LP_041218

lockportlegend.com SPORTS
the Lockport Legend | April 12, 2018 | 39
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Boys Volleyball
Lockport notches pair of victories last week over Joliet Catholic, Oak Forest
Adam Jomant/22nd Century
Media
1st and 3
LTHS girls water polo
Team tops Red Devils
1. Staging a rally
The Lockport girls
water polo team fell
behind Hinsdale
Central by three
goals before mounting
a comeback and
winning by a 17-8
margin April 3 at its
home pool.
2. Plenty of scoring
The Porters had six
scorers in the match
versus Hinsdale
Central. Emily
Plaszewski and Kennedy
Ruther had five
goals apiece. Emily
Adelman, Francesca
Brunetti and Riley
Klimek had two
goals, while Sarah
Pawlik had one.
3. Maintaining momentum
Following the win,
the team played
St. Charles East
Thursday, April 5, on
the road, taking care
of business and winning
10-9.
Four seniors help
guide young team
through season
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
Last season, the Lockport
Township boys volleyball
team lost six matches.
After 11 matches this season,
Lockport had lost six
times.
But that doesn’t matter,
as the Porters feel they are a
better team because of it.
“We could be 18-18,
but if we’re putting up regional
and sectional titles,
it doesn’t matter,” Lockport
coach Nick Mraz said of his
team’s goals for the end of
the season.
The Porters had a tough go
of it March 30 and 31 at the
Wheaton-Warrenville South
Tiger Classic. There, they
hoped to break through with
a good performance in their
first season in the prestigious
tournament. Instead, they
lost their first four matches
to fall to a losing record for
the first time this late in the
season since 2013.
But they rallied for a
25-19, 25-21 victory over
Andrew in the final match
of the tourney. Then Lockport
returned to its winning
ways last week with a pair
of victories, including kicking
it off with a 25-13, 25-20
victory over Joliet Catholic
Academy on April 2 to get
back over the .500 mark for
what they hope is for good.
“We just had to use that
invite to grow, since we
competed with the best of
the state,” Mraz said of the
Tiger Classic. “Three of our
four losses there went to
three sets, and two of those
three were 23-25. So we
were right there, and that’s
just going to make us that
much better.
“Our schedule is very
tough to start the year, but
now as we move forward,
there should be some confidence
there. This is a quality
area, so every night will
be tough, but I thought we
played well [against JCA]
and played with some confidence
and finished better.”
After cruising in the opener
against JCA, the Porters
jumped out to an 18-8 lead
in the second set and looked
to cruise again. The Hilltoppers
(3-4), who have a new
head coach in Lockport resident
Ryan Vozenilek, didn’t
go quietly, as they fought
back to within 23-20. But
Lockport scored the final
two points, including the
match winner on a push kill
by senior setter/opposite
side hitter Anthony Pfeiffer
(9 assists, 7 kills, 5 aces).
“We got to play really
high-level teams, which
was great,” Pfeiffer said of
the WWS Tournament. “We
lost some, but it was always
close, so I feel like with
more practice and playing
other competitive teams, that
“It’s been a long process. Now, we
just have to prove what we have, and
that’s what this year is all about.”
Anthony Pfeiffer — Lockport senior setter/opposite
side hitter
we’ll move our level up with
them. It’s good to get matches
like that out of the way in
the beginning, because good
teams exposed our weaknesses.
I’m happy that we’re
finally getting recognition.
“It’s been a long process.
Now, we just have to prove
what we have, and that’s
what this year is all about.
Everyone cares about the
team, since they want us to
do our best.”
Junior Samien Alvarez,
along with senior Kyle Dixon,
each had three kills at
outside hitter for Lockport in
the JCA match. Sophomore
Jacob Prince contributed
seven assists from his newly
found setter position. Senior
outside hitter Patrick Surane
added eight digs. Middle/
opposite side hitter Michael
Palumbo is the other senior
for the Porters.
“We had a lot of good
things going and went three
games with some super good
teams, but couldn’t finish
the games,” Surane said
of the Porters at the WWS
Tourney. “There were some
lulls in our offense, defense
and serve-receive that we
need to fix. But it gave us a
good look at who the best
teams are, and seeing that
we could compete with [Lincoln-Way]
East [25-22, 23-
25, 25-16 loss to the eventual
third-place Griffins in
pool play on March 30] was
promising.
“We have a lot of young
guys [6 juniors, 2 sophomores
and a freshman], so
after a few more practices
and more games, our team
will come together a lot better.
We have a lot of good
power hitters, so if we can
get our serve-receive down,
we’ll be hard to stop.”
Even with its 31 wins last
year, Lockport didn’t win
a regional. Lincoln-Way
Central knocked the Porters
out in the regional title
match 17-25, 25-15, 25-20
at Plainfield Central. The
four seniors remember that
and would love to get the
program’s first regional title
since 2004 on their home
court at the end of May.
“This is it for these four,
and they want to finish the
job,” Mraz said. “It doesn’t
seem like it, but we are a
young team, since we only
have four seniors. It’s just
those four seniors are a big
part of the team, and they’ve
played on some great teams.
So, they’re going to be passing
the torch and want to
make sure that they end this
year strong, so that’s extra
motivation. They expect to
win — not hope to win —
and are angry that we aren’t
where we should be. That
stuff goes a long way.”
Later in the week, on April
4, the Porters traveled to Oak
Forest and came away with a
25-18, 25-22 victory. Lockport
(8-6) was led by Dixon
(9 kills) and Prince (4 aces,
6 assists).
It was the latest in a matchup
of old coaching friends.
Mraz and Bengals coach Lee
Rucinski, who also coaches
the Tinley Park girls volleyball
team, coached together
at Oak Forest seven
years ago. This is now the
fifth year they have coached
against each other.
This week, Lockport was
to host Plainfield South on
April 9 and was scheduled
to travel to Richards for another
monconference matchup
at 5:30 p.m. on April 11.
This Saturday, April 14, is to
bring a trip to Streamwood
High School for the Sabre
Invite, starting at 9 a.m.
Next week, the Porters
have a special match at 6
p.m. on Thursday, April 19,
as they face Joliet West at
Lewis University in Romeoville.
LISTEN UP
“We just work better together. We’ve
communicated better and made better passes.
Plus, everyone can score.”
Emily Plaszewski — Lockport sophomore girls water polo player,
on the difference of this season’s improved team
Tune In
Girls Water Polo
Testing the waters — 5 p.m. Thursday, April 12,
vs. Lincoln-Way East
• The Porters girls water polo team welcomes
the Griffins to town.
Index
36 - This Week In
36- Athlete of the Week
FASTBREAK is compiled by Contributing Editor
Thomas Czaja, tom@homerhorizon.com.