Boys volleyball: Lake Zurich's Wielgos inspired those around him

Bartosz Wielgos has dreams.

"Very ambitions dreams," the Lake Zurich senior said.

He's had them since seventh grade. He fell in love with the "Star Wars" movies. He wants to try aerospace engineering in college.

But what about volleyball?

"Undoubtedly, one of the premier players in the state," Bears libero Daniel Young said. "What Bartosz did this year was absolutely incredible."

There is more.

"Lake Zurich is very lucky to have had Bartosz in its program for four years," Lake Zurich coach Lesly Ravenscraft said. "He inspired younger athletes to come out for the sport."

Stevenson coach Eric Goolish is also a fan of Lake Zurich's standout, who is the captain of the Daily Herald Lake County All-Area Boys Volleyball Team. Wielgos led LZ to a 24-14 record, including a regional-semifinal win over Goolish's Patriots.

"He is very deserving of player of the year in our area," Goolish said after his team was victimized by Wielgos' 10 kills in two sets. "He is a workhorse for a quality Lake Zurich team. And a factor in every rally. He is very difficult to control, as he can hit various zones of the court with finesse and power."

Wielgos pounded more than 300 kills this season and, with his rocket serve, delivered more than 50 aces. He also had 40 blocks.

But he's not playing college volleyball.

"I played soccer for nine years," said Wielgos, whose parents are from Poland. "By eighth grade, I was asked to join the school volleyball team."

He had grown to 6 feet 3 and had progressed rapidly. He was called up to the varsity his freshman year at Lake Zurich.

"I was terrified, really," he said. "My mom made me go."

He's glad she did.

"It's just a fast-paced game," said Wielgos, who's grown to 6-6. "It's just six people. Every point is so fast.

"Teamwork," he added, "is massive in this sport."

His 17 kills stood out in Lake Zurichs's three-set loss to Deerfield in the Libertyville regional final this season. He emerged as a leader this season.

"I had to focus on inspiring my team and do everything I could be a role model," he said.

He thrived in his leadership role.

"He was our leader on and off the court," Young said. "His ability to instill confidence in teammates when they were down was unparalleled to anyone I have ever played with."