Outside hitters are rarely called upon to set the ball, but Benet junior Aris Maurukas understands the importance of being able to do it.
Maurukas, who is Benet’s second-leading hitter behind 6-foot-8 senior Dominic Krzeczkowski, found himself in such a situation at a crucial moment against Hinsdale Central on Thursday.
“I’m trying to make myself comfortable in that situation, where if I need to set the ball, I’m ready to do it with my hands, ready to get it out,” Maurukas said. “That’s one of the ways I can help the team.
“If it’s out of system, I call for it and put it up for Dom.”
That’s exactly what happened when the host Red Devils went on a 6-0 run to take a 9-7 lead in the third set. Rather than call for a timeout, first-year Benet coach Hector Cano elected to let his players figure things out.
On the ensuing play, the Redwings were scrambling to keep the ball alive when Maurukas set the ball to Krzeczkowski, who smashed a kill from the right side to stop Hinsdale Central’s run. Krzeczkowski paced the Redwings with 11 kills.
Two points later, Benet embarked on an 8-0 run and won 25-19, 19-25, 25-21.
“We practice scramble drills in practice, so those definitely help in real matches,” Cano said. “We do a lot of out-of-system training because this is big-time volleyball. We’re not always going to have the perfect pass, so everybody has to work on setting.”
The 6-foot Maurukas, a third-year varsity player for Benet (3-0), has been working on every aspect of his game, and it’s paying off. He had seven kills and four service points, including an ace, against Hinsdale Central (0-3).
“I think my athleticism has gone up,” Maurukas said. “I feel like I’m jumping higher and am more confident. I feel like I’m playing a little smarter with my shots, making better choices.”
Cano agreed that Maurukas makes good decisions.
“He’s a very smart player,” Cano said. “We know that when there is an out-of-system play, he’s going to try to make a shot to take away their best option. When that happens when he’s in the front row, most likely he’s going to get the ball because he’s either going to score or take the other team out of system.”
Maurukas did the former at another key juncture later in the third set. The Red Devils had trimmed a 19-12 deficit to 22-20 when Maurukas landed a crosscourt kill.
Maurukas misfired on the next point, but a service error by Hinsdale Central brought the Redwings to match point, and junior setter Reed Hefley clinched it with an ace.
Benet overcame a great effort from Hinsdale Central star Matt Ruth, who led all players with 14 kills.
“We’ve just got to expect a match, right?” Maurukas said. “Because we’re not going to come here and win every game easy peasy.
“Matt Ruth is a great player, and he pounded a couple balls. We’ve got to expect that and go to the next play. That was our mantra throughout that whole game.”
Maurukas is always ready to play, even in tight matches.
“I love playing these games,” he said. “It’s so much fun.”
That’s music to the ears of Cano, who trains the Redwings to embrace competing when things get close.
“We start games in practice at 15-15 or 18-18 so we’re used to matches like this,” he said. “We want to be happy when we’re in those situations, not down. Usually, people are nervous. No, we want to have fun and play good volleyball.”
Cano, who was Benet’s junior varsity coach under Jeff Steinberg when Maurukas was a freshman, is having fun coaching Maurukas for the first time.
“Coach took him away in the first five minutes of tryouts,” Cano said. “That’s what happens to a JV coach, but we understand that it’s best for the program.
“We’re always trying to put players in the best places to succeed, and (Maurukas) understands that and our philosophy. He’s a leader.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
