NT_041218

46 | April 12, 2018 | The Northbrook tower sports
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Spartans down Titans in annual tilt
Michal Dwojak, Sports Editor
Not much needs to be
added to any meeting between
Glenbrook North
and Glenbrook South,
but when the two met on
Thursday, April 5, they
played for more than a rivalry.
The two teams met in
the annual “Battle for the
Cure” match, one won by
the Spartans 25-15, 25-
19, in what has become a
tradition at the beginning
of each season. Both the
Spartans and Titans played
to raise awareness and
funds to battle Ewing’s
Sarcoma and other pediatric
cancers.
While the rivalry might
be more than enough motivation
for the players on
both teams, it’s fighting a
disease that has affected
both programs and brings
together their efforts far
beyond just playing volleyball.
“Hopefully we gathered
a little bit of money for
it,” Glenbrook North head
coach Chris Cooper said.
“It’s a good thing to do for
however long we’ve been
doing it. It adds a nice kind
of feeling to the match.”
The Titans’ link comes
from Bryan Paynter, who
was a 2004 graduate and
four-year member of the
Titans volleyball program.
Paynter was diagnosed
with Ewing’s and lost his
battle in 2007.
GBN volleyball alumnus
Teddy Shapiro is in
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remission after battling
Ewing’s Sarcoma.
This was the 11th year
the Titans have played to
draw awareness for the
disease and more than
$25,000 has been raised to
help fund research. When
both head coaches realized
the impact it had on both
programs, they decided to
co-host the annual match to
help draw more awareness.
Players from both teams
wore yellow headbands in
support, trying to do the
least they can to support
the cause.
“We’re not going to cure
it, but we’re going to do
what we can to help fund
the research to get better
treatment,” Glenbrook
South head coach Tim Monahan
said. “We’re just going
to keep on doing it and
do what we can do help
with better treatment. It’s
the least that we can do.”
For coaches and players
of both teams, although
they might be rivals on the
court, it’s nice to have the
support from both communities
to pull off a successful
event.
“To have it in our communities,
to have it in our
programs, it’s great,” Monahan
said. “We just hope
we can keep on doing
more and more. It’s great
to have this community
and have this support that
we have, because we’ve
got a lot over the years and
will continue to do so. I
wouldn’t want to be doing
this anywhere else.”
When it came time to
play, there was no love lost
between the two rivals.
The Spartans ran off to a
commanding start with a
20-14 lead in the first set
after the two teams sized
each other up for the first
few points of the set. GBN
held off a late GBS rally
and took the first set 25-15.
The Titans came off with
a stronger start in the second
set, pushing the tempo
more and creating opportunities,
but the Spartans
started to move the
ball well, used a late rally
when the score reached the
20-point mark and ruined
any chance the Titans had
of a comeback to take the
second set 25-19.
Cooper was proud to see
something he hasn’t seen
much this season. After
losing his entire lineup to
graduation, his new players
are trying to grow accustomed
to each.
In the first few matches
of the season, the Spartans
have bent when faced with
pressure. Against the Titans,
they didn’t.
“That’s something
we’ve struggled with not
only this season, but last
season too,” libero Matthew
Zhang said. “Seeing
that progress is great to see
and our ceiling is so high.”
A match like the one
against their rival is what’s
going to motivate the Spartans
as they move further
along the season. Cooper
has seen some impressive
things from his talented
players and liked the ball
movement he saw from his
senior setter Jackson Weil,
but GBN is ready to show
how talented it can be.
“Going into the season,
a lot of guys were down
on us,” Zhang said. “We
came in with a chip on our
shoulder, proving the haters
wrong. We have a lot of
great things coming in the
future for sure.”
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Glenbrook North players get ready to receive the ball against Glenbrook South on
Thursday, April 5, in Glenview. Michal Dwojak/22nd Century Media