Girls volleyball: Leavitt fashions another winner at Burlington Central

Success follows Marv Leavitt wherever he goes.

I recall writing a story in the early 1990s about Leavitt and good friend and co-coach-at-the-time Jim Reed's success at St. Charles High School.

Some years later it was a story about one of Leavitt's strong St. Edward teams. Current day: Leavitt still is going strong in his 11th year as Burlington Central's girls' volleyball coach.

And Year 11 is turning into an extra-special one. Not given much of a chance after the graduation of 8 seniors from a 2014 team that ripped off 31 wins and won the team's second Class 3A regional title in a row, all the Rockets have done so far is go 22-3 and again take full command of first place in the Big Northern Conference East Division with a spotless 9-0 mark.

Not too bad for one of those so-called rebuilding years.

"So many people were saying because we lost all those seniors we weren't going to be as good a team as we were last year," said Central senior middle hitter Lexi VanHiel, the Rockets' lone returning starter from last year's unbeaten conference-championship team. "We knew we could do this and that gave us the courage to prove people wrong."

Senior right-side hitter Megan Lomas added: "This group has the motivation to get where we want to be and that has played a big part in what we've done. We all knew we had what it takes to get it done."

Leavitt, who as of Wednesday was 5 wins shy of 700 for his 26-year career (only 16 coaches in reported IHSA girls' volleyball history have hit the 700 number), said an action-packed summer did wonders for the newly assembled group. The Rockets played in summer events in Michigan, Iowa and Indiana, plus a summer league locally based out of the Top Flight club.

"A lot of people thought this might be a complete rebuilding year," he said. "We got in about 35 matches in the summer and you could see the nucleus of a good team forming. You could see the pieces there. The summer really helped. The girls got to know each other on and off the court. They spent time together and became friends. They put in the extra time and effort to build this. They are determined to be successful."

Success on the court for the Rockets can be traced to three main components. For starters, Central is ultra-aggressive at the service line with 245 aces in 56 sets (that's more than 4 points a set that never make it back over the net). Six players have 20 or more aces, led by setter Lexi DeWaard's 54 (against only 30 errors).

"We're consistently taking opponents out of system," Leavitt said. "You also have to live with missing a lot of serves, but that's where our serve-receive and siding out ability comes through."

And the passing has been pretty much spot-on. Central passes a 2.09 clip on a 3.0 scale (coaches typically grade passes on a 3-point system). The Rockets through Wednesday had made 379 of the perfect 3.0 passes, a total that outdistances by a large margin the combined total of 1-point and zero-point (error) passes they have made.

"If we're not able to pass we're not able to use the hitters in the ways we want," said Central co-coach Meghan Blahink (more on her in a minute). "When our serve and serve-receive are on, we feel very good about where we are at."

Central is getting it done through the accomplishments of many. VanHiel, an all-area selection last year, is hitting .377 with a team-high 143 kills, Lomas has been a key cog on the right side, while senior Leah Murphy (second on the team in digs and third in kills) and junior Summer Smith (second on the team in kills and third in digs) are rocks on the outside. Murphy and Smith are two of Central's primary passers along with libero Rachel Gaydos (team-best 241 digs).

"One of the best things about us is it's not one or two players," Blahnik said. "A lot of players make an impact on this team and it happens on a consistent basis. We're well-balanced."

Central welcomed setter DeWaard (who Leavitt lauded for her offensive directing abilities) to the team this summer after she transferred from Wisconsin. The Sheboygan transplant was immediately impressed with what she saw in her new teammates. "It's a family here," she said. "We're all super-close and that helps us play as a team."

VanHiel added: "It's a sisterhood and you can't ask for anything better than that."

The Rockets' success is even more impressive given the fact they have come from behind on numerous occasions this season. Central, which has lost only once in straight sets (the first match of the season), is 6-2 in 3-set matches, has won 3 matches after losing the first set and has won the third set by margins of 12, 7 and 10 points after losing the second set.

"We seem to play well when we are behind," said Leavitt. "I can't tell you how many times we've been behind and we've played through it. We would prefer not to get behind, but we're confident that when we are behind we can come back. The kids are mentally tough when it comes to crunchtime situations."

Central also has benefitted from the presence of co-coach Blahnik, who previously was the team's sophomore coach and then moved to Texas for several years before returning this season. Blahnik is a director with the local Top Flight club.

"We're very fortunate to have Meghan," said Leavitt, who directed Central to a state runner-up finish in 2008. "She's very knowledgeable and has a great temperament. She doesn't get frustrated and stays calm out there."

Leavitt, who has 282 wins during his run at Central (267 more at St. Charles and 146 at St. Edward), pointed out Rocket Hill is now the place he's coached at the longest (he was at St. Charles for 10 years and St. Edward for 5 years). "Time sure does fly," he said. "Central is a great place. I love it. The parents are very supportive, the players work hard and I work with great colleagues. I'm blessed to be here."

In talking to Leavitt, it's evident this year's team holds a special place for him. How can I tell? In talking about the group, both he and Blahnik used a five-letter word any person, athlete or otherwise, loves to hear - proud.

"I'm extremely proud of them," he said. "It's a special group. They deserve a lot of credit. They wanted to be successful, they put in the time and it's really paid off. It's their time to shine."

And the Rockets plan on doing exactly that over the next month.

Mike Miazga has been writing about sports in the Fox Valley for more than two decades. Email him at mjm890@gmail.com.