Boys volleyball / Northwest all-area team
By Bill Esbrook
Daily Herald Correspondent
Kyle Caldwell Hoffman Estates
This dynamic player had the firepower to change the direction of a match from anywhere on the floor. Caldwell was instrumental to Hoffman’s success this year, not only on the court but off the court as well. “His leadership in practices and in matches was unsurpassed,” said Hoffman coach Dan Hutton. “He’s a great role model for the underclassmen.” The senior led the Hawks with 37 aces, had 51 blocks and 189 digs in addition to his 252 kills and 117 assists.
Camryn Castle Buffalo Grove
The hardworking Castle was a relentless defensive player who left everything he had on the court. The senior gave a dynamic defensive presence to the powerful-hitting Bison, and his presence on the floor was an asset all season. “You’d be hard pressed to find a libero as important to his team as Cam was to us,” said Bison coach Matt Aiello. “His ability to read the game, adjust and react allowed our offense to stay in system.” Castle added 14 aces to go along with his 451 season digs.
Matt Cayton Hersey
Cayton led a Huskies run deep into the playoffs this year with 803 assists, 213 digs, 57 blocks, 27 kills and 27 aces. The junior and three-year varsity starter was the type of all-around threat the struck fear into Hersey opponents and he was an integral part of the Huskies success. “He’s an outstanding setter who’s capable of getting the ball to our hitters from anywhere on the floor,” said Hersey coach Jodi Blazek.
Austin Czarnecki Barrington
Czarnecki fulfilled his unlimited potential in 2011 with an outstanding season that was expected by coach Rob Ridenour. “Austin has the burning desire to get better on a daily basis,” said Ridenour. “He was our best ball-control player and was the hardest worker on our team in passing and defense every day in practice.” Czarnecki achieved an amazing 466 digs during the year to go along with a 2.32 passing ratio (out of 3) and 19 aces.
Justin Ginter Palatine
Ginter led the Pirates this year in many statistical categories, but more than that it was his intangibles that made this stellar senior stand out. “Justin stepped up as a leader this season,” said Palatine coach Frank Stark. “The areas he excelled in that meant the most to us were as a captain and a role model.” Ginter had 583 assists, 139 kills, 83 blocks and 377 digs and hit 90 percent of his serves in 2011.
Dan Hoffman Prospect
Hoffman was the kind of player that any coach dreams of. The senior made a difficult transition from libero to outside hitter midway through his career to help the team and excelled at the difficult challenge. “He embraced his role,” said Prospect coach Mike Riedy, “and led the team in many categories. What he lacked in height he made up for with incredible hops.” Hoffman finished 2011 with 234 kills, 15 aces and 328 digs and a 92.9 serve-receive percentage.
Matt Jarosz Schaumburg
Consistency was the key for this stellar junior in 2011. “Matt was the leader of our team in defense and serve receive,” said first-year Saxons coach Jeff O’Brien. “He’s a guy who does everything he can to better the ball for the next guy. We could count on Matt to make very few errors.” Jarosz passed 403 times with only 12 errors and added 180 digs and 12 aces.
Lukas Karch Buffalo Grove
Karch came in to the 2011 season with the tag as one of the best setters in Illinois and the senior didn’t disappoint, leading another powerful Bison squad with 1,029 assists. “Luke played the game the right way and for the right reasons,” said Bison coach Matt Aiello. “He thrived under pressure, was a great teammate and a great leader.” Karch added 57 kills, 76 blocks and 125 digs to his lofty assist total.
Michal Kawa Elk Grove
Grenadiers coach Dan Windholz couldn’t have asked for more from the extraordinary Kawa, who was a force from the outside in almost every match this year. “Mike had the ability to just take over a match,” said Windholz. “He’s a talented offensive player and has not even begun to realize his potential.” Kawa hit for a .310 efficiency, hammered 236 kills, had 51 blocks and 152 digs and a 95 serving percentage.
Steve Kay Rolling Meadows
Kay was the foundation of a Meadows team that struggled at times this year but was in almost every match to the end. The senior hit 245 kills, had a hitting efficiency rating of .314, 33 blocks, 42 aces and 310 digs. “He was the backbone of our team,” said Meadows coach Tim Piatek. “Steve was a great leader on and off the court, and even though we lost so many heartbreakers this season, he was the glue that kept us together.”
David Kingsley St. Viator
Kingsley was outstanding for the Lions in 2011, providing the kind of leadership that was expected from coach Chris Boylan. The senior hit 196 kills, stroked 33 aces, had 107 digs and 35 block kills and his consistency was much appreciated by the Lions staff. “Dave was a leader on and off the court,” said Boylan. “He has a great attitude and love for the game and it showed. He always strives to get better and more importantly to make his teammates better.”
Tommy Leonard Barrington
The 6-foot-8 Leonard was a mainstay in the middle for the Broncos this season, and luckily for Barrington he’ll be back for another campaign. “Tommy’s skill level took a dramatic leap this year,” said Broncos coach Rob Ridenour. “His ability to dominate matches at times was vital to our team and opened up a lot of offensive opportunities.” Leonard had 80 blocks on the year to go along with 223 kills.
