50 | April 20, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger SPORTS mokenamessenger.com • All Sport Camp • Baseball Camp • Ftball Camp www.bjesLockport.com • June 12 - Aug 11 • Ages 5 - 13 • Weekly Registration ELITE SPORTS TRAINING ATHLETES INSIDE-OUT 815.221.6000 • Apr 29 - Jun 10 • Saturdays - 7 Weeks • $250 per player • Ages 8 - 14 www.bjesLockport.com HIRE LOCALLY Reach over 83% of prospective employees in your area! CALL TODAY FOR RATES & INFORMATION 708-326-9170 www.22ndcenturymedia.com Register Today! Boys volleyball Griffins top Celtics in close straight sets Providence coach Klaver makes return to alma mater Randy Whalen Freelance Reporter After not winning a match in nearly two weeks, both the Lincoln-Way East and Providence boys volleyball teams were looking to get the winning feeling back. Plus, Providence coach Kyle Klaver was making his first head coaching appearance in his high school gym. But in the end, it was East that broke a two-match losing streak and extended the Celtics’ setback streak to four with a 25-19, 25-20 victory in a local team tussle on Thursday, April 13, in Frankfort. Ian Piet led the Griffins (11-4) with 12 kills, a slew of which came down the stretch to help clinch the match. Junior right side hitter Jack Patterson (10 kills) paced Providence (5-12). “We needed a win for a moral boost,” said Piet, a junior outside hitter. “We always look at the other team like they’re the state champ, and we like to play good competition.” While the Celtics’ record is down this season, they have had high-caliber teams in the past, finishing fourth in the state in 2008. Klaver was an outside hitter for the Griffins and helped them to a fourth-place finish in 2007, his senior season. “It was my first time back here as a [head] coach, and it felt great,” Klaver said of his return to the gym he played in a decade ago. “There are a lot of special memories here. East is a great program, and that’s why we wanted to play them. We wanted to get on their schedule, and when an opportunity opened, we jumped at it.” Klaver is in his third season as Celtics head coach. His squad only started two seniors, and one of them, setter Tyler Korhorn, is in his first season as a starter. “He never set on the varsity level before this season,” Klaver said of Korhorn, who had 19 assists against East. “He ran a really efficient offense. Plus, our libero [Alexander Zawacki, who had 12 digs] is a freshman. We’re young, and it’s a process, but we [taking] a step forward.” After dropping the opener, Providence had five leads in Set 2. But they were all by a point, and the score was tied at every point through 7-7. Then, junior middle hitter Mike Herlihy (8 kills) had two kills, as East jumped out to an 11-8 advantage. Ahead 12-11, Piet had a kill, and junior middle hitter Caden Wise put down a block to help the Griffins to a 15-11 lead. Trailing 19-15, senior outside hitter Nick Noonan knocked a kill in a 3-0 run that closed Providence within 19-18. There would be no tie for the Celtics, however, as senior outside hitter Jason Szara smacked a kill and Piet pounded another for a 21-18 lead. A long serve closed the Celtics back within 2-points, but a return into the net gave the serve back to East. Piet produced another kill and then was able to redirect a ball at the net for another one and a 24-19 lead. A net violation let Providence hang round for another point, but Piet pinged the match-winning kill to give the Griffins their first victory since the second day of the Wheaton-Warrenville South Tiger Classic on April 1. “We came out of a timeout [at 19-18], and coach [Fiore] Providence Catholic High School volleyball player Domenic Kimak goes up to block a hit by Lincoln-Way East’s Mike Herlihy April 13 during the Griffins’ win over the Celtics. Julie McMann/22nd Century Media said to be aggressive,” Piet said of his play down the stretch. “I just took advantage of the opportunity. “It’s a fun little rivalry playing Providence. In my second year of playing club ball, when I was 13, I was coached by coach Klaver, so that was neat to play them. We just have to keep working hard to get better.” Patterson had two kills and a block in the early going of the opener to help Providence to a 3-2 lead. But Piet produced a pair of kills, and senior setter Jake Snyder (17 assists, 2 kills, 3 blocks) served an ace, as the Griffins gathered four straight points to take the lead for good at 6-3. During that stretch, however, East junior middle hitter Luis Zavala twisted his left ankle. He was taken out and didn’t return. He likely was going to sit out East’s match the next night against Wheaton-Warrensville South at Lewis University, but hoped to be back this week. Leading 8-7, the Griffins went on a 9-2 blitz for a 17-9 lead. Sophomore defensive specialist Danny Pacini (9 digs) had an ace in that stretch. The Celtics chipped away and closed back within 20-17, as sophomore middle hitter Ike Papes (4 kills) pounded a kill and Noonan negotiated a block. But Herlihy and Snyder each had a pair of kills, and Providence committed a net violation on set point to end the opener. East coach Kris Fiore, who coached the Griffins to the state title in 2014, was glad to get Providence on the schedule. “They’re a competitive program that is just down the street,” he said of the Celtics. “They were playing some great defense. But for us, we’re still a work in progress. We had a new lineup [against Providence], and we’re still tweaking to get the right group. “We graduated four starters from last year, and have had a brutal stretch of matches. It doesn’t get any easier. We just have to focus on playing better defense and putting down our shots on offense.” The day before, April 12, the Celtics traveled to Loyola and lost 25-19, 25- 22. On Tuesday, April 11, East hosted only its second home match of the season. Despite 30 assists from Snyder, the Griffins fell to Brother Rice by scores of 25-23, 12-25, 14-25.
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