Bolingbrook outlasts Joliet Catholic Academy to gain three-set win

JOLIET – When push came to shove Friday night, the Bolingbrook boys volleyball team had a player that helped knock the door down in a 25-21, 24-26, 25-13 win over Joliet Catholic Academy.

Senior Trevor Wardlow was set time and time again throughout the match, especially in the third set, and finished with 19 kills to lead the Raiders (6-1) to the win. He also added six digs, a block and an ace while not coming off the floor throughout the three sets.

“I like to have that leadership role,” Wardlow said. “I want the ball every time, especially in the tight situations. And my teammates know that I want it, so they do whatever then can to get it to me.

“We were a little upset after losing the second set. It kind of got us going, though, and we knew we had to fix some things and pick up the intensity.”

For the first two sets, the second especially, it seemed that the intensity was on the side of the Hilltoppers (5-4). Bolingbrook got out to a quick 5-1 lead in the first set, but JCA closed to within 6-5.

It was the same pattern throughout the set, with Bolingbrook getting out to a four- or five-point lead and JCA rallying to get within one before tying it at 16 and then at 19 and 20 before Wardlow delivered three kills down the stretch to give the Raiders the opening set win.

JCA had a go-to player of its own – junior Ayadn Garcia – and rode his strong play to the second-set victory. Garcia finished with a team-high 12 kills. Five of those came in the second set as the Hilltoppers led most of the way. Bolingbrook was able to take a 17-16 lead, but JCA came back and went ahead 22-19 after kills by Josh Matl and Cole Czerkies. Bolingbrook tied it at 24 on a Wardlow kill, but JCA scored the final two points to force the third set.

“We kind of played like this against Stevenson [the Raiders’ only loss],” Bolingbrook coach Molly DeSerf said. “I’m glad we won tonight, but I would like us not to be in that position.

“Trevor Wardlow has one of the highest volleyball IQ’s of anyone I have coached. He is the younger brother of Rico [who played collegiately for Purdue-Fort Wayne and Grand Canyon University], and he was always around and in the gym when he was younger. All of that sinks in. He is able to play at a high level as a scorer in transition or to move the ball around, and he is a great leader.”

An invigorated Raiders team took the floor in the third set and set the tone early, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. JCA stayed even after that for a while and Bolingbrook owned a 13-9 lead before reeling off five straight points to take control at 18-9.

Wardlow had a block and a kill in the stretch, while Yashua Beals and Tavares Campbell also had a kill. Freshman Edison Ah-Yo had 12 kills to complement Wardlow’s production, while Daniel Kaduthodil had 23 assists and Dominic Pietruszewski had 14. Kaduthodil added four aces.

JCA got seven kills from Austin Bernhard.

“We lost some seniors from last year’s team, and I thought we might have a hard time adjusting,” DeSerf said. “But these guys have easily blended well together. They understand they have talent and believe in themselves.

“It’s fun to be winning, and we want to keep having fun.”