Boys volleyball: Joliet West reaches 20-win plateau by topping Joliet Central

JOLIET – The Joliet West boys volleyball school record for wins in a season is 26.

The Tigers hope to break that this season.

They took a step toward doing that as they reached the 20-win mark with a 25-15, 25-8 victory over crosstown rival Joliet Central in a Southwest Prairie Conference match Tuesday evening at Joliet Central.

It’s the fourth time in school history and the first time since 2016 that Joliet West (20-6, 5-1 SPC) has reached the 20-win plateau. The Tigers went 26-12 and won a regional title in 2015, and they had 22 wins in 2014 and 2016.

“It’s an exciting time,” Joliet West coach Neil Luchetti said. “The boys have worked really hard, and we’re moving forward. We’re focusing on executing, not being satisfied and getting better.”

The Brouwer brothers made sure the Tigers would earn their 20th win. Alternating at setter and opposite side hitter, sophomore Landon Brouwer had 12 assists and senior Logan Brouwer banged a match-high nine kills and added 10 assists.

It’s certainly a happy time for the entire family at a match.

“It’s always a good time playing with my brother,” Logan Brouwer said. “He’s a great player, and we look to each other on the court. Our parents, Jodi and Dave, love it. They never miss a match.”

After ties at 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4 in the first set, they got to see Logan Brouwer bash a kill and then add an ace in a 3-0 run that gave the Tigers the lead for good. Ahead 8-6, sophomore middle hitter Tommy Fellows had back-to-back aces, and Landon Brouwer capped a 7-0 run with a kill for a 15-6 lead.

Joliet Central (2-20, 0-6) kept fighting as Joseph Jagodzinski jolted an ace and fellow senior middle hitter Brian Campbell put down the first of his four kills. But the Steelmen could never get closer than eight points the rest of the way. A Landon Brouwer kill and another Fellows ace ended the opener.

Ben Castillo, a senior outside hitter, added five kills, and senior libero Jake Krefft had four digs for Joliet West.

Castillo, who normally wears No. 10, wore No. 16 instead.

“I had a separate jersey for picture day at the start of the season, and I grabbed that one instead,” Castillo said of his jersey mixup. “We came in here just looking to get a good team win, get as many people involved as we could, and stay consistent on the court.

“That [school record for wins] is definitely a goal we have in mind. This is the year to do it.”

Joliet West never trailed in the match. The second set was tied at 1-1 and then Castillo had a kill and an ace in a 5-0 run. Ahead 10-6, the Tigers went on an 11-1 blitz, which included an 8-0 run at the end. Logan Brouwer had four kills in the burst. He loves how the team had come together after going 6-11 last year.

“It just took some time for us to mature and make the best team possible,” Logan Brouwer said. “We have the team to do it [break the school record for wins]. We have a lot of sophomores [four] and a good group of guys.”

Ayden Tibble, a senior setter had six assists, three digs, and a block for Joliet Central. Senior libero Brian Silva had five digs, and sophomore outside hitter Jo Jo Dixon added a pair of digs for the Steelmen.

“Brian Campbell played as a freshman but missed his sophomore season [after COVID-19 shut down spring sports] and ran track and field last year,” Joliet Central coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He came back out this year and is a great asset to the team. He’s a very skilled and smart hitter.

“We fight until the end, and we came together as a team and made some really nice plays. We just need a little more communication and closure on our blocks.”

With the sectional seeding due Wednesday, it was also a big win for the Tigers to advertise the 20 victories. They are in the same sub-sectional as all the other Plainfield schools along with Lincoln-Way West and Lockport. Lincoln-Way West beat Lockport, 25-20, 25-18, on Tuesday, so that sub-sectional, with the winner traveling to O’Fallon for the sectional final, is up for grabs.

“I’m looking forward to the postseason,” Logan Brouwer said. “Those are the most exciting matches, and I’m looking forward to having fun gainst that good competition. We are looking to go as far as possible.”

Collin McIntyre, a senior middle hitter who has been out since the second week of the season with a fractured thumb, hopes to be back for Joliet West in the postseason. He will know more in mid-May.

“Joliet Central is a scrappy team and we wanted to just get better,” Luchetti said. “We still have big conference matches coming up against Plainfield North and Oswego and have to be ready for them.”