Boys volleyball: Lake County all-area team

Posted June 10, 2010 11:00 pm

By Joe Aguilar

John Baader Stevenson

There is nothing bad about Baader. The 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter was quite good, as he pounded 204 kills and served 26 aces. The Patriots relied heavily on his play all over the court, including on defense where he made 152 digs. "He was as effective in the back row as the front," coach Tim Crow said of his all-conference talent. "His leadership made tremendous strides this year, and he was such a great kid to coach. The guys really looked up to him."

Mitchell Baumgartner Mundelein

Baumgartner did not decide to play volleyball until his sophomore year. Coach George Dressen Jr. said he has such natural talent he easily made the varsity team. The senior, who racked up 238 kills and 220 digs in an all-conference campaign, grew into a leader on and off the court. "He's one of those young men to take the bull by the horns and lead with strong communication on and off the court and his actions on the court," Dressen said.

Chris Kelly Mundelein

Call Kelly the great communicator. That's what coach George Dressen Jr. says. "He knew how to give direction to hitters," Dressen said. The senior libero, who served as a backup last year, also was a steady server, serving 95 percent. An all-conference performer, Kelly also had 348 digs and led the Mustangs with 350 serve-receive passes.

Zachary Kravits Stevenson

Kravits made the transition from right side hitter to setter, and the move paid off for the Patriots. Coach Tim Crow said the junior proved to be a threat, attacking at the net, and his progression to understand blocking matchups was excellent. Kravits dished out 592 assists in addition to contributing 74 kills and 19 aces for the regional champs. He was selected to the all-conference team, as well. "He's a very coachable kid and always put the pressure on himself," Crow said.

Patrick Lentz Mundelein

The senior middle blocker improved his ability this season to kill- on the court, that is. A repeat all-conference player, he more than doubled his kills from last season, slamming a team-best 260. Coach George Dressen Jr. said Lentz not only performs well for the team well but also for his church, serving as a leader on mission trips. "He's a well-rounded young man," Dressen said.

Justin Opitz Vernon Hills

Opitz dished a school-record 927 assists this season and has more than 1,200 career assists. And the 6-foot-3 setter still has one year left to see what number he can reach. The all-conference player also had 155 digs, 63 block kills, 61 attack kills and 27 aces. "In my opinion, he was the best setter in the North Suburban (Conference) this year," coach Chris Curry said. "(He is) one of the best in the state. His development has been key to our hitters' success."

Spencer Raak Vernon Hills

He never played a day of club volleyball in his life. But his stats prove he is a quick learner and a proven leader for the Cougars. Raak racked up 35 aces on 304 attempts and only 17 missed serves in an all-conference season. The senior libero became the most efficient server and highest-rated serve receiver in school history. He also won the school's "Cougar Pride Coaches' Choice" award from among all the male senior athletes as the athlete the coaches would most like to have on their team. "He's a quiet but steady leader," coach Chris Curry said of the team captain. "And we don't win nearly this many matches without him."

Mike Robinson Vernon Hills

Quiet but intense. This is the tone the 6-foot-2 outside hitter set for his team when it competed. And it is his leadership that helped lead the Cougars to their first sectional final. The captain of the Daily Herald All-Area team and an all-conference pick, Robinson drilled 246 kills while also recording 52 block kills, 249 digs and 25 aces. "He's simply the most complete player we've ever coached, and he's driven to be better," 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."

Andrew Roscoe Mundelein

Roscoe produces one wicked jump serve that many teams could not handle. Maybe that's why the senior all-conference talent led the Mustangs with 40 aces. "He's an aggressive player. He knows only one speed and it's fast forward," coach George Dressen Jr. said. "It goes from first to fifth gear in a second." Dressen said Roscoe also took that aggression all over the court and helped rally his team behind him. "He's one of those players who throws himself all over the court to make the players look as good as they can."

Kyle Schwede Warren

Whether on offense or defense, Schwede always proved to be fun to watch. This season, the setter lofted 631 assists, slammed 145 kills, posted 67 blocks, served 32 aces and notched 213 digs. He's a repeat all-area and all-conference selection. "While you watch him play, you can see his great passion for volleyball," coach Yun Chen said. "Night in and night out, during practice or match, he competes to win."

Pat Stone Vernon Hills

Stone's a rock. And who would have thought three years ago that he would develop into a standout on the court? Coach Chris Curry said the 6-foot-2 senior middle blocker was a "mediocre" freshman B middle three years ago. But Stone put in the hard work. He knew the team needed him to play all around, and so he worked hard not only on defense but also hitting. Stone piled up 243 kills and 82 block kills this season in earning all-conference honors. He also had 137 digs and 14 aces. "He's become one of the best middles in the state," Curry said. "Very few teams have found a way to stop him. That kind of development is exactly what a small school like ours needs to succeed."

Alex Spike Carmel Catholic

Could there be a better last name for a volleyball player? Spike, the Corsairs' lone All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection, rang up 154 kills, 38 aces, 32 solo blocks, 38 assisted blocks and 35 digs. "Alex was a great player to coach for three years," said coach Kevin Nylen, who also served as Spike's frosh coach. "He is undersized for an outside but made up for that with a great vertical jump and great hitting smarts." In addition to being athletic, Nylen said Spike was a great student of the game. "He learned how to hit different shots, and he was always playing around with his serve," he said. "He mastered a great overhand jump serve, but then added various jump floats to it and became a great weapon for us."

Honorable mention

Niki Antonijevic (Stevenson, Jr., RS), Bryan Bonamarte (Libertyville, Jr., MB), Brian Chin (Mundelein, Sr., OH), Eduard Ciobanu (Warren, Jr., OH), Michael Fitzgibbons (Carmel Catholic, Jr., OH), Danny Gescheidle (Stevenson, Jr., OH), Eric Handrich (Libertyville, Jr., OH), Garrett Kubacki (Vernon Hills, Jr., MB), Mark Molloy (Lakes, Sr., S), Eric Phillips (Antioch, Jr., RS), Thomas Robinson (Vernon Hills, So., OH), Dillon Schaefer (Warren, Jr., OH), Jeff Steinberg (Lake Zurich, Sr., OH), Matt Swaback (Stevenson, Sr., L), Jake Wolfe (Carmel Catholic, Sr., OH), Marcus Zagorniak (Libertyville, L., Sr.),

Captains Honor Roll

2004 - Mike Morici (Carmel Catholic)

2005 - Dan Krzmarzick (Carmel Catholic)

2006 - Dimitry Voronov (Stevenson)

2007 - Ryan Sullivan (Mundelein)

2008 - Ryan Schuette (Warren)

2009 - Brad Feiger (Stevenson)

2010 - Mike Robinson (Vernon Hills)

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