Kyle Due, 23, takes over as coach for Jaime Dovichi, who will act as assistant. Due coached the St. Edward girls sophomore team the last three seasons. He also coaches two girls club teams at Sky-High. Byrnes is the most experienced returning player for the Wave. French has been called up to play setter and has taken a leadership role along with Cholewa, the court leader. Niemerg (6-4) is a left-handed hitting middle. Waclawik, Byrnes, Yohn and Sandoval all use jump serves. Sandoval's father played Olympic volleyball for Mexico. The Green Wave will compete in the Class 2A state tournament. "It depends on what seed we get and where we go, but if we keep the intensity up and focus there's no doubt in my mind we could hang a regional (banner) on the wall in our gym," Due said.

South Elgin Storm

Conference: Upstate Eight

Coach: Adam Plach (second year)

Key returnees: seniors Matt Bilinski (MH), Andrew Boston (MH), Andrew Gleason (OH), Kyle Johnson (S), John Kuzelka (S/DS), Zach Marsh (OH/DS), Matt Ryczwicz (DS); juniors Ryan Pondel (OH), Sean Saxton (MH)

Key newcomers: seniors Ryan VanBogaert (OH/OPP), Mitch Dela Merced (S)

Outlook: The Storm have high hopes of improving on last year's 14-19 record with nine returning varsity players, six of whom saw significant playing time in 2009. "I have to keep reminding them that we have not accomplished anything yet," coach Adam Plach said. "So we need to work hard in practice and keep each other accountable." Goals for the Storm include a winning record, a top-four finish in the UEC and positioning themselves to win a regional championship. "We have the personnel to do it. Now it is just a matter of being able to execute," Plach said. South Elgin looks to improve its 2009 hitting percentage of .108.

Streamwood Sabres

Conference: Upstate Eight

Coach: David Buehring (third year)

Key returnees: seniors Ivan Carranza (MH), Kevin Gamalo (L/DS), Fabian Ramos (OH); junior Phil Montero (S)

Key newcomers: junior Nick Rice (MH)

Outlook: The Sabres were an unknown quantity at the start of the season, but they demonstrated their potential by winning the bronze bracket at the Plainfield North tournament to open the season. "Seeing the guys jell has been awesome," coach David Buehring said. "The tournament was during spring break and we were using some backups. Our starting setter was out and people were playing new positions. But they relied on each other, controlled the ball and played good games. From that experience, the expectations of what might be possible definitely went up." Montero is a good athlete and moves into the setter position. Carranza (6-0) made the all-tournament team at Plainfield North. Carranza and Ramos are veteran varsity players and have assumed leadership roles. Rice has been a solid addition; he is second on the team in kills and makes life easier on his teammates by playing a strong middle. Gamalo will play libero after playing DS last year.

Westminster Christian Warriors

Conference: Northeast Athletic

Coach: Cindy Gritzman (first year)

Key newcomers: seniors Ben Farwell (S), Josh Gannon (S), J.J. Marshall (L), A.J. McNett (MH), Jessie Rolhoff (OH); juniors Christian Benson (MH), John Capra (OH), Mike Hall (OH), Ian Irwin (MH), Eric Steppenhole (MH)

Outlook: This is the first season of varsity boys volleyball for the Warriors, who are coached by Cindy Gritzman, owner of the Top Flight Volleyball Club. Several seniors lead a roster of 11 players. Since few players have much competitive experience, Gritzman will teach the basics and build up. "Some of the fundamentals you would typically learn as a freshman and have instinctually are still being learned," she said. "That's one of the challenges we'll have. I'd like to see them be above .500."