High school boys volleyball: Third straight state title for Glenbard West cements seniors' legacy

GLEN ELLYN – Early in this boys volleyball season, Sean Farmer insisted he and his Glenbard West teammates weren’t chasing history.

The 2016 Hilltoppers had a season to remember, going 42-0 and not dropping a set on their way to a second consecutive state title. Being a part of that history-making march was nice, but Farmer said it wasn’t going to define the 2017 team.

“Our mentality is that the [championship] banners up in our gym, they don’t really mean anything [now]. We’re our own team,” Farmer said after an April 4 win against York. “We don’t want to look at ourselves as a string of Glenbard West teams. It would be awesome to accomplish what those teams did and I absolutely think we have the ability to, but we’re trying to focus on being our own team and not looking to the past.

“Be our own team and do our own thing and hopefully accomplish what those teams accomplished.

Farmer’s outlook proved prophetic.

The latest crop of Hilltoppers made their own mark on the program and wrote their own history with a 25-21, 20-25, 25-16 win against Lincoln-Way East in the state championship match June 3.

With the win, West (41-1) became just the second program to win three straight titles (Wheaton Warrenville South did it in 2007-09). When Cam Lilly’s attacking swing on match point was deflected out of bounds, it cemented a unique legacy for Farmer, Lilly and the other 10 seniors on the roster.

“I think coming in with 42-0 and no sets lost [last season], there was a little pressure there,” said Lilly, who had nine kills in the match. “When we lost our first game, everyone thought we weren’t as good as we were last year, but being able to come back from that loss really helped us in the long run.

“Our seniors, we’ve been playing together for a while. To come together and get a state championship is awesome.”

Seniors Johnny Winkler (six kills) and Matt Scruggs finished their high school careers with three state titles, joining a WWS quintet as the only boys players in state history to win three straight.

“It feels great, finally to get one for us,” said Scruggs, who put down three of his four kills in the third set against Lincoln-Way East. “Our legacy wasn’t anything until we completed our job today and got the ‘W,’ so it feels really good for all 12 seniors.”

After a dismal second set in which the defense was nearly nonexistent and the offense could not find its footing, the Hilltoppers put it all together in the third set.

After a pair of early ties, Robbie Murphy took a feed from Farmer (32 assists) and put the ball down for a 3-2 lead West would not relinquish. Murphy floored five of his team-high 10 kills in the third set to help seal a bit of history for West.

“You can’t really describe it,” Murphy said. “Every senior class the last three years has left their legacies with state championships. To be a senior now and to leave our legacy as state champions is awesome.”

For a program that did not play in its first match until 2006, West has come a long way in a relatively short time. The third state title was the fifth trophy for the program to go along with fourth place in 2011 and third in 2014.

“In 2006 we were in our first IHSA competition against Naperville North,” coach Christine Giunta-Mayer said. “I remember it vividly. We gave it everything we had, and we barely got past the first game. I visualized what I wanted for this program, and what I wanted was a family that would do anything for each other, and I think they have done that.”

Farmer (UC Irvine), Murphy (Ohio State), Winkler (Lindenwood) and libero Zach Norvid (Pepperdine) are seniors who will play in college. Lilly, Scruggs and classmates such as serving specialist Grant Tecson, Jack Cranny, Paul Kaske, Ethan Marchetti, Anthony Schelsser and Kevin Tarczon will be missed next season as the Hilltoppers look to build around players that include middle JT Ardell, Ryan Diver and Alec Pierce.

The seniors won’t completely leave the program behind. Like 2016 senior stars Paulie Bischoff and Kyler Kotsakis, who were in attendance to see the three-peat, the seniors from this year’s team surely will keep a close eye on the program to see if their legacy can be surpassed.

“I came into this program and we came downstate and we failed [in 2014], and that kind of stuck with me,” Scruggs said. “It feels good leaving the program as I came into it – Toppers on top.”

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State scores

Quarterfinal: Glenbard West d. Hersey 25-19, 25-9

Semifinal: Glenbard West d. Brother Rice 21-25, 25-20, 25-22

Championship: Glenbard West d. Lincoln-Way East 25-21, 20-25, 25-16