Boys volleyball: Maine South continues strong start by winning Warren invite
Kidding around was not a problem for Maine South at this weekend’s 22nd annual Warren volleyball invitational.
The youthful Hawks (8-2) were all smiles Saturday in Gurnee as they won the tournament for the first time in 15 years 25-16, 25-20 over Niles North (6-1). Senior tournament MVP Leo Trespeces-Winck was joined on the all-tourney team by 6-foot-6 junior Luka Babich.
“It’s really fun to watch and be a part of high-level volleyball,” said Trespeces-Winck, who will play at Division I Northern Kentucky. “It’s fun because it’s such a young team, too.”
The other two seniors, Meris Kraja and Connor Judd, Babich and classmate Simon Zwierczyk provide an array of net options for freshman setter and power server Gabriel Redzic. Junior libero Daniel Troyan is another big part of their success.
“We were trying different lineups (early) and I told the boys to be patient,” said South coach Garrett Fechner. “They get along as a group and push each other in practice. They’re awesome students and people and I’m so proud of them.”
Niles North, led by all-tourney picks Rafael dan Bartilad and Haktan Erel, got within 23-20. Kills by Kraja and Zwierczyk started South’s celebration.
“I’m super-excited and pumped up,” Trespeces-Winck said. “We came in with a goal and it worked out.”
Warren (8-5) rebounded from a semifinal loss to Maine South and avenged a season-opening loss to New Trier in a third-place three-setter that 6-6 senior all-tourney pick Caleb Bicket ended with an emphatic kill.
“In the past few years we were always in the Silver bracket,” Bicket said. “Not only did we make the Gold, but to place in the top four of our own tourney, I’m really proud of the team for doing that. We have a new coach (Kim Paasch) and the mentality of the team is really great.”
Paasch was an assistant from 2003-12 and joked “I was gonna be here anyway” with her sons Joel (junior) and Kyle (freshman). Sophomores Andrew Cowell, Eddie Chand and Elliot Little and seniors Wesley Cowell, Maxwell Ostrolencki and Brett Fuller are making an impact.
“What’s great about this team is we’re so well-rounded and very deep,” Kim Paasch said.
Palatine (5-8) won its last four tourney matches and the Silver Flight 26-24, 27-25 over Highland Park. Libero Jackson Brown was all-tourney as the Pirates, who have battled injuries to Luke Tipton and Marcus Wardle, snapped an 8-match losing streak Friday.
They trailed late and faced set point in each set for the Silver title but got some big kills from David Akeju and Will Santiago and strong play from Alek Heyser and Andrew Cannon.
“We’re starting to trust each other and figure out who we are,” said Palatine coach Pete Gavin. “Talking, communicating and putting our bodies in the right place, I thought we did an incredible job of that in this tournament.”
Stevenson (7-6) beat Grayslake Central (8-2) for fifth 26-24, 25-22. The 12 all-tourney picks included Stevenson’s Dulguun Ankhbayar, Central’s Ben Boron and Ethan Garst of eighth-place Fremd.