Girls volleyball: Burlington Central's Leavitt gets 700th win

Burlington Central girls volleyball coach Marv Leavitt has always been quick to credit those around him for his coaching success.

He did so again on Saturday after the Rockets went 3-2 at the Lincoln-Way Central Invite, with their second win of the day also being the 700th of Leavitt's 26-year coaching career.

"I've been around some really hard working, talented players and it's been so nice to have worked with so many great coaches," Leavitt said. "I've been blessed.

"As you get older, you look back and realize that you get to work with so many quality people who have really motivated me. I've been very fortunate."

Leavitt's team this season has certainly made their coach proud. After being hit hard by graduation after last year's 31-win season, the Rockets have come back to fashion a 28-5 campaign this fall. They are undefeated in the Big Northern East and can wrap up another division title this coming week with wins over Harvard and Genoa-Kingston.

"(Co-coach) Meghan (Blahink) and I knew we had graduated a very talented group of seniors but we challenge our girls a lot and we saw a lot from this group over the summer," said Leavitt, who now has 288 at Central, where he is in his 11th season.

In Saturday's tournament, BC beat Stagg, Tinley Park (Leavitt's 700th) and Champaign Central and lost to Oak Lawn and Lincoln-Way West. Lexi DeWaard (106 assists, 26 digs, 12 aces), Rachel Gaydos (60 digs), Summer Smith (36 kills, 33 digs, 5 aces), Lauren Beaudin (28 digs 12, aces), Lexie VanHiel (33 kills, 12 blocks, 8 aces), Megan Lomas (19 kills) and Leah Murphy (13 kills, 36 digs, 9 aces) led the way for the Rockets.