Boys volleyball: Fremd’s confidence continues to grow with win over Schaumburg
As we pass through the first weekend of April, spring sports begins to accelerate where over the course of the next six weeks a team's season begins to find its definition as it steers course towards the postseason.
Take the case of Fremd's boys volleyball team. As it got prepared to face Schaumburg Tuesday in an MSL West road match it was playing their eighth game in a week that began the previous Tuesday with archrival Palatine.
After surviving an intense battle in game one, the visitors from Palatine's Southside pulled away in game two for a 26-24, 25-12 win that keeps them (9-5, 2-1) a game out of the loss column in the Mid-Suburban West standings.
"I think we came out and played our game in the second set," Fremd senior outside hitter Eric Brockmann said.
"The first (game) we were a little nervous, but in the second set we came out and altogether executed the game plan and the results speak for themselves."
In the first game, the Vikings were able to get past a spirited effort by the home team. Both squads played through 11 ties before they made the final decisive surge starting with an ace by Brockmann (11 kills, 2 blocks) then getting set point on a block from fellow senior teammate Sean Nolting.
In the decisive second frame, the Vikings used back-to-back kills from Brockmann to jump start the match-deciding 13-4 tear that a pair of kills by Bolting settled matters.
It also included one of junior outside hitter Ethan Garst's seven kills.
Senior outsides Jordan Wu and Bogdan Juzwiak along with junior middle Girun Haile each tallied 4 kills for the host Saxons (5-9, 0-3).
Fremd coach Tracy Harding offered her thoughts on her team's winning effort which was accomplished minus the services of senior starter Jack Cioni.
"It's pretty great," Harding said. "We just have to continue to build the (team's) confidence. This team plays for each other. They support each other. We're pretty young still in terms of being on the outside, but the more they keep swinging like that, the better they're just going to continue to be. They just have to keep believing in themselves."