Lake Park holds off upstart Geneva

When Lake Park began its current streak of four straight regional championships in 2009, the Geneva boys volleyball program did not yet exist.

The champions of Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division (Lancers) and River (Vikings, shared with St. Charles East) met Wednesday night with the Larkin regional championship on the line.

Lake Park and its tradition had a little too much firepower for the new kids on the block in a 25-13, 23-25, 25-17 victory.

The No. 2 seed Lancers (25-10) will play Friday night in the Elgin sectional against Addison Trail, the school that first-year Lake Park coach Tim Murphy came from.

“(Geneva) definitely played much better in the second game,” said Murphy whose team’s UEC Valley title was its first outright. “I told my guys your backs are now against the wall. We may have got a little cocky but this team has always responded to adversity. When I tell them it’s a big game and put pressure on them they respond to that.”

No. 10 seed Geneva led just once in Game 3, 2-1. The Lancers broke free from a 6-6 tie with 5 straight points that included 3 kills by Dillon Hock.

Brian Fischer got going next with three straight big swings that put the Lancers up 17-8. Fischer later fired a jump serve ace for point 23.

“I got into the zone,” Fischer said. “I tried doing everything I could to help us win that game. Everybody stepped it up and we did a good job finishing it.”

Geneva, in just its second season of playing boys volleyball, avoided the sweep by staying close with Lake Park throughout Game 2. The Vikings took their first 2-point lead at 21-19 on a kill from Nick Caruso. Caruso also delivered on game point with a shot through two Lake Park blockers.

Fischer led the Lancers with 12 kills. He had plenty of help from teammates Mike Dickerson, Andrew Hochstadt, Hock and Devin Burke.

“We don’t have one go-to player,” Murphy said. “We spread the ball around. It’s kind of hard to scout us as a team.”

“They were a little more consistent than we were,” Geneva coach KC Johnsen said. “Lake Park has a tremendous team and we showed we can play with them.”

Lake Park will be trying for its first sectional championship since 2004. The Lancers and Addison Trail have not played this year.

“This means a lot to us,” Fischer said. “We’re going to go with the momentum and have a good practice tomorrow and play a good game Friday.”