Wheaton North was looking for a springboard.
And the Falcons played in the Fremd boys volleyball tournament one Saturday.
Wheaton North, which hadn't won a tournament all season, held off a very determined Buffalo Grove team 25-20, 23-25, 25-20 for the title.
Wheaton North (25-6) advanced through the tournament. The Falcons defeated Rolling Meadows and Prospect and earned a forfeit win against Rockford Auburn on Friday during bus trouble at Auburn.
However, Buffalo Grove (18-12), which defeated Wheaton North in last year's Fremdo Tournament final, ended up in a close game.
Wheaton North won the first set thanks to solid play at the net and Aidan Siswarda's service line.
With the score tied at 17 in the set, Siswerda got the kill and then served for three straight points, two of which were aces. This gave Wheaton North momentum to a 25-20 victory.
In the second set, both teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle. Wheaton North's Jake Schreiner had eight kills in the set.
But the Bison, led by Kakper Shomali, Brandon Peltz, Kevin Ledgerwood and David Hill, refused to budge. They grabbed a set win on a kill from Jayden Mathews, sending the match to a third game.
Once again, neither team was able to put together long runs, making it a close game.
That was until Siswerda stepped up his play again.
His kill made the set 20-20. He then scored five consecutive points, including an ace, to win the match. Thomas Manrique and Luke Schmidt each had one kill, with Schreiner (16 kills) the winner.
“We just wanted this tournament,” Siswarda said. “We were winless all season and were second against Warren. We've been working especially hard heading into this postseason. We felt good about what we were doing, so we I hope to continue this until the end of the season.”
Wheaton North coach John Noe said his team really wanted to use this tournament win to gain momentum heading into the state tournament.
“This is the moment we want,” Noe said. “This championship phase that we're going through. We're looking for conference championship moments, tournament championship moments, regional and sectional moments. So this is the end of the conference season and heading into the state tournament. I'm really happy that I was able to accomplish this.”
Buffalo Grove coach Tim Kosick said he loved the way his team competed all day.
“We did this as a team,” Kosiek said. “We had guys in different positions who wouldn't normally be in those positions. We played incredibly well together and it was really fun to watch.”
Buffalo Grove turned the tide early Saturday and clinched a spot in the finals.
The Bison lost to Fremd 25-17, 25-13 on Friday. The Bison defeated South Elgin 25-17, 25-19 in a play-in game early Saturday morning. They then defeated Fremd 25-17:25-22 to advance to the final.
Fremd (16-11), which was playing shorthanded Saturday, took third place. The Vikings defeated the Prospects 25-12, 25-23. Fremd came back from a 20-16 deficit in the final set.
Fremd was led by outside hitters Ethan Garst and Brian Cochran. They helped pick up things for the Vikes, who lost both Jack Cioni and Mike Hansen, who were participating in the band contest.
“All things considered, I think we did a great job,” Fremd coach Tracy Harding said. “They have proven that they can get the job done even when no one is around.”
The Prospects (18-13) advanced to the semifinals by defeating MSL East rival Rolling Meadows 25-20, 20-25, 25-13, then defeated Wheaton North 25-23, 25-19 in the semifinals. won by a landslide. .
The Knights were led by outside hitter Luke Cradach and setter Ryan Cook.
“We've been dealing with a bit of a roller coaster situation,” prospect coach Mike Reedy said. “We are trying to find consistency. One of the things we have focused on is convincing ourselves that our players can run with the big dogs. I'm trying to find a level where I can play for the season.”