It didn’t take long for the Glenbrook North boys volleyball team to assert itself in the New Trier Sectional semifinals against Maine East on Friday in Winnetka.
The Spartans’ offensive performance in their 25-13, 25-18 victory over the Blue Demons, who had stymied Evanston with their defense two days earlier, demonstrated why Glenbrook North is the top seed in the sectional.
“They are clean, they play defense well and they were in system offensively the vast majority of the game,” Maine East coach Jon Kulesza said. “Any volleyball team that you play against, if they get the ball to their setter, the defense is in trouble. Especially with a team like this where they have five guys who can attack.”
Glenbrook North (28-5) does not have a go-to attacker, coach Chris Cooper said. Instead, the Spartans have several. Given the team’s lack of size — seniors Matt Biebrach and Kamil Barabas are the tallest players at 6-foot-3 — depth is the critical component.
“We’re not a big team, so we’ve got to make up for that by having lots of different guys we can go to,” Cooper said. “We don’t have one guy that we have to rely on for a kill. We can get it from any of the positions, so we can run a pretty quick offense because we ballhandle well. It’s a good combination to have, good ballhandling and lots of weapons.”
Biebrach, a middle hitter, led the Spartans with eight kills against the fourth-seeded Blue Demons. But Barabas, seniors Clark Reinfranck and Quinn McCarthy and junior Jack Ferber were also in on the attacking act.
Against Maine East, Ferber, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, was perhaps the best example of the Spartans’ depth. He came on for McCarthy during the first game after McCarthy landed awkwardly on his right ankle. Ferber filled in for him the remainder of the match and was unstoppable on the outside, finishing with seven kills.
“It’s more of an even pool of guys,” said Ferber, a Northbrook resident. “We have a lot of kids who can swing, middles especially. We have people coming off the bench like me and Colin (Werhane, a senior outside hitter) sometimes. We have a great group of guys.”
That gives 6-foot senior setter Danny Voronov a plethora of options. Cooper labeled Voronov as one of the best setters in the state. Voronov, who finished with four aces and 28 assists against Maine East, said his familiarity with his hitters plays a crucial role in their success.
“I was just thinking about it the other day, I mean, I’ve been playing with most of these guys for a minimum of four years,” said Voronov, a Northbrook resident. “I can set anyone at any given time and they’ll put it over the net. I just have to put it in the right spot.”
Glenbrook North’s quick-paced offensive system also rattled Maine East, which struggled throughout the match to use its size advantage at the net against Spartan hitters. That, Voronov explained, is very much by design.
“We run a really quick offense and I’ve been playing the game for awhile, so I love just pushing everyone to the limits,” Voronov said. “I feel like the faster you get the ball out, the more the defense is scrambling and the less likely they’re going to be able to get a two-on-one block, so it’s easier to take advantage.”
Glenbrook North advanced to play second-seeded New Trier, last year’s sectional champ and state runner-up, in the sectional final at 6 p.m. Tuesday. While the Trevians will have the home-court advantage, the Spartans can lean on what has gotten them to that point.
“We’re a complete team and I think just the fact that we’re a veteran team, too, is what’s important,” Cooper said. “I’m playing almost all seniors, so I think that they’re comfortable with each other and so far no moment has been too big for them. They’ve been focused and just had a good energy in these big matches.”
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Brett Christie is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press