Boys Volleyball: Minooka outlasts Plainfield Central
By Scott Ehling For Sun-Times Media April 17, 2012 9:58PM
Updated: May 19, 2012 8:11AM
Points coming in chunks are a good thing.
Minooka coach Janel Grzetich would be hard pressed to disagree after her Indians defeated host Plainfield Central 25-13, 21-25, 25-16 in a Southwest Prairie match Tuesday night.
Outside hitter Richard Bishop had nine kills and three blocks to lead the Indians. Minooka also received significant contributions from Matthew Svetlecich (7 kills), Nicholas Vertin (6 kills) and Phillip Hannon (28 assists). Central was led by Cody Swanson (8 kills) and Will Shuneman (7 kills).
“Our boys were mentally in the game and had the want to win,” Grzetich said. “You could tell that the other team was playing well and had the intensity and wanted it, but our goal is to win conference, so we got that desire back.”
Minooka (14-2, 4-0) was in a 5-0 hole in Game 1 but quickly rebounded with a 15-5 run, capped by a Svetlecich kill. The Indians later extended the lead to 23-11.
“We do look at things in chunks of five, so those chunks in this case helped,” Grzetich said.
Game 2 was close throughout as neither team could extend to more than a three-point lead until Central (4-5, 2-3) broke out late. Swanson’s push shot found a void in the back of the Indians defense for a 22-19 Wildcats lead. After an Andrew Parpart kill, Swanson delivered a kill and block for the game-winner.
“Our kids fought real hard and now we have a new bar that they have set for themselves for what we saw in Game 2,” Central coach Katie Prast said.
In Game 3, Bishop asserted himself early and often as his kill, as part of another five-point run, gave the Indians a 16-12 lead.
“When I hit, I just try to see the ball and the court at the same time and try to put it where nobody is,” Bishop said.
Minooka had another five-point run late to extend to a 24-16 lead before Vertin’s kill put the exclamation mark on the match.
