Boys volleyball: Bartlett slips past Glenbard North
Jacob Bush and Toiyon Walton share a special kinship on the volleyball court that dates back to eighth grade.
The Bartlett seniors plan on making their final season together as teammates a memorable one.
Walton added 7 kills and Bush had 4 kills to spark the Hawks to a 25-20, 25-20 nonconference win over Glenbard North on Monday.
Senior Matt Tomasek tallied 7 kills and 5 digs and senior Martin Radomski finished with 5 kills for the Hawks. Senior Carter Burzlaff compiled 21 assists.
Bush and Walton have sparked the Hawks to an 9-2 start. Walton and Bush have played on the same team for five straight years, starting with their introduction to the sport.
"We both had never played volleyball before and it started off with a joke with us," Walton said. "They announced (tryouts) in the morning, and (Jacob) asked me during lunch if I wanted to try out for the team? I said yes. We ended up liking it a lot and continued it for the next four years.
Bush, a Dominican University recruit, and Walton both played on the junior varsity during their freshman year before getting promoted to the varsity as sophomores.
"We both fell in love with volleyball and been going with it ever since," Bush said. "It's been an amazing ride and I don't know what I'm going to do when it's over."
Bartlett coach Robert Schwantz said he's leaning on his nine seniors to lead the team this year. He noted that Walton and Bush have come up big thus far this season.
"Jacob is such a presence in the middle and a leader," he said. "Toiyon can really jump. I have so many leaders. That's one of my riches. We're all in this together as a team. We have a ton of senior leadership. We've been building this for three years, and they've all made an investment waiting for this year. They know we have big goals: To win conference and a regional title."
The Hawks showed their experience by not unfolding when the Panthers (3-4) made several runs in the two games. Walton came up big at the end of both games, while Burzlaff had numerous big plays.
The Panthers, who have only two senior returnees, rarely led in both games, seizing a 19-18 lead in the first game following a block kill by Tyler Tripp before the Hawks pulled away. In Game 2 the Panthers trailed until taking a 15-14, but just like the opening game the Hawks responded with a game-winning run. Senior Ian Krohn and Alberto Solorio led the Panthers with 4 kills each.
"We've been switching up our lineup a bit trying to find out what works for our team," Glenbard North coach Debra Debenedetti said. "We just have to lessen our errors and clean up our game."