The Lake Forest boys volleyball team had a clear directive on Wednesday, May 13 — beat Libertyville and become North Suburban Conference champion.
Playing in front of a large senior night crowd inside their home gym, the Scouts got their conference title, but not without intrigue. After winning the first game 25-21, Lake Forest dropped a fiercely played second, 30-28. But mental fortitude carried the Scouts to a 25-17 win in the third game win.
With a 9-0 conference record, Lake Forest (20-9 overall) clinched the outright conference championship.
“Everybody did what they had to. It’s huge. We get our faces on the [championship] wall,” said senior Andrew Salzer, who finished with eight kills. “That’s a big deal.”
When Lake Forest coach Colin Kiely took over the program in 2013, he vowed to build the program from the middle out. The reality of his vision was evident as Lake Forest beat a good Libertyville team (18-14, 6-3).
Lake Forest has a strong middle attack behind senior Scott Chamberlain and junior Shane King. But depth on the outside is what makes the Scouts a sectional contender. Junior hitter Mason Moore (19 kills), senior hitter Jonathan Constantine (seven kills) and Salzer made it impossible for the Wildcats to seize any momentum, especially in the first and third games.
“When we needed it, our outsides stepped up. That’s the program I want, where it’s not one player,” Kiely said. “It’s been a slow process. First year was a little rough, last year was better, and this year, it just makes me proud.”
The match was far from over at 15-15 in the third game. After a 7-2 run by the Wildcats, Kiely called timeout. When play resumed, the Scouts got in their offensive system and ran a play for Moore, who after a perfect set from junior setter Varun Rao (20 assists), slammed home a kill from the left pin. After a service error by Moore, the Scouts received. But Moore again finished, this time from the middle. Lake Forest never relinquished the lead.
It was Salzer, a three-year varsity player, who found a hole in the Wildcats’ block to catapult the Scouts to match point at 24-17. A Libertyville error ended the match.
“We couldn’t control our errors [in game three]. We gave it away,” Wildcats coach Jennifer Smith said.
Lake Forest, a No. 5 seed in the Antioch Sectional, can complete an undefeated conference season with a win over Antioch on May 20. The win over Libertyville earned Lake Forest one milestone. But it also heightened expectations for the postseason.
For the first time in several years, the Scouts have a legitimate chance to win a regional title and more.
“It’s awesome to be here. I dreamed of this as a senior, to win conference,” said senior libero Mike Christensen, who finished with 14 digs. “There’s still playoffs left. We want more. This team hates losing, especially big [matches].”
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Salzer added: “We can go far. I have a feeling we can take this team pretty far. I have good hopes.”
Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @prepspioneer