Boys volleyball: Vernon Hills thriving despite loss of top hitter

It's been a game of musical chairs at Vernon Hills this spring.

The boys volleyball team lost its top hitter in Jack McDonald a few weeks ago to a shoulder injury and since then, head coach Chris Curry has been using his players like moving pieces in different positions to fill the void and to find the best combinations for the situation.

The Cougars seem to have done that many times over.

Through Wednesday, Vernon Hills was off to an 18-1 start, with its only loss to Glenbrook North, one of the best teams in the state.

"We went into this season thinking we had a lot of depth and as we've been moving kids around, that has really been bearing out," Curry said. "We've got four kids playing in the middle, four outside hitters, multiple liberos. We've been mixing and matching and it's been really successful.

"It's been a good learning experience for us as coaches, too. We've put kids into positions that maybe we wouldn't normally and they are doing things that we didn't know they could do. We have a lot of guys who are rising to the occasion."

Three players have really seen their numbers improve in McDonald's absence: senior Ryan Ellis, senior Tony Mischiara and junior Tommy Winegardner.

"Ryan was our most successful middle hitter but since Jack has been out, we've played him at middle and outside and he's given us another really good option at outside," Curry said. "It's a new position to him but he's handling it really well and he ranks No. 1 on our team in hitting efficiency."

Meanwhile, Mischiara's hitting efficiency has gone up 150 points, and his kills are up, too.

"Tony was kind of going along in Jack's shadow," Curry said. "He was starting every match, but we weren't feeding him the ball as much with Jack in there. He's getting more opportunities now and he's doing really well. He's a dynamic shot maker and he's a strong kid. He's soaked in everything we have given him."

Curry says that Winegardner is also stepping into McDonald's role when called upon.

"It's been nice," Curry said. "We've got a lot of guys who can play and want to fill that role."

Shoulder situation:

Apparently, there really can be too much of a good thing.

Vernon Hills senior hitter Jack McDonald started the season on a tear, hitting the ball with authority and accuracy and frequency. But he's missed the last six matches with a shoulder injury.

"We probably overused him," Vernon Hills coach Chris Curry said. "Jack plays a lot of volleyball between high school and club, but there was a big lull with COVID and he was playing less volleyball than he was used to. Then, we started the season and his numbers were probably higher than we wanted and his shoulder got sore. We were using him too often."

McDonald racked up an astounding 94 kills in the Cougars' first 11 matches. Even though he's missed six matches, he still ranks first on the team in attempts and kills. In fact, he's got 23 more kills and 40 more attempts than the next players on those lists.

"It's a mild shoulder injury, nothing structural, but as soon as it became sore, we just thought it would be best to shut him down and get it under control," Curry said of McDonald's shoulder situation. "He'll be OK and he'll be back to where it feels normal, but we're not going to rush it."

Although the Cougars have done well in compensating for McDonald with a rotation by committee, they do miss his presence and experience.

McDonald is a four-year varsity player who will be playing next year at Carthage, which just won the Division III national championship.

"He's our most experienced player, and our most experienced hitter," Curry said of McDonald. "It will be good to get him back."

Big block:

The blocks are rolling up for Grant Williams of Libertyville.

The 6-foot-5 senior middle hitter has already tallied 62 blocks through 15 matches and is steadily climbing the program's all-time list for blocks in a season.

Williams already ranks eighth, with weeks left in the season.

"Grant is a gigantic block for us," Libertyville coach Jenny Smith said. "He's so disciplined at the net and he's a rock for our team. When we're depending on someone to make a play, he gets the job done. For him to be in the top 10 (in blocks) at this point, especially since we've played fewer games than normal, is just amazing."

Growth spurt:

With no players with prior varsity experience on the roster, Libertyville has suffered through some growing pains in getting off to a 7-8 start.

But one player who already went through his own growth spurt has given the Wildcats some stability.

Junior outside hitter Reece Wiatrowski is in his first year on varsity but it making a big impact with his 6-foot-2 frame. The last time Wiatrowski played for Libertyville, two years ago as a freshman, he was just 5-foot-8.

"Reece's older brother is tall and his dad is tall, so we were hoping," Libertyville coach Jenny Smith said of Wiatrowski. "A lot of freshmen in volleyball are small and Reece was. But he had a good volleyball IQ and he's such a good athlete. But he was a little undersized to be an outside hitter.

"This year, he came in strong and jumping well and with a heavy arm swing and he grew a lot. He's been super consistent and he's been one of our best leaders and he's been pushing everyone to work hard."

Big block, 2:

At 6-foot-8, senior middle hitter Evan Mittlestaedt gives Grayslake North a look that most teams don't have.

And with that imposing presence in the middle, Mittlestaedt also gives the Knights a lot of blocks and heavy hitting.

In fact, Mittlestaedt set the school record recently against Lake Zurich for most blocks in a single match with nine.

"Evan is doing a great job," said Grayslake North coach Nikki Kirchway, whose team got off to an 8-11 start through Wednesday. "He's been on varsity since his sophomore year and he was a difference-maker right away. His blocks are incredible and I think other teams get intimidated by him a little bit once they hit into that big block.

"He's also a really good hitter. He hits in front of the 10-foot line a lot. He's the tallest player we've ever had and he changes a lot about the way we play."

Quick switch:

From making big plays on the football field, Grayslake North junior Nathan Atwell is now making big plays on the volleyball court.

Atwell, an all-area wide receiver, is on the opposite end of plays in volleyball. He now delivers the hurt as Grayslake North's top hitter. In fact, he's been the team's best hitter since his freshman year when he set the school record for kills in a season with 179.

"I saw Nathan's potential as a freshman," Grayslake North coach Nikki Kirchway said. "He was a leader by example back then with how hared he worked, with his volleyball IQ and his leadership through adversity.

"He's just so athletic, too. He can jump out of the gym, his vertical is incredible. He's an athlete's athlete. When he plays a sport, he is so committed to it."

Kirchway believes that Atwell's top sport is volleyball, even though Atwell is the son of Grayslake North football coach Corey Atwell.

"Nathan is such a good football player but I think volleyball is his No. 1 sport," Kirchway said. "I think his experiences as a freshman on varsity in volleyball have helped him in football and I think all of his experiences in football have helped in volleyball. He's a great leader for us and I could definitely see him playing at the college level someday."