Rams say no to Panthers

Chanting in unison from the bench after key points and during timeouts, Glenbard East's boys volleyball team definitely is a vocal one.

On the court the Rams are pretty good at letting their actions speak for themselves.

Relying on a balanced offensive attack and rock-solid defense, the Rams (17-2, 7-1) earned a 25-22, 25-15 victory over DuPage Valley Conference rival Glenbard North (11-9, 3-4) Thursday in Lombard.

While the victory kept the Rams in serious conference title contention, it also helped avenge their lone conference setback -- which happened against the Panthers during the first week of the season.

"That was a great defensive match on both sides, especially that second game," said Rams coach Marci Maier. "I give all the credit in the world to Glenbard North's defense. They gave us trouble last time with that.

"Thank goodness we were composed enough to continue to play on. Last time we played them, they kept digging, digging, digging and we didn't play on."

Two points in particular stood out late in Game 2, as the Rams' Mark Kunberger and the Panthers' Anthony Gaba and Tyler Gustafson all collected acrobatic digs before a kill from Glenbard East's Tim Lovik capped a 4-0 run to give the hosts a 19-13 lead.

After a Glenbard North sideout, Lovik sacrificed his body to make a spectacular dig that turned into a crucial point as the Rams closed the second game with a 10-2 surge.

"I have no idea how that ball popped up," Maier said. "That was just a nice rally, and it wasn't soft hits. There were great saves on both sides. We were just fortunate to get a run in the second game, get separation and win the match."

Even the players on the court at the time seemed mystified by the defensive play of the match.

"Maybe it hit off his back or knee, I don't know," said Alec Palmer, one of three Rams to finish with 5 kills. "Those are the high energy plays that we like."

Energy was something that was not lacking for the Rams, who open play today at the Downers Grove South tournament.

"It's chemistry, it's energy, it's all part of the system," Maier said of her team's vocal tendencies.

Gustafson and Michael Eskridge had 9 kills and 11 digs, respectively, for the Panthers, who hurt their own cause with 5 service errors.

"It was such a close match, you can't give away points like that," said Glenbard North coach Debra DeBenedetti.

"They were definitely ready to play us, and I just think they wanted it more."