Boys volleyball / Lake County All-Area Team
By Bill Pemstein
Daily Herald Correspondent
Niki Antonijevic Stevenson
The 6-foot-9 senior moved outside this season and punished some volleyballs. Officially, the Pepperdine University bound Antonijevic managed 298 kills. He didn’t forget his blocking skills either. Antonijevic had 54 assists blocks and 51 solo blocks. “The sky is the limit with Niki,’’ said Stevenson coach Tim Crow. “He’s still young in his volleyball career. He developed a nice skill set in one year. It was good to see him expand his game.” He wasn’t just a hitter as he notched 193 digs and added 18 serving aces.
Eduard Ciobanu Warren
The three-year starter for the Blue Devils, Ciobanu emerged as a dangerous hitter in his senior season. He was not hard to miss as young setter Tyler Smith try to get the ball to him on many occasions. “Eduard has tremendous commitment, dedication and work ethic both on and off the court,’’ said Warren coach Yun Chen. “He was our go-to-guy.” Ciobanu managed 299 kills this season for a Blue Devils club that won 23 matches. He was second on the club in blocks (56). He, too, played all around, notching 202 digs. In his three seasons at Warren, Ciobanu had 658 kills.
Scott Cooper Libertyville
Where did that Libertyville club come from, anyway? Some of the credit for the Wildcats’ late rush goes to this senior libero. Cooper gave the Wildcats plenty of defense as Libertyville upset both Barrington and Stevenson on the way to the sectional final. “As our play improved at the end of the season, it was primarily due to our defense,’’ said Libertyville coach Steve Rochon. “And Scott led that effort all year.” Libertyville gave its MVP award to this senior. His serve reception percentage was 1.92 on a scale of 3.0. He didn’t miss a single match and notched 337 digs.
Danny Gescheidle Stevenson
Stevenson coach Tim Crow began calling this senior, “Danny Ice.” That was a compliment because Gescheidle played big when the match was on the line. “He was huge for us on the outside for the past two years,’’ Crow said. “He was a great weapon in the front and back row. And he was a great, humble kid.” Gescheidle was second on Stevenson with 278 kills. He was also chosen as Stevenson’s sportsmanship award winner for the season.
Eric Handrich Libertyville
His power killing was key for the Wildcats during the playoff run. When he put the ball down there weren’t many who could stop it. He was the Wildcats leading hitter with 231 kills. The senior was also effective serving the ball with a 90 percent average and 108 points. Despite his play in the front row, Handrich still had time for 115 digs. At the net, he notched 66 blocks.
Zach Kravits Stevenson
The steady setter for the powerful Pats, Kravits had a special season. The senior accented the regional title at Lake Forest with a powerful kill. “Zach was such a dynamic player for us,’’ said Stevenson coach Tim Crow. “He was not only a great setter but a force at the net with his attacking and blocking. He did a great job running the team.” Officially, Kravits had 578 assists. His volleyball resume this season also included 84 blocks and added 42 aces.
Garrett Kubacki Vernon Hills
This was one middle blocker who could do so much more. Vernon Hills will miss this senior. “He was the heart and undisputed leader of this team,’’ said Vernon Hills coach Chris Curry. “He simply willed us to victory sometimes. The variety of skills he brought to the floor was unprecedented. We don’t have this two-year run without Garrett. He’s irreplaceable.” Kubacki hit 216 kills and added 225 digs. He managed 48 blocks.
Martin Niemczewski Vernon Hills
Maybe the player on the Cougars that opponents didn’t count on to cause trouble. They soon learned he was not to messed with. “Nobody really stopped Martin this year,’’ Curry said. “And he had the biggest kill totals against the best teams (Barrington, Stevenson, Buffalo Grove and Naperville North). To have an efficiency of .423 is outrageous (second best ever in the program), especially with the attention he got from blockers.” The junior had 252 kills and 32 blocks. He also notched 90 digs.
Thomas Robinson Vernon Hills
Another slugger for this third-place state team. The 6-foot-7 junior had a team-high 311 kills and added 116 digs. At 6-foot-7, he’s clearly a college prospect if he has a strong senior season. “He’s hoping to play college ball, and I think he’ll work on the parts of his game that will make him a complete player,’’ Curry said. “Such as a serve he can control a little better and improving his defensive range in the back row. When he does that, he’ll be ready to lead this team next year.”
Dillon Schaeffer Warren
The senior made the successful transition from outside to middle. His 83 blocks led the Blue Devils. “Dillon is a three-year starter on the team,’’ said Warren coach Yun Chen. “This was his only year as a middle hitter for us, and he did a tremendous job for us.” His 186 kills were second on the Warren squad. His three-year career at Warren paid off with 545 kills.
Darien Wu Stevenson
The Patriots libero was a treat to watch. He seemingly could get to most any ball. Stevenson coach Tim Crow thought this senior was amazing to watch. “ He’s probably the best skill kid we have had here,’’ Crow said. “We allowed him to take every ball in the back row. He was our team MVP this season. He played lower to the floor than anyone I have ever seen.” Officially he rang up 428 digs this season.
2011 volleyball all-area roster
Player School Pos. Yr.
Nik Antonijevic Stevenson OH Sr.
Eduard Ciobanu Warren OH Sr.
Scott Cooper Libertyville L Sr.
Danny Gescheidle Stevenson OH Sr.
Eric Handrich Libertyville OH Sr.
Zachary Kravits Stevenson S Sr.
Garrett Kubacki Vernon Hills MB Sr.
Martin Niemczewski Vernon Hills RS Jr.
* Justin Opitz Vernon Hills S Sr.
Thomas Robinson Vernon Hills OH Jr.
Dillon Schaeffer Warren MB Sr.
Darien Wu Stevenson L Sr.
* captain
Honorable mention
Chase Binkley (Lakes, OH, Jr.), Bryan Bonamarte (Libertyville, MB, Sr.), Chris Carmody (Lake Zurich, OH, Jr.), Will Collazo (Carmel Catholic, MB, Jr.), David Collins (Mundelein, L, Sr.), Andrew Crawford (Warren, OH, Sr.), Sean Donovan (Lakes, L, Jr.), Alex Dunlap (Carmel Catholic, S, Jr.), Coulton Every (Lake Zurich, MB, Jr.), Michael Fitzgibbons (Carmel Catholic, O, Sr.), Jason Fleischman (Stevenson, RS, Jr.), Patrick Keefe (Antioch, MB/S, Sr.), Mikey Kelly (Vernon Hills, OH, Sr.), Kyle Miller (Lake Zurich, RS, Sr.), Eric Phillips (Antioch, RS, Sr.), Tyler Smith (Warren, S, Jr.), Mason Solbrig (Lakes, MB, So.), Joey Timmerman (Mundelein, S, Sr.)
All-area selections and capsules by Bill Pemstein