All Dominic Krzeczkowski needs to do to stand out is stand up.
The 6-foot-8 junior right side has been Benet’s tallest player since his varsity career began last season.
But his game is catching up to his height.
“Dom’s our big guy,” sophomore outside hitter Aris Maurukas said. “He’s ‘Old Reliable,’ as I say. If we set him, we expect him to put it down. So it’s good ball.”
Krzeczkowski has been playing good ball all season, and it’s one reason the Redwings have been successful despite having just three seniors on their 17-player roster.
“We’re 24-11, and we would not be that without him,” Benet coach Jeff Steinberg said. “He’s averaging 14 or 15 kills a game.”
That’s a huge improvement from a year ago, when Krzeczkowski was a promising but extremely raw player.
“It’s nothing like last year,” Steinberg said. “He’s way better this year. He’s just grown into his body and has another year of club experience, hitting the weight room. He’s been learning the sport.”
Krzeczkowski led all players with six kills as the 10th-seeded Redwings routed 24th-seeded Marmion 25-9, 25-18 in the Glenbard South Regional quarterfinals in Glen Ellyn on Monday.
He has been Benet’s leading attacker in nearly every match and has turned in some tremendous hitting performances. He ripped 21 kills in 27 attacks in a 25-20, 25-21 win against Glenbard East in the regular-season finale on May 18.
“I’m just trying to stay focused, put the ball where it needs to go, and I thank my setters for that,” Krzeczkowski said. “We’re a young team this year, so we’re trying to keep building on our experiences and trying to get better as we go along.”
Krzeczkowski has been doing a good job of that as he learns the finer points of the game.
“I’ve been trying to hit more shots than what I’ve done before, just trying to work all rotations,” he said. “I think it helps to be a student of the game, just learning all the different techniques that volleyball requires, like the different footwork, the arm motions and swinging motions.”
Krzeczkowski put several of those skills to the test against Marmion (14-17), which also had a 6-8 player, senior outside Kyle Wydra. But Wydra wasn’t able to dominate as much as Krzeczkowski, who pounded kills from a variety of angles, including crosscourt.
“I think it comes down to his confidence,” said Maurukas, who had four kills, nine service points and three aces. “In practice, we want him to swing deep. We want him to make those plays.
“The more we set him through those tournament games, the more we get him swinging, the more he builds up his confidence. As you can see, he’s killing out.”
Not many teams have a 6-8 left-hander hitting from the right side. It can be an intimidating sight, especially when Krzeczkowski is accurate.
“I hope so,” Maurukas said. “If I saw someone like Dom on the other side, I would be a little worried.”
Steinberg never has to worry about Krzeczkowski, an honors student who is a member of the National Honor Society.
“He does as we tell him to do and listens to us,” Steinberg said. “He’s been working hard, and that’s the biggest thing.”
Steinberg said Krzeczkowski is becoming a team leader. But Krzeczkowski hasn’t forgotten his older teammates, singling out seniors Sam Panatera, Joey Schamber and Ryan Mitra for praise.
“I’m trying to be a positive influence on the team,” Krzeczkowski said. “I’d also like to thank the three seniors on this team. They’ve been a great influence to us.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
