Lake Co. boys volleyball All-Area team
Jeff Achler, Vernon Hills How valuable was Achler, a senior libero, to Vernon Hills' success? "If you take him away, that costs us more victories than (anybody else)," coach Chris Curry said. Achler set a single-season school record with 465 digs. He handled 522 serves, with his next closest teammate at 175. "We had a team full of real good leaders, and he really set the tone," Curry said. "He willed us to a few victories." His 643 career digs are the most for any player at Vernon Hills since the advent of rally scoring.
Ernie Choi, Vernon Hills Choi played an instrumental role in Vernon Hills' winning the North Suburban Conference title. Choi, a junior opposite who began the season as the team's third option, had a match-high 11 kills in the Cougars' huge victory over Warren. He also had 9 kills to lead Vernon Hills past Stevenson. "His development was really impressive," said Cougars coach Chris Curry. "He really showed what he's capable of in crunch time in big matches." Choi finished with 186 kills. During conference matches, his hitting efficiency was .407. As the season progressed, Choi became a threat to attack from the back row.
More Coverage Links Lake Co. boys volleyball All-Area team [05/31/08] Warren's Schuette drives to bigger, better success [05/31/08]
Nick Faghihi, Mundelein As a junior, Faghihi emerged as one of the Mustangs' key players during their run in the state tournament. This season, Faghihi, a middle blocker, was asked to do even more because of the Mustangs' youth. "He stepped forward as a leader and tried to get everybody on track to play their best game," said Mustangs coach George Dressen Jr.. Faghihi led Mundelein in blocks and was second in kills. "It was a challenging (season) for him, but he kept a good positive attitude," Dressen said. "He put together some good numbers and did the best he could."
Brad Feiger, Stevenson From a vocal standpoint, Feiger is one of Stevenson's quietest players. This makes sense because the junior outside hitter's play speaks for itself. In his first year on varsity, Feiger's 221 kills led the Patriots. "He's a great jumper and his arm speed is quick," coach Tim Crow said. "He mixed up his hits and has the ability to hit the ball to every spot on the floor." Feiger also provided a big contribution with his serving passing. "He was a steadying influence; he played all the way around and (rarely) came out of matches," Crow said. "He made big play after big play."
Josh Garwood, Carmel Garwood, a senior, demonstrated unique versatility for a middle blocker. He had 191 kills, 72 solo blocks, 51 assists and 43 aces. "He was a game-changer for us and our go-to player all season long," said Corsairs coach Kevin Nylen. "He played well all over the court." Garwood, who had never jump-served before this season, quickly took advantage of his new skill. Carmel was often able to gain some separation from the other team when Garwood had a sustained run on the service line. "His jump serve was just wicked," Nylen said. "It was a great (pleasant) surprise for us."
Jason Giecek, Stevenson Patriots coach Tim Crow realized pretty quickly that Giecek will never give up on a ball. "I would never doubt that," Crow said with a smile. "He pursues everything. He's one of the best defensive kids that I've had here." Giecek's contribution on the offensive end was even more important. A two-year starter at setter, Giecek had 763 assists. "He understood blocking matchups a lot better and did a great job of vocally leading our team," Crow said. Giecek improved his game in every area this season. "My expectations for him were very high, and he pretty much exceeded them," Crow said. "He loves the game and is a mentally tough kid. He's all about volleyball."
Jeff Halvorsen, Warren Halvorsen, a setter, made it a point to make the most of his senior season. "He really took it upon himself to get into the weight room during the off-season," said Blue Devils coach Yun Chen. "He got bigger and stronger and that really helped him out." In addition to leading Warren in assists, he had 147 digs, 125 kills, 48 blocks and 40 aces. "He was such a well-rounded player," Chen said. Halvorsen was clearly the area's best blocking setter. "He learned how to read hitters and a lot of times he had huge blocks," Chen said.
Herman Lynn, Vernon Hills You would never know from Lynn's statistics, 222 kills and 83 blocks that he worked with four different setters. In his first year as the team's primary middle blocker, the unflappable senior met the challenge. His hitting efficiency was .407. "He always (came through) with the most aggressive, smart play he could," said Cougars coach Chris Curry. "When he swung, good things happened." Lynn amassed 203 block kills during his three years on varsity, which places him 30th on the IHSA's all-time list. "He just didn't make errors and he consistently got kills and blocks," Curry said.
Mike McGowan, Warren McGowan, a senior middle blocker, did not need a perfect set to put down a kill. "He can hit different sets," said Blue Devils coach Yun Chen. McGowan had 163 kills and 109 blocks. McGowan played a lot in the off-season and was a vastly-improved player. "He was more comfortable in his second year on varsity," Chen said. "He was one of our anchors. He motivated the team with a big block or a big hit."
Chris Risley, Libertyville Risley, a senior middle blocker, had such command of his hitting this year that he flirted with a .500 efficiency percentage. "When we passed well and had a decent set, there wasn't a lot teams could do to stop him," said Wildcats coach Steve Rochon. Risley, who led the Wildcats in blocks, played at a faster pace this season. "He got to the point where he could anticipate and get in better positions," Rochon said. "He improved steadily throughout his career."
Ryan Schuette, Warren Schuette, a senior opposite, is the captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County All-Area team. He led Warren with 321 kills and contributed 70 blocks and 70 digs. "He's one of the best right side hitters in the state," said Blue Devils coach Yun Chen.
Zach Sesterhenn, Libertyville Sesterhenn, a senior libero, has set the bar high for future Wildcats who will play his position. "He's the best libero that has ever played in our program," said Wildcats coach Steve Rochon. "We saw all year long that he is a tremendous passer and defender." Sesterhenn handled as many serves as he could and was one of the team's more unflappable players. "You can't really tell how the game is going based on the look on his face," Rochon said. "He's one of those guys who made things better on the floor. He really stabilized our defense."
Joe Sponseller, Carmel A huge kill by Sponseller could lead to a sustained run for the Corsairs. "He made shots that you see very few guys do," said Corsairs coach Kevin Nylen. "The guys rallied around him when he made (certain) shots and it was definitely a huge energy boost." Sponseller contributed 208 kills and 32 solo blocks. He was usually the focus of the other team's blockers, but he still found a way to put up big numbers. "He became a smarter hitter," Nylen said. "He was so consistent throughout the year."
Honorable mention
Matt Anderson, Libertyville, jr., MB; Mitchell Baumgartner, Mundelein, soph., RS; Matt Bernard, Libertyville, jr., S; Gordon Booker, Warren, sr., L; Mike Dietrich, Carmel, sr., S; Zach Engels, Carmel, sr., OH; Mike Geske, Carmel, sr., S; Tom Hannum, Libertyville, jr., OH; J.J. Hill, Libertyville, jr., OPP; Keegan Harris, Vernon Hills, jr., MB/OH; Harrison Kay, Stevenson, sr., L; Erik Liederbach, Carmel, jr., MB; Josh McElligott, Mundelein, jr., OH; Mike McNally, Warren, sr., MB; Derrick Norris, Warren, sr., OH; Matt Ockrim, Stevenson, sr., OH; Nick Olson, Libertyville, jr., S; Sam Potkonjak, Antioch, sr., OH; Tyler Schwede, Warren, sr., OH; David Siegel, Vernon Hills, sr., OH; John Sieracke, Lakes, soph., OH; Eric Smith, Antioch, jr., MB; Tim Tokarz, Mundelein, sr., S; Drew Vravick, Stevenson, sr., OPP; Shane Zobel, Antioch, sr.