Boys volleyball: Improving Hersey captures championship at St. Charles East

It was a duo St. Charles East couldn't contain.

Hersey sophomore middle hitter Sean John contributed 16 kills while junior middle hitter Kieran Daly collected 9 kills as Hersey defeated St. Charles East 25-18, 25-17 in the championship match of the St. Charles East Invitational Saturday.

The Huskies, 5-0 in the invitational without losing a game, moved to 8-3 on the season.

"We did a great job of getting the ball to our middles and Sean and Kieran did a great job," said Hersey coach Laura Gerber. “We had a good overall effort all day and our communication was good. This is a great competitive tournament early in the season. St. Charles (East) is a very good team. We are still trying different lineups."

To go with 16 kills, John added 5 blocks and 2 aces.

"We are improving all the time," said John. “The setters did a great job of getting the ball to the middles."

Daly contributed 3 blocks with 2 aces for the champions.

"We beat a very good team and played well the entire day," said Daly. “We got the ball in good position in the middle.”

St. Charles East coach Matt Caputo praised the Huskies.

"They have two great middles," said Caputo. “Hersey is a very good team. I couldn't be more proud of our team. We just ran out of gas. We gave great efforts.”

Zack Heilers paced the Saints (10-4) with 15 kills.

"He is a great kid, great student and great leader," said Caputo. “He had a really good day."

In Game 1, the Saints and Huskies were tied at 10 before the tournament champions reeled off 5 consecutive points to take a 15-10 lead.

Jay had four kills and Daly one during the crucial surge, then won the game on Jay’s block.

Hersey grabbed a 14-6 lead in Game 2 and never looked back. A kill by Daly gave the Huskies the game, match and tournament championship.

In the third-place match, Plainfield East defeated Geneva, 22-25, 25-23, 25-20.

The Vikings, playing without starters Will and Jack Rodenbostal along with Blake Beaulieu, finished fourth. Henry Sartell led the Vikings (5-8) with nine kills.

"We missed three key players but it was a good day to play a lot of different kids and develop some depth,“ said Geneva coach Stephanie Hennig. ”These kids never quit and we will be fine with our three kids back. We gutted it out today and we believe there is good things to come."

In the semifinals, St. Charles East beat Geneva 18-25, 25-17, 25-15. In Game 1, the Saints were losing 12-1.

"The kids didn't panic after the bad start," said Caputo. “We played well the rest of the first game and took that momentum in the second and third game."

Josh Trentham and Heilers paced the Saints with six kills.

Sartell paced the Vikings with eight kills while Nile Schneden served four aces.

Hersey won its semifinal over Plainfield East, 26-24, 25-17. In Game 1, the Huskies broke a 17-17 tie with six straight points to take a 23-17 lead. Jay, Daly and Kade Blazak had 2 kills each. A kill by Ethan Gries gave Hersey a 1-0 lead in the match.

In Game 2, Hersey grabbed a 16-9 lead and never looked back. A kill by Jay gave Hersey the game and the match. Daly and Jay led the winners with 7 kills apiece.