With minimal varsity experience returning to both the Conant and Wheeling volleyball squads, neither coach really knew what to expect during the season-opening tilt in Hoffman Estates Tuesday.
There were times in which both clubs showed signs of inexperience as well as flashes of great play, but it was host Conant that displayed more of the latter when it scored a come-from-behind 15-11, 15-13 Mid-Suburban League crossover victory.
“There is still a lot of work to do,” said Conant coach Peggy Scholten, whose squad returns one varsity starter. “We were evenly-matched teams, but I thought we played with composure in the first game. We taught the kids to play through the rough spells, and we did tonight.”
Conant (1-0) was in a predicament when Wheeling (0-1) broke out of a 5-5 tie to lead 11-5, as Greg Matlag paced the Wildcats with three kills. Just as Wheeling looked to be in control, the Widcats fell apart on the serve-receive and Conant took advantage.
Conant rattled off six straight points–all on Wheeling unforced errors–to tie the game at 11-11 before Wheeling stopped the bleeding, although only temporarily, with a sideout. A bad bump, two hitting errors and a back-row ace by the Cougars’ Matt Zaucha sealed the Wildcats’ fate in the opener.
The Cougars’ play carried over early into the second game when Conant jumped out to a 4-0 lead. But it was a nip-and-tuck battle from there before Wheeling took three late leads, including 11-10 following a right-side kill by the Wildcats’ Matt Koelper (four kills in the second game).
A stuff by Mark Varrato (2 aces) tied the game at 11-11 for Conant, and then Tim Harte (19 of 20 attacking, 8 kills) drilled home a pair of kills that gave the Cougars a 13-11 edge.
The teams exchanged points, with Wheeling having its last breath on a Todd Le Pere kill to cut Conant’s lead to 14-13. But Conant received the sideout on a Wheeling hitting error–its sixth of the game–before winning the match on a Wildcats’ lifting violation in the front row.
“Overall I thought we did a nice job, and we were competitive,” said Wheeling coach Denise Van Huele, whose team returns two starters. “We gave Conant too many points in a row in the first game. It seemed like we had brain cramps every now and then. We need to clean up our play a bit.”
Wheeling will have its next opportunity against Libertyville Wednesday afternoon, while Conant tangles with Glenbrook North Thursday.
