With 22 wins and 12 losses this season, the boys volleyball team plans to reflect their success from last season. Finishing as regional champions last year, the boys have worked hard this season in hopes of earning the title for the second year in a row.

They finished in the SPC this year. Although all conference games are important, some were more meaningful than others.

“My favorite memory from this season was when we beat Plainfield North to tie for first in the conference,” Shane Ooms, freshman, said.

With many conference wins the season also came many tournament wins. The team took third at the Chesterton tournament, third at Metea Valley, and Bronze Bracket champions at Lincoln-Way East.

The team dedicates a lot of their wins to their work ethic, an important quality in order to have a successful team.

“Everyday we show up to the gym ready to practice hard knowing we don’t have the most talent in the state so we need to make up for that with our hard work,” Grant Ooms, senior, said.

Another key quality the boys possess is their ability to work well together and cooperate with one another. They create their close bonds through team dinners, Saturday morning practices, and long tournament days.

“The fact that we are a family makes us successful. We can rely on each other and trust each other,” Luke Weilbeck, senior, said.

The boys agree that head coach Mike Kargle and assistant coach Janel Grzetich are helpful on and off the court.

“My coaches have helped me by teaching me how to play smarter and improve my accuracy while setting,” Matt Kurtz, senior, said.

The team feels they can go to both of their coaches for advice about volleyball as well as in life. With coaches they see as role models, the boys are able to be learn easily and perform to the best of their ability.

As regionals slowly approaches, the team’s alumni, like Brandon Baranski, Mitch Perinar, and Danny Beaudin will begin to return to the practices to help them prepare.

The regional tournament begins tonight at Plainfield Central. As the fifth seed, the boys will play Andrew High school.