Neuqua overcomes slow start, Redhawks

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Neuqua Valley was one point away from elimination. Now the Wildcats are two days away from their second consecutive trip to the state quarterfinals.

In between was an 18-25, 27-25, 25-21 win over top-seeded Naperville Central in the championship match of the Naperville North Sectional on Tuesday night.

Central was up 24-23 in Game 2 and senior Matt Yanz, arguably Central's best player, was serving when the match turned around. Yanz's service error was one of a baker's dozen for the Redhawks on the night, and it allowed Neuqua to extend the match to three games and eventually win a second straight sectional title.

"We don't lose our composure and we don't get nervous," Neuqua coach Erich Mendoza said. "We just try and keep things simple out there. We've kind of stressed all year, it doesn't matter what's going on with the crowd, what the refs are doing, what the other team is doing. If we play the way we're capable, everything else will take care of itself."

The Upstate Eight Conference champions will face DuPage Valley Conference champion Glenbard East in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Friday at Hoffman Estates. The Rams (36-3) beat Lyons 25-17, 25-19 on Tuesday to win the Willowbrook Sectional.

Glenbard East is one of three teams to have defeated Neuqua (36-3) this season.

The Rams beat the Wildcats in three games when they played during the regular season at Glenbard East's Springfest. Neuqua played the entire tournament without starters Collin Adler and Sean Harmon, who at the time were suspended for a violation of team rules.

"It's the one team that's beaten us that we haven't beat this season," said Harmon, who had 36 assists and five digs Tuesday. "We've beaten everybody else that's beaten us [Central and St. Francis]. Let's hope we can come out and take from them what they took from us at that tournament."

Yanz was far from the only Redhawk who struggled with his serve. Out of the 13 service errors Central had, seven came in a 25-18 victory in Game 1. It helped that Neuqua missed four serves of its own, including one on game point.

The difference after that, Central coach Bryan Johnwick said, was that second-seeded Neuqua stayed consistent for the rest of the match and his team was up and down.

"I think nerves. That's basically it, probably nerves," Johnwick said. "You get excited. Big crowd. Big match."

Rob Bauer led the Wildcats with 12 kills and three blocks. Jake Blackman had 10 kills, five digs and three blocks. Brad Stout had 15 digs. Adler had five kills and two blocks. Middle hitters Brian Clark and Derek Menendez combined for eight kills and three blocks.

Dan Dierking gave Central the 24-23 lead in Game 2 with his second consecutive kill, one of 13 the junior had in the match. Neuqua called timeout and decided enough was enough.

"We got in the huddle and a lot of our seniors said, 'We don't want this to be our last match,'" Bauer said. "So we played our hearts out. Once we got that win, we felt we had the momentum big time."

Neuqua got out to a 16-10 lead in Game 3, which prompted Johnwick to call his final timeout. Central was able to close within 20-18, but got no closer in the final match of a season that saw the Redhawks finish second in the DVC and runner-up in the sectional.

Hunter Lee had 16 digs for the Redhawks while Victor Lei had 35 assists. Yanz had nine kills and six blocks, and Matt Schmitz had eight kills.