Boys volleyball: Lakes digs in, tops Grant in 3
Just one year ago, the Lakes boys volleyball team breezed through the Northern Lake County Conference with a perfect 10-0 record.
With only one player with significant varsity experience back from that team, another 10-0 run wasn't expected.
Another conference title probably wasn't either.
And yet, here are the Eagles sitting atop the NLCC again.
They aren't undefeated, but Lakes is proving to be the team to chase. Again.
In a crowded-at-the-top conference, Lakes dug in its heels in the race for the crown by rallying to defeat visiting Grant on Tuesday, 18-25, 25-19, 25-22. Lakes is now 6-2 in the NLCC and is jockeying for position as the league leader with Grant (5-3 in the NLCC) and Antioch, which also has 2 league losses.
"We had an exceptional year in conference last year, and it's more even this year (with other conference teams)," Lakes coach Kevin Glabowicz said. "We're excited to be in the hunt again with how young we are."
Connor Clowers is the only player back with experience for Lakes, and he showed some of his veteran moves against Grant. He led the Eagles in kills and gave them some big momentum in the third set when he demolished a hit that beamed Grant setter JP Gizowski in the arm and still landed straight down inside the 10-foot line.
That put Lakes up 7-5.
Gizowski had a bright red mark on his arm for the rest of the match.
"Connor had an excellent hit, and I knew it was coming," Gizowski said. "I just kind of ducked but it still hit me. It was a great hit, and not my first red mark. At least it wasn't in the head. It hurt a little less than the head."
Lakes continued to put the hurt on, providing an answer for each Grant run. The visiting Bulldogs stayed within 2 points for much of the remainder of the set, but then Lakes went up by as many as five points (22-17) to take control.
Gizowski led Grant with 27 assists. Not bad for a setter who first started playing volleyball just four years ago when he was a freshman.
"As the years have gone on, I've realized how important the setter can be," Gizowski said. "I've learned a lot over the years. Freshman year, I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't even really know what a setter was. Throughout the years, I've gotten better at it."
Gizowski had good chemistry with Derek Kolb (team-high 10 kills) as well as Ian Fox (6 kills) and Andrew Ryczek (5 kills).
Missed serves played a role in Grant's troubles to keep up with Lakes. The Bulldogs missed four serves in the third set alone.
"And that just shakes your confidence," said Grant coach Michele Keenan, who used to be the head coach at Lakes. "Those are mental things. We're still trying to get over that mental hump of 'We're good, we can do this.' That's the last little hurdle for us to get over.
"But we had no returning starters back this year. So I think we're doing alright. This was a good match and we really wanted it because there could have been a three-way tie in the conference."