Boys volleyball: Bolingbrook bounces back from first loss with sweep of Romeoville

BOLINGBROOK – Saturday’s Tiger Invite at Joliet West ended with Bolingbrook suffering its first loss of the season in the championship match against Lincoln-Way West.

On Monday, the Raiders got back to doing what they’ve become so used to in the young season: Winning.

Tristan Benbow put up eight kills, Connor Dmochowski had 21 assists and the Raiders bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 25-18, 25-13 sweep of visiting Romeoville.

Bolingbrook is off to an insanely hot start. After finishing last season 17-18, the Raiders are already 7-1 on the year. Monday against the Spartans, they held true to form with Benbow and Dmochowski leading the way.

“We’re focusing on controlling our side,” Bolingbrook coach Molly DeSerf said. “We’re respecting our competition and trying to stay in the same zone of play which is good. I thought we came out and established ourselves again while learning from what happened on Saturday. Hopefully we’ll continue to get better at that and continue to work on some other stuff.”

The Raiders showed plenty of fight against Lincoln-Way West on Saturday in the the three-set loss and continued to show signs of what to expect the rest of the season on Monday. DeSerf attributes that to a close-knit group of seniors on this year’s squad.

“We have a great group of human beings,” she said. “Their leadership and ability as very good volleyball players is great. I hope to see them maintain their level and grow and push in the day to day activities...It’s one game at a time but we need to prepare for what you want to do at the end while handling your business throughout the day.”

While surely Romeoville (3-4) would’ve liked to move over .500 entering a bit of an extended break, the Spartans will take the rest they’re coming up on regardless. The Spartans just completed the tough Homewood-Flossmoor tournament over the weekend and immediately had to play one of the top teams in the area right after. Now, they get a week off before their next contest against Lincoln-Way Central.

Otherwise, this season has been all about adapting, which the Spartans have done quite well thus far.

“This year we’re starting a senior setter who has been an outside his whole life in Gavin Carrasco,” Romeoville coach Deb Fehrenbacher. “He’s been doing a fantastic job. He was an all-conference outside hitter last year and started there as a sophomore as well. He’s making great strides there. We have a setter who is coming off medical leave and we haven’t been able to play him since he hasn’t gotten any practices in.”

Still, Fehrenbacher knows where her team needs to improve the most.

“I just want us to have a better net presence,” she said. “I’d like our blockers to be a bit more active and see our middles be more a part of our offense.”

The match itself was relatively tight early with both teams trading points to a 3-3 draw. After the Raiders pulled up by three, the Spartans got back within one at 8-7. Bolingbrook separated itself from that point, going up 11-8 before extending its lead to 19-13 and eventually winning the set.

Set two was all Bolingbrook. A 4-0 start that grew to a 10-3 margin and never got closer, the Raiders were on fire Monday.

“It feels good,” Dmochowski said. “I always love being on the court with these guys. Competing with whoever is on the other side of the net is always fun.”

Romeoville was led by Luke Laushot with six kills. Tyler Vasquez contributed 11 digs for Bolingbrook, which next plays Wednesday against Plainfield East.