Joliet Catholic outside hitter Blake Reardon is on a roll.
Reardon garnered Daily Southtown second team all-area honors last season after putting away 375 kills and 20 aces. Through 11 matches in 2015, the 6-foot-4 junior is on pace to surpass those marks.
“Blake is a huge piece,” Hilltoppers coach Rhyen Staley said. “When you have a big, athletic outside hitter — when you get into trouble you can count on that guy — that’s a huge advantage.”
Reardon is blasting away for one of Joliet Catholic’s more talented teams in recent years. The Hilltoppers (10-1) should contend for the East Suburban Catholic title alongside Marist and Benet.
Joliet Catholic’s lone defeat came in three sets to unbeaten Lincoln-Way West (13-0). The Hilltoppers’ best victory was a come-from-behind win against Lockport (11-2).
“We would have lost that match in two last year,” Staley said of Lockport. “They had match point on us in Game 2. It was 24-21. We side out and Blake comes to the line and rips two aces.”
It’s not just a Reardon show, however. Setter Aron Goeken and libero Tony Allen, two returning all-ESCC selections, are stabilizing forces. Middle hitter Ben Gabor is emerging as another attack option.
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“Gabor has really come along,” Staley said. “He’s slowly becoming a major threat for us. That’s really important because without him keeping the other team honest against middle attacks, it puts a lot of pressure on Blake.”
Rice is nice
With All-American Mitch Weiler (Ball State) and six other players graduating to the collegiate game, a few bumps in the road could be expected for Brother Rice during the first month of the season.
But after a 1-4 start facing a brutal schedule, the young Crusaders appear to be turning a corner.
Junior libero Zach Rothstein continues to clean up the back row, while starting sophomores Jimmy Baker and Pat Hollander form a strong foundation for the future.
“The court leadership by Zach has been a big factor, and Spencer Scott and Garrett Dederichs are doing a nice job in the middle,” coach Dan Dwyer said.
Brother Rice is 5-1 over its last six matches with notable victories over Marist, Lincoln-Way Central, Naperville Central and Loyola. The Crusaders lone defeat during that span came against Sandburg, which keyed on stopping the Harvard-bound Scott.
Clutch hitting
Most teams feed an outside hitter during crunch time. For Oak Lawn, senior Nate Jones is turning into that player.
“If we need a point, the ball is probably coming to me,” Jones said. “I practice enough not to be nervous about it. I know my team has confidence in me.”
Jones paced Oak Lawn with 96 kills through 14 matches. He recently guided the Spartans (7-8) to a fifth-place showing at the St. Charles East Invitational.
“He’s been very consistent,” coach Matt Hunt said. “He’s racked up the most kills and has a consistent jump-serve.”
Outside hitter Trevor Wagner (76 kills, 54 digs) and sophomore setter Jack Lindner (237 assists, 19 aces) have also played well for Hunt, who noted passing as the achilles heel for Oak Lawn’s strong group of attackers.
Player of the Week
Jon Wheaton, of Lockport, is the Daily Southtown’s Player of the Week.
The 6-8 middle hitter recorded 15 kills, 10.5 blocks and three aces across four matches in leading the Porters to the Marian Catholic Invitational championship. Wheaton also earned all-tournament honors at the Marist Invitational earlier in the season.
Malloy is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Boys Volleyball Top 10
Records through Wednesday; last week’s rank in parentheses
1. Lincoln-Way West 13-0 (1)
2. Sandburg 7-3 (2)
3. Joliet Catholic 10-1 (3)
4. Lincoln-Way East 10-6 (8)
5. Brother Rice 7-5 (4)
6. Lockport 11-2 (5)
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7. Marist 9-5 (6)
8. Lincoln-Way Central 9-4 (7)
9. Lincoln-Way North 10-4 (9)
10. Andrew 7-5 (NR)