Zach Lindeman Conant
Lindeman came on strong for the Cougars this season, hitting 175 kills, serving up 18 aces and playing extraordinarily well on defense with 198 digs. “Zach was a quiet but strong leader for us,” said Conant coach Steven Peter. “He’s a giant success story. Zach led our team with great performances on the volleyball court, and inspiring character off the court. I was proud to have him on my team.”
Matt Logue Barrington
Any way you look at it, Logue excelled for the Broncos this year. He swatted 312 kills and served up an outstanding 51 aces to go along with 232 digs. “He was one of our strongest attackers, servers and blockers,” said Barrington coach Rob Ridenour. Logue led the Broncos to one of their finest seasons in recent memory that included an undefeated Mid-Suburban League campaign.
Jeff Miceli Elk Grove
Miceli was the leader of a surprising Grens team that pushed forward to the upper echelons of the Mid-Suburban League with one of their best seasons in years. “He’s the emotional leader of our team,” said Elk Grove coach Dan Windholz. The two-year starter and three-sport athlete had an incredible 732 assists in 2011 to along with 85 kills, 42 blocks and 30 aces.
David Mullen-Muhr Hersey
Mullen-Muhr was a clutch player who came into his own this year for the Huskies. The senior not only hit 173 kills, but was also outstanding on defense with 183 digs. “He’s such an outstanding player,” said Hersey coach Jodi Blazek. “We relied on Dave’s leadership in a huge way. He was a vocal leader and our go-to guy.” Mullen-Muhr added 12 aces and 40 blocks for a stellar Huskies team.
Robert Perez Maine West
Perez was a strong player whether lining up on the outside or in the middle. The senior was first on the Warriors with 197 kills, and led the team as well with 35 aces. “Robert made a difference in all of our matches,” said Warriors coach Randy Tiller. “With his on-court leadership, we achieved our best record in three years. He was effective at blocking and at scoring from the outside and was also an excellent passer.”
Chris Shanahan Buffalo Grove
Shanahan delivered the goods for Buffalo Grove on and off the court and closed out his career undefeated in the Mid-Suburban East. “Chris is one of the most successful players in the history of our program,” said Bison coach Matt Aiello. “He is hands down the best player on the best team in our area.” Shanahan swatted an amazing 419 kills and also served up 61 aces.
Danny Speidel Wheeling
Speidel, a great athlete who excelled for the Wildcats this year, led an up-and-coming Wheeling team to some important victories in 2011. The senior finished with an outstanding .378 setting efficiency rating, had a 98 percent serve rating and got 142 digs. “Danny is a natural setter,” said Wheeling coach Jason Kopkowski. “He has a great, soft touch to all of his sets, and he knows exactly to who and when to set to, as well as when to attack.”
Ryan Stermer Maine West
Stermer was the quarterback of the Warriors attack in 2011, distributing the ball with authority and producing three hitters with more than 150 kills. In addition to his 554 assists, Stermer was a force at the net with 25 kills and 20 blocks. “Ryan made some deceptive kills for us at very important times,” said Maine West coach Randy Tiller. “With the ability he had, he could set in the front row and not decrease our defensive strength. He motivated our team to play their best.”
Dan Szwiec Fremd
Szwiec had an outstanding 2010 season in leading the Vikes to the Elite Eight and excelled again this year. The senior finished with 52 block kills and was 268 of 315 on attack, including 118 kills. “I was very fortunate to have Dan as part of our program,” said Fremd coach Curt Pinley. “The legacy that he leaves over the past two years is one filled with success and determination. There was never a time that didn’t leave all of his effort on the floor.”
2011 boys volleyball all-area roster
Player School Pos. Yr.
Kyle Caldwell Hoffman Estates S-OH Sr.
Camryn Castle Buffalo Grove L Sr.
Matt Cayton Hersey S Jr.
Austin Czarnecki Barrington L Jr.
Justin Ginter Palatine S Sr.
Dan Hoffman Prospect OH Sr.
Matt Jarosz Schaumburg L Jr.
Lukas Karch Buffalo Grove S Sr.
Michal Kawa Elk Grove OH Jr.
Steve Kay Rolling Meadows OH Sr.
David Kingsley St. Viator OH Sr.
Zach Lindeman Conant OH Sr.
Tommy Leonard Barrington MB Jr.
*Matt Logue Barrington OH Sr.
Jeff Miceli Elk Grove S Jr.
David Mullen-Muhr Hersey OH Sr.
Robert Perez Maine West OH-MB Sr.
*Chris Shanahan Buffalo Grove RH-OH Sr.
Danny Speidel Wheeling S Sr.
Ryan Stermer Maine West S Sr.
Dan Szwiec Fremd MH Sr.
* — Honorary co-captains
Special mention
Sean Duminie (Schaumburg, Sr., OH), Brandon Fox (Wheeling, Jr., M), Franco Fumagalli (Hoffman Estates, Sr., MB), Eric Gabbard (Palatine, Jr., OH), Taylor Ganzer (Barrington, Jr., S), Don Gardner (Elk Grove, Sr., MH), Aaron Kraus (Elk Grove, Jr., MH), Jon Mayyou (St. Viator, Sr., OPP), Pat Mcilwee (Prospect, Jr., S), Jamie Schnittker (Buffalo Grove, Sr., OH), T.J. Shanahan (Barrington, Sr., MB), Andrew Stetter (Schaumburg, Jr., OH), Jon Ward (Buffalo Grove, Sr., OH).
Selections and profiles by Bill Esbrook