Stevenson finishes off Warren

This was not your typical soft shot by a setter.

Simply, Stevenson setter Zachary Kravits soared as high as he could and pummeled the poor volleyball to the floor at Lake Forest. It signaled the end of the regional title match with Warren.

“I saw it and wanted to end the game quickly,’’ Kravits said.

Thirty-one match winner Stevenson watched Warren open a first-game lead and then put on a blocking display. Stevenson won the Lake Forest regional 25-19, 25-16 and avenged a loss two weeks ago to the Blue Devils. The stat crew of Stevenson counted 26 blocks in just two games. Aaron Zalewski and Mitch Robinson paced the blocking attack with 7 each.

“We work on blocking in every practice,’’ Kravits said. “The best blocking team wins. Once we started blocking, we got on a roll.”

Stevenson coach Tim Crow had some homework to do following the regular-season loss to Warren.

“They destroyed us two weeks ago,’’ Crow said. “So we changed our rotation and really scouted them.”

Stevenson (31-5) might have expected to see MSL power Barrington in Friday night’s sectional. Instead, two NSC rivals will meet that evening in the Gurnee sectional. Libertyville stunned Barrington 22-25, 25-17, 25-22.

Zalewski had the first kill of the match on Wednesday but Warren (23-13) surged ahead at the start. On a gorgeous block from Warren setter Tyler Smith, the Devils still held on to a 14-12 lead.

And then Stevenson libero Stefan Boes went in to serve with his team trailing 16-13. After kills from Kravits and Danny Gescheidle, the Pats opened a 21-17 lead.

“Stevenson really played well,’’ said Warren coach Yun Chen. “They really blocked well. We had our chances.”

Game 2 was close for awhile as well. Another kill from setter Smith cut the Stevenson lead to 15-14. Gescheidle was next to serve and when the senior was finished the Stevenson lead was 20-16. His serving was aided by a vicious kill from Niki Antonijevic.

“When we block big, we kind of scare people,’’ Antonijevic said. “No one player took over for us. We spread the offense around.”

Darien Wu’s serving closed the contest. In addition to that Kravits kill there was another block kill from Kravits and Robinson.

Warren says so-long to seven seniors, including key hitters Eduard Ciobanu (9 kills), Drew Crawford and Dillon Schaefer. Chen reports his school’s freshman team went undefeated this year. Setter Smith (15 assists) should return next year.

“It was his first year as a varsity setter,’’ Chen said.

Gescheidle led the balanced Stevenson attack with 9 kills. Antonijevic was next with 8 kills. Kravits dished out 22 assists and added 4 kills.

The Stevenson blockers will no doubt be on the bus to Gurnee come Friday

night.

“All of boys volleyball is blocking,’’ Crow said.