Boys Volleyball: Balanced Benet sinks Waubonsie Valley

Updated: April 27, 2012 8:54PM

After watching her team struggle with service errors in its first two tournaments of the season, Benet coach Amy Van Eekeren has had her team employ more float serves and jump floats.

“Statistics are finding that a jump float is just as effective if not more effective than a jump serve,” she said.

Benet’s service game certainly mesmerized Waubonsie Valley Friday.

Bobby Wehrli had 13 kills, Luke Ladowski added seven kills and seven digs and junior Pat Dougherty contributed 24 assists, four digs and two aces to lead Benet to a 25-17, 25-22 victory over Waubonsie at the Benet Invitational Friday in Lisle.

Benet (20-4) used a 6-0 run to break open a tight first game, then rallied from a 15-10 deficit with an 8-2 run in Game 2 as the Warriors had trouble getting the ball to the net.

“We’ve been struggling as of late with float serves, and that’s what they did,” Waubonsie Valley coach Al Lagger said. “They float served us, and that’s what cost us…our passing. Plus Benet came in with a lot of emotion. We didn’t match it.

“I keep telling everybody from the beginning, the rest of the year we’re going to get everybody’s ‘A’ game,” he added. “And we didn’t bring our ‘A’ game in that match. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t bring you’re ‘A’ game, you’re not going to win.”

Facing a five-point deficit in Game 2 was old hat for Benet.

“Actually, we’ve had a bunch of games where we’ve been down,” Dougherty said. “We were down 17-10 against St. Francis (earlier Friday) and came back. So we know what it’s like to get down and come back.

“We fight, our middles get in there and get us a couple of big kills, and that really pumps us up and gets us going,” he added.

Sophomore Mike Simmons led Waubonsie Valley (19-5) with six kills, Mike Storm added five kills and Luke Furman had 10 assists three blocks and two kills.

Kevin Weithers had 10 digs and Matt Conroy added four kills and two blocks for Benet, which avenged a loss to Waubonsie Valley at the Marist tournament which sent the Redwings tumbling into the Silver division.

“Waubonsie Valley is an outstanding team with amazing outside hitters,” Van Eekeren said. “We made some adjustments. Instead of blocking line, we channeled the ball to my libero and my leftside up blocker. We felt that was real effective in the match to help us transition.

“For us, it’s about controlling the ball and minimizing errors on our side,” she added. “I feel like we made good adjustments.”

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