Boys Volleyball: Lake Park holds off Waubonsie Valley

Updated: May 8, 2012 10:20PM

Sure, it was a little bit about conference. But there was more than conference bragging rights at stake when Lake Park visited Waubonsie Valley Tuesday.

“We lost to them in a tournament earlier this season, so it’s more about getting a little revenge,” said Lake Park setter Dave Prentis. “It’s also about getting ready for sectionals, Our main goal is to win sectional and get to state. This is a big goal we accomplished on the way there.”

Lake Park looked more than ready to make a run for state, getting 12 kills from Andrew Hochstadt, nine kills from Brian Fisher, six kills from Devin Burke and 27 assists, five kills and two blocks from Prentis to defeat No. 9 Waubonsie Valley 25-21, 19-25, 25-23.

Heading into the match, Hochstadt and Burke were the focus of Lake Park’s game plan, which was to feed the middles.

“We played them earlier in the year at Wheaton Warrenville South,” Lake Park coach Tim Murphy said. “We reviewed the film together and we saw what worked for us and what didn’t. Our game plan was to run our middles.

“We also know that their two outsides (Mike Simmons and Mike Storm) are their two best players, and I told our guys we have to close the block and make their middles and make their rightside beat us, but don’t let those two outsides beat us.

“I think we were able to close the block, we frustrated them a little bit, they started trying to hit that high roll shot down the line and made a few hitting errors,” Murphy added. “But if we’re not able to set the middles, that’s a completely different match.”

Lake Park (21-9, 5-0 in the Upstate Eight Valley) also continues to find ways to win despite the loss of leading hitter Michal Ragan to injury three weeks ago.

“He was obviously our go-to guy,” Prentis said. “Losing him really hurt. But everyone stepped up a little bit. It especially showed with Andrew (Hochstadt) getting I don’t know how many kills tonight. Everyone stepped up and really came together after losing him.”

Prentis also became more of an offensive threat. His five kills were no accident.

“I love it (dumping the ball over the net),” he said. “In the back of the my mind I’m always thinking I’m going to sneak a little easy dump in there and get a sideout.”

Waubonsie Valley (24-6, 4-1) committed 16 errors in Game 1 to contribute to its own demise, but rallied from a 14-11 deficit to win Game 2. The Warriors trailed 14-9 in Game 3, but came back to tie at 21.

However, a hitting error and a net violation by the hosts were followed by Burke’s kill at match point.

“I told the guys at the beginning of the match that the team that executed was the team that was going to win,” Waubonsie Valley coach Al Lagger said. “Down the stretch, they did a very good job of keeping the ball in play and executing, and that’s what won the match for them.”

Simmons had 13 kills, Jon Pyne added nine kills, Storm had eight kills and Luke Furman had 28 assists and an ace for Waubonsie.

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