Downers South finds right mix, ousts Spartans

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The Downers Grove South boys volleyball team has had its ups and downs this year integrating some talented young players with its veteran core, but everything came together for the Mustangs Wednesday night.

Setter Phil Szuck dished out 45 assists and hitters Buddy Steinhaus and Sam Kull combined for 24 kills as Downers South edged host and No. 7 St. Francis 25-22, 28-30, 25-21 to win a regional championship.

“Their maturity has grown so much throughout the season and that’s what helps us in these big games,” Szuck said of Steinhaus and Kull. “We were aggressive from the start. When our energy is up and we play well as a team, we do really good.”

The Mustangs (24-13) came out firing and St. Francis, which rarely loses on its home court, found itself reeling. But the Spartans (29-8) saved three match points in the second game and came back from eight deficits in the decisive set. The last tie came at 20-20 before Steinhaus put Downers ahead to stay with the last of his 13 kills.

St. Francis cut it to 22-21 on a Joe Mordell kill, but two Spartans errors and a Szuck kill finished it.

Kull tallied 11 kills for the Mustangs, while Jim Healy and Julius Staisiunas added eight kills each and Nick Toth had seven. Mordell led St. Francis with 11 kills, while Steve Howe spiked nine kills and Dan McGuire eight.

“It’s the way we’ve been practicing the past couple of weeks,” said Downers South coach Tony Nevrly, whose team will face top-seeded Glenbard East in the Willowbrook Sectional semifinals on Friday.

“Like Lou Holtz said, we’re going to get two hours of practice in even if it takes us four. We’ve got our new kids, we’ve got some older kids and they’ve done a great job. I’m so proud of them.”