Food for thought: Neuqua set for state

Derek Menendez and his Neuqua Valley teammates are looking to have a successful weekend in the state volleyball tournament.
(Danielle Gardner/Naperville Son)

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The preparation is done. All that's left to do is decide if they want bacon or sausage with their pancakes.

The Neuqua Valley Wildcats went through their final practice Thursday afternoon, sat and listened to the scouting report for Glenbard East and spent 15 minutes going through a visualization exercise. After a team meal at IHOP this morning and a bus ride to Hoffman Estates, the Wildcats will make their second consecutive appearance in the IHSA boys volleyball state quarterfinals.

Neuqua coach Erich Mendoza said his team is ready for Glenbard East -- one of three teams to beat the Wildcats this season along with St. Francis and Naperville Central. The Rams (36-3) are the only one of that group that Neuqua (36-3) hasn't also beaten this season.

"We've pretty much analyzed their team up and down, watching video, taking notes, looking at tendencies," Mendoza said. "The thing that we've been stressing to the guys is that there is such a thing as over-analyzing a team and trying to think too much."

For two straight years, the Wildcats have won the Upstate Eight Conference title, won a regional title and won a sectional title. With their third-place trophy from last season tucked nicely into a display case outside their gym, the Wildcats can establish themselves as not just a good team, but a great program with their performance this weekend.

"We made it very clear last year that we were one of the teams to be reckoned with," middle hitter Brian Clark said. "We played well enough this year to where we should obviously be recognized. We had to go through the top teams in the sectional. We had to go through both [Naperville] North and Central, and those teams have been the premier teams in our sectional in the past."

Clark, libero Brad Stout and outside hitter Jake Blackman got extensive playing time at state last year. Blackman, the team's kill leader, said that experience was nice, but returning to state as a senior is much better.

"This year, because it's our senior year, getting to state is obviously amazing," he said. "These are all my friends right here. We hang out on the court and off the court. This year is specifically special."

Of Neuqua's six starters, five have been friends not just through their high school career, but since their days at Spring Brook Elementary School. So for setter Sean Harmon, outside hitter Collin Adler, Clark, Stout and Blackman, this weekend holds even more significance.

"Having that bond with each player, there's a certain trust level that comes from there," Clark said. "You're kind of afraid to let your friends down. They're not just your teammates. They're your friends. You know that after this, we're all going to be going to different parts of the country."

When Neuqua lost to Glenbard East in the regular season, the Wildcats were without both Harmon and Adler because they were suspended for a violation of team rules. Likewise, Glenbard East played without middle hitter Peter Dabrowski, a 6-foot-6-inch senior who missed the first seven matches of the season because of an athletic code violation.

To beat the DuPage Valley Conference champions, the Wildcats will need to get a handle on setters Dan Mader, a 6-5 senior, and Mark Jones, a 6-5 junior. In East's 6-2 offense, Mader and Jones switch between attacking and setting, and that can cause confusion.

"Those two guys are amazing," Blackman said. "They're going to be tough because no matter if one of them is front row or back row, they always switch up whomever is setting. That's going to be kind of hard to see on the court."