Mead's efforts enough for Marist

Updated: March 28, 2011 9:38AM

With team depth limiting him to a supporting role off the bench last season, Marist's Jim Mead played sparingly, but not because of a lack of talent.

Now a senior, the 6-5 middle is ready to embrace a much larger role for the RedHawks.

Tallying four kills and four aces to go with 10 service points, Mead helped lead Marist to a 25-14, 25-10 win over Lincoln-Way North Saturday in the championship of the Marist Invitational, the second year in a row the host RedHawks won their tournament.

"It's stepping in and taking what I can get," Mead said. "Everyone on our team we can rely to go to (offensively), and our setter Garrett Dempsey is so good it makes it easy on all of us."

Dempsey distributed 13 assists in the championship match for Marist (6-0) while Kevin Morrison slammed six kills and Kevin Murphy had 14 digs.

With Mead and Sean Connelly dominating the game from the service line, the RedHawks cruised after exchanging points early with Lincoln-Way North (5-1).

In a tie game at 10 points in the first game, Mead's first kill started off a run for Marist which rattled off six of the game's next eight points.

Leading 16-12, Mead supplied two aces and a kill in a quick 5-0 run. Overall, the RedHawks closed out the opener on a 15-4 run as North had no answer. The strong service play continued into the second game as the Phoenix fell behind 13-2 and never regrouped.

Marist had 10 aces overall.

"We hit a groove serving the ball, and that was the difference," Marist coach Bob St. Leger said. "You don't see that often, and you can't rely on it, but North struggled a bit passing the ball. They're better than that. We've got things we can work on, but we're there."

Haakon Skrodal finished with three kills for Lincoln-Way North while Erik Fjeldheim added 11 digs and Joseph Pognant two blocks.

One disappointing performance aside, North coach Matt Lawrence was more than pleased.

"Walking away from the tournament, this was the first year for us in the Gold division," Lawrence said. "Last year, we won the Silver, and we're slowly working our way up. These guys did a lot of good things to get to this point."

Getting to the championship, Marist defeated Niles North (25-22, 25-18) and Lincoln-Way East (25-21, 25-23). Lincoln-Way North beat Lincoln-Way Central (25-17, 25-17) in the semis and Andrew (25-20, 17-25, 17-15).

Lincoln-Way East beat Lincoln-Way Central in the third place game 25-22, 25-15.

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