The long, slow climb back to .500 has been completed.
The trick now for Libertyville is to build on recent successes that have boosted the team's season log to 10-10.
Win No. 10 came Monday when the host Wildcats edged pesky Maine South 25-22, 28-30, 25-20 in a spirited nonconference match.
Next up will be a major challenge, as New Trier will provide the opposition on Friday night.
"I like the team we have," said Libertyville coach Steve Rochon. "We're capable of being a good team, but sometimes we're our own worst enemy.
"We're very inconsistent with our passing and we fall into mental funks at times."
One of those funks almost cost them the match on Monday.
After building a 15-9 lead in Game 3, Libertyville hitting errors helped Maine South (13-10) close to 20-19.
But then, Chris Risley, a 6-foot-4 senior thumper, had a kill and a block to give the Cats a 22-19 edge. After a Maine South point, the Cats took advantage of some loose play by the Hawks for two points, and then Risley sealed the deal with a block on match point.
"He's a really smart hitter," said Rochon. "And, he's our most experienced senior on the team. He's been playing on varsity since the middle of his sophomore year and he sees a lot that's going on out there."
The Cats got strong play from all their hitters, as junior Tom Hannum had nine kills, Jack Mathews had eight kills, J.J. Hill had six kills and Rochon had seven.
The offense was run by junior setters Nick Olson (17 assists) and Matt Bernard (16 assists).
The wild second game featured Libertyville surviving four game points and missing out on two match points of its own. The Cats' last lead was 28-27.
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