Kauling's choice a boost for Neuqua Valley volleyball

Neuqua Valley boys volleyball coach Erich Mendoza knew he had something special in Kevin Kauling when his starting setter came in as a freshman.

And after three full seasons of leading the Wildcats, it can be said that Kauling has met and exceeded expectations. He is the Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area Team Captain for 2018.

"Kevin was big and such a great athlete in middle school," Mendoza said. "He was also a great swimmer who could have been a state champion."

Wildcats boys swimming coach Chad Allen saw Kauling as a future star.

"He could swim everything and he was still growing into his body," Allen said. "If we had him on the swimming team he would have helped us compete for a state trophy every year."

The first problem for Kauling's swimming was that Allen couldn't resolve the scheduling conflicts with the Sports Performance volleyball commitments.

"We couldn't take the setter off the volleyball club team," Allen said. "It's been disappointing not to get him but fun to see the success he's had. I think he would have been up there with the state's best swimmers."

"I started playing volleyball in the fourth grade and it was always my second sport to swimming until the eighth grade," Kauling said. "That's when I grew to 6-foot-5 and my Sports Performance club team made me a setter."

Volleyball runs in the family

Kauling followed in the volleyball footsteps of his two older sisters, both of whom starred at Neuqua.

Hailey, 21, went on to Bemidji State and played two years before injuring her back. She's now at Western Illinois.

His sister Kora, 19, was an All-Area setter for two years and a unanimous all-DuPage Valley Conference selection. She's now a varsity player at Wichita State.

"I love swimming, but I have a passion for volleyball," Kauling said. "One reason I chose volleyball is that it's more of a team sport."

When he joined Neuqua as a freshman he was immediately inserted in the starting lineup as one of the setters in a 6-2 offense.

"We never had a freshman make varsity before," Mendoza said. "And it was terrific that he could make a major contribution immediately. We had other tall guys come in, but we never had a player with his physical traits and the volleyball skills that Kevin had right from the start."

Kauling, who now stands 6-foot-7, loves the setter position thanks, in part to the influence of Kora.

"I like that the setter is such a major influence on the game," Kauling said. "How you work to put the other team out of system. It's fun to play mind tricks on the other team to get one-on-one blocks and get better angles for our hitters. Or cross them up completely by hitting it to the other side or going for the kill yourself. Finding the open space, seeing the block, that's all a major part of the enjoyment I get as a setter."

Mendoza said that little touch of larceny combined with his athletic skills is what sets Kauling apart from many other setters.

"He's very hard to read, especially when you add his ability to make quick decisions," Mendoza said. "And his footwork is so great that it's beyond what I see in other setters. He gets to a spot so fast that he often rescues bad passes. And from there he puts the ball right on the spot where the hitters can be successful."

A natural

Mendoza also pointed out Kauling's other assets. His size, his speed, his ability to jump high and get off the floor quickly and his incredibly fast hands all add to his arsenal.

"Giving our hitters the opportunity to get a kill is very satisfying," Kauling said. "The mental part of the game is most thrilling to me."

In his first two years on varsity, the Wildcats won regionals before bowing out of the state tournament.

In his junior year the Wildcats started by winning the Tiger Classic, with Kauling making the all-tournament team and teammate Jeremy Grove winning MVP.

Later, with Grove out injured for three weeks, the Wildcats dipped with a 9-5 stretch.

They finished strong in the playoffs by going all the way to the state championship match before falling to Lincoln-Way East in three games.

Kauling missed the sectional matches when he had the opportunity to try out for the Under-19 USA Volleyball team in Colorado Springs.

He did not make the national team and was back to help the Wildcats in their three-state final playoff matches.

"I felt awful missing those tournament games," Kauling said. "But it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I hope my teammates respected my decision."

The Wildcats finished the season with a 33-8 record and, according to Mendoza, Kauling was a major asset in the state finals.

"Kevin understands the flow of the game better than any player I've known," Mendoza said. "Since he arrived, people always thought he was older, but we've seen him grow and mature and take more initiatives to lead our guys to push their game to another level."

The coach looks forward to his setter getting even better next year.

"Kevin has a passion for volleyball and a passion for winning," Mendoza said. "And he's only a junior."