Lake County captain: Vernon Hills' Mike Robinson
Growing up in hockey-playing Minnesota, Mike Robinson was never wild about the Wild. Today, he feels no fervor for Favre. He doesn't howl for the Timberwolves.
And Joe Mauer?
He's just an Ordinary Joe.
Robinson, after all, is a White Sox fan. He also roots for the Colts and Blackhawks.
"Actually," Robinson said, "I don't like any of the sports teams in Minnesota."
Robinson moved to Vernon Hills after seventh grade and then, for the first time in his life, the Minnesota native went out for volleyball. His mother had coached girls in club volleyball.
"They don't have boys volleyball in Minnesota," Robinson said. "I didn't know it was a sport until I got here. I saw that they had a boys volleyball team in the winter at my junior high, so I tried out. I just figured it was something I wanted to try."
Vernon Hills High School is glad he did.
This spring it was root, root for Robinson.
The 6-foot-3 outside hitter is the captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County All-Area team after leading the Cougars to the best season in their history. They went 35-4, bowing out to Buffalo Grove in an amazing sectional final that saw the Bison prevail 25-22, 23-25, 35-33 at Palatine.
At one point during the regular season, Vernon Hills won 24 matches in a row.
"I was really happy with our season," said Robinson, part of a talented squad that also included his sophomore brother, Thomas, as well as fellow all-area players Pat Stone, Spencer Raak and Justin Opitz, and Garrett Kubacki, Ryan Steeno and David Swanson.
"Going into the season, I didn't know how we'd do because I didn't know some of the juniors who would be starting.
"As the season went along, we bonded really well and played really well."
Robinson played great.
"He's simply the most complete player we've ever coached, and he's driven to be better," Cougars coach Chris Curry said. "He won't let the team slack off at all in practice, nor does he ever take a play off. He's never been a vocal leader, but the intensity is obvious in how he plays. He's totally set the tone for how we compete on the floor: quiet, focused and intense."
Curry also lauded Robinson's ability to find ways to contribute when he wasn't hitting his best or blocking his best.
When Robinson was on the court, he was always making contributions. He finished the season with 246 kills (three more than teammate Pat Stone), 52 block kills, 249 digs and 25 aces.
"I like to try to be balanced at everything," said Robinson, a repeat all-area selection who was promoted to varsity during his sophomore season. "I liked blocking.
"That was probably my favorite thing to do. I had some struggles during the season, but when I struggle with something, I try to make up for it with passing, serving or serve-receiving, so I'm not hurting the team."
Despite his all-around game and overall skill set, Robinson will not play college volleyball. He's headed back home, so to speak, off to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he plans to study biology with hopes of someday becoming a doctor.
He pulled a 3.9 GPA (4.0 scale) in high school.
"I wanted to go back and it's a nice-sized school," Robinson said of Minnesota-Duluth.
He figures to fit right in, as long as he doesn't talk sports with fellow Minnesotans.
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<h2>Related documents</h2>
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<li><a href="/pdf/lakeboysvolleyballfront10.pdf">Lake Co. all-area team Page 1</a></li>
<li><a href="/pdf/lakeboysvolleyballteam10.pdf">Lake Co. all-area team Page 2</a></li>
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