DuPage County captain: Downers Grove North's Greg Petty

Everyone knew that Greg Petty of Downers Grove North was a superior athlete, but in the past year he has also become a great volleyball player.

A forward on the Trojans varsity basketball team, this 6-feet-5 outside hitter is a dominating force on offense and a six-rotation guy who can beat you in many ways.

In recognition of his outstanding season, Petty has been named as the captain of The Daily Herald all-area team, and he's only a junior.

Mark Wasik, who took over this year as Downers Grove North coach, is impressed with how Petty has developed as a complete player.

"The things you can't teach he's blessed with," Wasik said. "He's a great leaper who touches 11-foot-1, and nobody hits harder than Greg. But this year he has improved his passing and defensive ability. And he's developed patience and leadership skills."

Growing painsPetty understood that he had to be more controlled for the team to succeed."I think I've gotten more mature as a person and that has helped me grow as a volleyball player," said Petty, who led his team to a 30-8 record and the Glenbard East sectional semifinals, where the Trojans lost to Wheaton Warrenville South. "Before, I would get frustrated with myself and my teammates and I would tend to shut myself down. I overcame that this year and I try to stay positive and encourage everyone else."Teammate John Walgamuth, a varsity starter for three years and a long-time team leader, has noticed the change in Petty."Last year he was one of the best outside hitters in the state," Walgamuth said. "However, in tough matches, Greg would tighten up and get emotional. He showed his youth. But he figured it out this year. It's been a real transformation. And because of that every aspect of his game has gotten better."Petty agrees."My passing and my defense have improved a lot," he said. "I've gotten a lot smarter about reading where the hitters are going to hit when I'm in the back row. And I'm doing things automatically now. I don't have to think about it."He has also noticed that he's making fewer errors and has become more consistent in all aspects of the game. "Greg is more sophisticated about the game," Walgamuth said. "He's fun to watch. He really sees the court and he always knows where we are in the match. And he knows his role better. Also, when he makes an error, instead of getting down on himself, he just shrugs it off and moves on."Petty admits that he's having more fun this year, partially because of the leadership role he has taken, but also because of how the team has developed."All the guys on the team have been friends for a while so there's good chemistry," Petty said. "We all understand our roles. And everyone has gotten better skill-wise as the year went on. We're much looser in practice and in matches and that helps us put our mistakes behind us and just go on to the next point."Wasik said Petty also developed the knack of being able to turn his level of play up a notch when he's most needed."He's always giving 100 percent," Wasik said. "But it seems that in the clutch he can reach a little higher. Nobody else can turn it up the way Greg can."The coach praised Petty's ability to not only hit any shot and from any angle but to disguise his shots to make it nearly impossible for defending opponents."All the top hitters have the ability to let the play develop and make the right decision with the shot," Wasik said. "Greg can hit any shot, even a low-percentage cut-shot cross-court. It's a hard angle to hit and nobody can make that as regularly as he can."This year Petty led the Trojans with 359 kills. He added 32 blocks for points and came up with 115 digs and 55 aces.Looking aheadPetty, who's a fine student, still has time to decide on a college, but he knows he wants to play volleyball and find a school with a good program in mechanical or chemical engineering. Petty's older brother Jay, who starred for the Trojans, is now playing for Lewis University, and Greg didn't rule out the possibility of joining his brother."We played beach volleyball as a two-man team last summer and will again this year," Petty said. "But my college choice will probably be based on the school's program in my chosen major." <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Related documents</h2><ul class="morePdf"><li><a href="/pdf/dupageboysvolleyballfront10.pdf">DuPage Co. all-area team Page 1</a></li><li><a href="/pdf/dupageboysvolleyballteam10.pdf">DuPage Co. all-area team Page 2</a></li></ul></div></div></div>