Because of his swing, Lincoln-Way Central’s Joey Vellenga commands attention.
And it’s not just from the opposition. The senior right-side hitter is such a known commodity that the Knights realize they will have a good night if they can consistently feed him the ball.
“I always want to be the best guy on the court, no matter what,” Vellenga said. “I want everybody else to know that. I’m a power hitter, and I think I can play anywhere on the floor.”
Anywhere and everywhere.
First of all, Vellenga brought the power Wednesday night, blasting away for eight kills in leading Lincoln-Way Central to a 25-17, 25-23 nonconference win over Brother Rice in Chicago.
Senior middles Cooper Riedl and Aiden Schindler added three kills apiece for the Knights (7-1). Vellenga also had an ace.
Senior outside Ben Adamski contributed four kills, a block and an ace for the Crusaders (7-2), while junior outside Alex Ramirez chipped in with three kills.
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Vellenga, meanwhile, had a direct hand in on four of Lincoln-Way Central’s final five points. He smashed consecutive kills with the score tied at 20-20 and then put away a kill on match point.
“We gave him the ball for a reason,” Riedl said. “He’s the best player on our team and our most aggressive hitter. He’s my best friend. I have a lot of trust in him to always make the plays.”
Vellenga leads the Knights this spring with 43 kills. Lincoln-Way Central coach Matt Small confirmed Vellenga’s high-wire act animates the entire team.
“Joey’s just the ball of energy out there,” Small said. “We have to give him the ball as many times as we can. He’s super strong, very powerful and an explosive player. He’s a team leader.
“Guys look up to him. He’s a great guy to have on the team.”
The 6-foot-2 Vellenga boasts superb athleticism and bounce off the floor with a relentless mentality. He’s willing to put up with occasional mistakes to optimize his emphatic style.
“I like to be aggressive in every game and always give 100% every time I’m out there,” he said. “I miss some shots sometimes, but I’m still going to go out and play as hard as I can.”
Most importantly, Vellenga is a natural left-handed hitter who generates exceptional torque on his attacks. In the decisive stages of the second game, all four of his kills came from the right side.
“It’s like being a pitcher in baseball,” he said. “I feel like I’ve always stood out as a lefty. It gives me an advantage on the right side. I put most of my body into it and just try to hit as hard as I can.”
Only a broken arm as a freshman prevented Vellenga from being a four-year varsity regular. A former basketball player, he’s a late convert to volleyball who started club before high school.
His playing style is a contributing factor with several of the serious injuries he has dealt with, including a spinal fracture in his back. He goes out there with abandon and freedom.
Although he has elected to focus on his studies in college and attend Illinois, he hopes to play club volleyball in Champaign. Most of his closest friends are his high school teammates.
He also trains for the season participating in elite beach volleyball events in Michigan. He has a confident, extroverted personality that’s a perfect fit with the sport.
“I think every mistake that I make is 100% on me,” he said. “It’s always been a passion of mine to be competitive in anything I do. I want to stand out for my ability.
“I think this sport is a very good way to do that.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.