Schaumburg comes back to beat Rolling Meadows

Trailing 6-0 on your home court in the first game of the first match isn’t the way a team wants to begin a new season.

Although Schaumburg wasn’t thrilled with its start in Thursday’s Mid-Suburban League crossover against visiting Rolling Meadows, they were more than satisfied with the result.

Led by 9 kills from Andrew Stetter and 26 assists by Pat O’Connell, the Saxons stormed back from a big deficit to defeat the Mustangs 25-22, 25-14 in the season opener for both teams.

The rally gave first-year Schaumburg coach (and 2005 Palatine grad) Jeff O’Brien his first coaching victory in Illinois.

O’Brien previously coached in California before returning to the MSL this year.

“I was very pleased tonight,” said O’Brien. “I thought we played well. We were able to maintain our focus and bring a lot of positive energy.”

Sophomore Kevin Murphy led the Mustangs with 6 kills.

“We definitely started strong and got a lot of momentum,” said Meadows coach Tim Piatek. “I thought Kevin stepped up and played really well in his first varsity match.”

“We had some breakdowns, especially in the second game, but now we know what we’ve got to go back and work on in practice. We need our defense and blocking to be more consistent, and we also have to work on making adjustments during the match.”

Two straight aces by O’Connell helped turn the tide in the first game, and superior hitting by Stetter, Sean Duminie (8 kills), and DJ Karbowski in the middle was key in the deciding game.

“I was a little nervous, but I wasn’t too worried,” said Stetter of the Saxons’ less-than-stellar start. “It was refreshing to see everyone out there so enthusiastic and playing with a lot of energy.

“The main focus for our team this year will be to stay cohesive. I think we’re pretty good and we have a lot of potential. We just have to stick together and bring that positive energy to the court every time out.”