Truthfully, Drew Callahan didn’t always like volleyball. But it’s funny how life works out, because it’s the sport that will take the Lyons senior right-side hitter to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology next fall.
When Callahan was in seventh grade at McClure Middle School in Western Springs, he had nothing to do when basketball season was over, so his dad, John, suggested trying out for the school’s boys volleyball team.
The only problem: Callahan had never played volleyball before, so he signed up for a lesson. Bad idea.
“I was like, no, this sport is not for me,” he said with a laugh about that experience. “But I did end up getting forced to go to the tryout, and because of that one lesson, I had just a little bit of an edge over everyone else there.”
Callahan has come a long way. As a junior, he recorded 191 kills, 33 blocks and 61 digs for a team that went 30-9 overall (4-2 in the West Suburban Silver) and advanced to a state quarterfinal, where the Lions fell 25-16, 25-23 to Sandburg.
And next year, he’ll be playing for MIT, in Cambridge, Mass., which was ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III rankings as of March 28. He committed in December after scoring 34 on the ACT. He also has a 4.0 unweighted grade point average.
“MIT was my dream since freshman year,” said Callahan, who plays for Ultimate Volleyball Club and plans to major in mechanical engineering. “It just kind of got stuck in my head: I can play volleyball at a great school like MIT just by being a really solid athlete and a really solid student. If I can balance those two things and play at MIT, that’s great for me.”
Lyons coach Joann Pyritz marvels at Callahan’s ability to find that balance.
“You can see (his) connection between athletics and academics,” she said. “The kind of focus to keep up his high academic record is the same thing that requires you to be your best in sports. He’s a smart person, and he also believes in the team concept. He understands we have to operate as a team and not just individuals on the floor.”
Callahan is one of a host of players returning from last year, which should make the Lions a tough out for league leaders Glenbard West and Downers Grove North, and give them a solid chance at another deep postseason run. Fellow senior returnees include libero Adam Zimmerman, defensive specialist Jack Sylvia, setter Caleb Moskowitz and outside hitter Matt Slivinski, who will play at Carthage College next year.
Also returning is junior outside hitter Sean Ryan, who played last summer in Cuba with the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team, along with junior middle hitters Robert Spencer and Ryan Barker, both Lyons basketball players.
Collectively, that group will be stepping into some big shoes, replacing the graduated Sam Bugaieski, a libero who set the school’s season dig record (444), and setter Elijah Medlock, who broke the school’s season ace record (63).
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“I think these guys are growing and have matured physically, and they are bigger people who are jumping higher and hitting better,” Pyritz said. “Controlling the net is an important facet of boys volleyball. We’re going to keep working on passing, setting and team defense, but teams will have to get past our block.”
The other key, Callahan said, is to jell quickly.
“The school season is such a short season,” he said, “so we have different people coming from different clubs and background experiences. It’s the cohesion we really need to work on to get to the next level.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press