Matthew Schultz was among a group of Antioch sophomores who decided to show up for a practice two years ago.
At the time, Schultz wasn’t sure what lay ahead in a sport he hadn’t played competitively.
“It was a little scary, but everyone on the team made me feel at home,” he said. “I had a lot to learn.”
Well, Schultz has obviously learned a lot since then. The 6-foot-3 senior middle hitter has 120 kills and a .337 hitting percentage for the Sequoits (20-4, 8-1), who have won nine matches in a row and are tied for first place in the Northern Lake County Conference.
Schultz, who was named all-conference last year, will continue his volleyball career at Milwaukee School of Engineering.
“Not bad for someone who did not play volleyball until his sophomore season,” Antioch coach Jamie Atkinson said. “Matthew is just a great kid who is so coachable. He wants to get better every day.”
Schultz is part of a veteran lineup that includes six seniors and a sophomore. The Sequoits can win their first NLCC title with victories in their final two conference matches, including a showdown with five-time defending champion Lakes (16-16, 7-1) next Tuesday.
“That would be something for our program, especially our seniors who have been playing together since our sophomore year,” he said.
Schultz also hopes Antioch can repeat as a regional champion. The Sequoits were seeded seventh in the Warren Sectional last year and pulled off upset wins against third-seeded Rockford Jefferson and second-seeded Lakes before losing to Libertyville, which reached the state semifinals.
“We know doing well in the playoffs takes being at your best, and we think we are playing some of our best volleyball right now with the season winding down,” Schultz said. “We have some big matches ahead that should get us ready for the playoffs.”
Schultz is paired with senior Thomas Weber in the middle of Antioch’s front row, while seniors Gavin Nelson and Dylan Niznik and sophomore Charles Robison provide plenty of power on the outside. Robison leads the team with 123 kills.
Senior Nathan Young is an experienced setter, and senior Keith Hill is a standout libero.
“I think that’s one of the reasons we are so hard to defend … that we have so many players who can get the job done hitting,” Schultz said. “We can move the ball around and find openings in our opponents’ defense.”
All that talent has helped Antioch win 20 matches for the first time in more than 20 years. Multiple players will continue their careers in college.
“It’s a special group,” Atkinson said. “They seem to work so well together, and they know what they want to accomplish.”
The Sequoits’ experience paid off Monday after they dropped their opening game against Zion-Benton. They rallied to win 20-25, 25-15, 25-14.
“We hadn’t played in a small gym like Zion’s this season where the fans were loud and right on top of you,” Schultz said. “We didn’t match Zion’s energy in the first game, but we did a much better job rising up the level of our play in the final two games.
“Playing in a great atmosphere like that will get us ready for our big matches coming up and the state playoffs.”
Darren Day is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.