Boys volleyball: Joliet West sweeps Providence Catholic to extend winning streak to 10 games.

NEW LENOX – To say it’s been a strong start for the Joliet West boys volleyball team would be underselling it. Its only two losses have come to Lockport and Bolingbrook, who had combined for only three losses. The Tigers entered Tuesday night’s date with Providence Catholic riding a nine-match winning streak.

At the match’s conclusion, the winning streak was extended to 10.

Nate Fleischauer had nine kills, Landon Brouwer had 20 assists, and Joliet West earned a road sweep of the Celtics 25-17, 26-24.

Joliet West (15-2) had little trouble dispatching Providence in the first set. The Tigers jumped out to a 9-3 advantage that grew to 17-9 before the Celtics showed signs of life. They managed to cut the deficit to 18-13, but that was as close as they’d get before West finished it out.

Set 2, on the other hand, was a much different story.

Providence (10-10) started out looking like a team on a mission, taking an early three-point lead that grew to 13-7 in a hurry. It was looking like the match would be heading to three sets before the Tigers began chipping away little by little. They cut it to 15-11, then 19-17 before finally tying it at 20. The Tigers took their first lead of the match at 21-20.

The Tigers fell behind once again 22-21 before the two squads began exchanging points. The score was tied at 24 before West was able to score two consecutive points and close out the match.

“We just emphasized doing things Tiger style,” senior middle blocker Alex Ogugua said about the comeback. “[Tiger style] is something we implement within our team. It’s about always being loud, being energetic and being talkative. Our coaches always tell us to do that from the get go. That always pushes us within a game, every single game. That spirit and energy is something we bring to every single game.”

That spirit and energy has been on display since March 27 against Lincoln-Way Central. That’s when West won the first of its ongoing 10-match winning streak, seven of which have been sweeps. Coach Tara Litwicki was particularly proud of how West has continued to win in spite of some challenging injuries across the roster.

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Joliet West’s Alexander Ogugua celebrates match point against Providence on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 in New Lenox. (Gary Middendorf)

“I’ve got a couple of middles who are out right now, including my key middle Dejon [Jennings],” Litwicki said. “The special thing about this team is that we have depth. We have the ability to put anyone in, and they perform. Some of the guys have stepped up big.”

That includes Ogugua, who Litwicki singled out as a standout on the night, and Thomas Fellows, who had seven kills. Add in Fleischauer and Brouwer’s performances, and you’ve got a solid result against a team that fought hard throughout.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy match against Providence after they took Lockport to three sets [last week],” Litwicki said. “We came in focused. Our pregame is always solid, and we’re always mentally focused. We bond very well, we’re energetic, we trust each other. When you’re on a 10-game winning streak people are going to come in and play us at 110%. They’re going to come out and give you their best every time.”

As for the Celtics, it was a match of peaks and valleys. Reaching the lead they did in the second set was a highlight coach Lee Rucinski was proud of. Allowing the Tigers to come back instead of forcing a decisive third set, however, showed the inconsistency the squad has battled this season.

“[West] is a really good team, and that’s the end of our buzzsaw,” Rucinski said. “We’ve had Lincoln-Way West, Lockport and them back-to-back-to-back. To give them a game like we did in the second is a positive to take away and get ready for the next one, but you can only lament so many missed errors and opportunities to take down a solid team like Joliet West.”