Scouting the MSL championship
By Bill Esbrook
Daily Herald Correspondent
Boys volleyball / Mid-Suburban League championship preview
Buffalo Grove at Barrington, 7 p.m. Wednesday
Probable starters:
BG: Sam Wacker (senior, middle); Michael Starzec (senior, middle); Matt Bloom (senior, setter); Michael Maley (junior, libero); Evan Bunnetto (junior, outside); Ethan Bailey (junior, outside); Scott Swedberg (senior, outside).
Barrington: Peter Van Fossan (junior, middle); Tommy Leonard (senior, middle); Taylor Ganzer (senior, setter); Austin Czarnecki (senior, libero); Charlie Spry (junior, opposite); Kevin Eiring (junior, outside); Jeff Hochstein (senior, outside).
Outlook
Barrington, which swept through the MSL West with a 10-0 record, has an imposing front row with 6-foot-8 Leonard and 6-6 Van Fossan able to wreak havoc on the opponent’s attack. Leonard led the Broncos offense this year with 215 kills, 62 blocks and 35 service aces, while Van Fossan was second on the squad in blocks with 34 and also contributed 102 kills. The West champs are no slouches on the outside as well as Hochstein picked up 152 kills and Spry hit for 147. Ganzer (525 assists) provides a ton of senior leadership while ever-reliable Czarnecki is the glue that holds the team together. “I’m proud of the way we played this season,” said Barrington coach Rob Ridenour. “Everbody on our team from one through 16 has been really important to our success, and the competition for playing time has been great for us — it’s made us tougher and created an environment for improvement both mentally and physically.” Czarnecki has 305 digs and 21 aces, while the Broncos expect clutch contributions off the bench from Ryan Sarkar, Charlie KIngwill and John Bach.
Defending champion Buffalo Grove boasts a tall starting lineup as well, with 6-foot-7 seniors Starzec and Wacker being extremely tough to hit against. The teammates are forces on the offensive end as well, with Wacker swatting 212 kills and Starzec recording 189 kills and 101 blocks. The stat and floor leader for the MSL East champs is all-purpose setter Bloom, who had an amazing 271 kills to go along with 502 assists. Libero Maley is one of the best in the state as evidenced by his 480 digs, while underclassman Bunnetto gives the Bison a big assist on the outside. “We’ve really grown as the season has moved along,” said BG coach Matt Aiello. “Our guys have a lot of talent, but most importantly, a lot of character. They are the epitome of strong.” The Bison have their usual deep roster featuring players that could start for most teams, including Pat McGrath, Andy Schnittker and Jose Aguirre. BG, which finished 8-2 in the East, will be appearing in its fifth consecutive Mid-Suburban League title game.
The final word
Ridenour: “We’re looking forward to playing Buffalo Grove. They’ve set the standard for the league the past couple of years, and they bring great emotion to every match they play. It’ll be important for our guys to just be themselves, be confident, and be consistent. It’s a tremendous mental preparation for the postseason in trying to minimize emotional highs and lows and working to maintain focus on the situation of the next point.”
Aiello: “At Buffalo Grove, every time we step on the floor we play to win — but this match is really to get us ready for the postseason. That’s the way we approach the MSL championship. I know that Barrington will be really amped up for this game, and they have pretty much the whole cast back from last year. For my boys, this is pretty much a whole new lineup, so we need to withstand Barrington’s early energy and remain focused on our goals. I know Rob (Ridenour) prepares his team really well — and they are a very good team.”
— Bill Esbrook