Nicole Mlynski brought some treats to the Libertyville Crosstown Classic on Saturday to share with her Deerfield teammates after the final match.
“It was great to win the tournament,” she said. “All of us were celebrating. I brought cookies for everybody. I had the cookies either way, so winning was a nice plus to the cookies.”
On Monday, the senior outside hitter just brought a focused attitude to avoid a potential letdown.
Two days after winning the tournament, the Warriors posted a dominating 25-12, 25-14 victory at home against Lakes.
“We don’t take any win for granted and take every game seriously,” Mlynski said. “We were able to perform well against Lakes. It was great to add another win.”
A little more than a week into the season, the Warriors (8-0) already are one of the surprise teams in Lake County. They finished 21-14 in 2019, losing in a Class 3A sectional semifinal, and went 11-6 during the long-delayed and shortened season earlier this year.
Mlynski, a third-year starter who leads the team with 43 kills, said Deerfield’s three-set win against Libertyville in the opening match of the Crosstown Classic was a building block for the program. The Warriors defeated Glenbrook South 25-14, 25-11 in the final.
“(Libertyville) had a lot of spectators, and we felt the pressure,” Mlynski said. “It was a big hump to get over. From there, we kept improving. We were all nervous in the championship game. A lot of us had never been in this high-stress situation, but we have good leadership and played with confidence.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in Deerfield history, from changes in coaches to a lot of new people. I’m very fortunate to have such a great team in my last year. The results are great, but the energy and dynamic are the most important thing.”
Senior outside hitter Abigail Albrecht, who is third on the team with 38 kills, said the Warriors were focused from the get-go against the Eagles (4-4).
“It’ absolutely crazy that we’re 8-0,” Albrecht said. “We work well together as team, which hasn’t happened in the past. It’s a great group of girls, all positive people.
“We have to make sure we prove ourselves and come out strong for every team. Today was really exciting, especially coming off the tournament win and getting another win.”
Deerfield senior setter Sam Weissenberg said the team’s positive mindset helps overcome difficult situations.
“We’re just trying to enjoy every moment because we know we have a lot more talented teams coming up,” she said. “We’re all really excited for the season because it’s been an amazing start.”
Deerfield coach Jonathan Bolek returned to his alma mater to lead the volleyball program in the spring. Led by five returning seniors, the Warriors have a balanced team without any superstars, Bolek said.
“I knew this group had the potential to play really sound team volleyball,” he said. “We’re all hungry to get better and have great chemistry. I wasn’t really expecting to be 8-0, but I also knew this group had the potential to be playing good volleyball.
“With Abigail, Nicole and Sam, we have a lot of varsity experience. If this group stays consistent with their mental approach, the sky is the limit.”
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Lakes coach Sarah Yeager said her team is trying to build chemistry after an 11-match spring season.
“This team competes with a great amount of passion and enthusiasm,” she said. “They all share similar goals in terms of what they want to accomplish this year. We graduated nine seniors last season, but we will look to our current seniors to provide leadership both on and off the court.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.