Make no mistake, Sandburg’s JT Snider and his fellow hitters have plenty of power to go around.
The Eagles have a variety of players who can pound the ball with ease. But first-year coach Madisen Babich insists there’s more to hitting than power — and Snider is buying into it.
“Everybody wants to bounce the ball, right?” said Snider, a 6-foot-7 senior outside hitter. “Everybody wants to have that crazy, get-the-team-hyped bounce ball.
“Sometimes, you have to be smart and have something like the swipe or tip. It always works.”
Snider went to work with that mindset Wednesday night. The Sacred Heart recruit led visiting Sandburg with nine kills in a 25-17, 25-23 nonconference victory over Oak Lawn.
Senior middle hitter Will Ashum added seven kills with two solo blocks and a block assist for the Eagles (17-2), while Aaron Dennie chipped in with five kills during the second game.
Marco Budzak paced Oak Lawn (15-7) with five kills. Oisin Walsh tallied three block assists.
Snider is a part of a strong group for Sandburg that has eyes on a state championship, but the Eagles realize power alone won’t cut it against other elite teams. Hit strong, hit smart.
Babich has been happy with Snider and his teammates playing along with that script.
“When they are jumping out of the gym and are basically strong young men, it’s going to be hard to stop us,” she said. “We know we have the physical skill — that part is taken care of.
“But any boys volleyball player in high school wants to prove the point of, ‘Look at me, I can (hit) 10-foot line.’ All they want to do is hit the heck out of the ball over and over again and not make the specific smart shot. JT is finding ways to score without having to hit the 10-foot line.”
Ashum, an Aurora University recruit, also appreciates Snider’s effort.
“He brings a lot of athleticism, a lot of big blocks and energy,” Ashum said of Snider. “And he can give us some great serving when we need it.”
The Eagles believe they have what it takes to win a state championship, and with the exception of a pair of losses to perennial power Brother Rice, they have been enjoying success this spring.
They have racked up recent signature wins over Lyons, which made it to the state quarterfinals last season, and Downers Grove North, which touted a national ranking earlier in the month.
Sandburg also won the Wheaton Warrenville South Tiger Classic over the weekend.
“This is our year,” Snider said. “This is our year to finish out the best we can and try to get No. 1. Brother Rice is in our sectional, and the differences in our matches with them was our passing.
“If we can pass better — which we have since we last played them — we will show how much we improved. I can’t wait until the next time we see them.”
Snider has committed to Sacred Heart, a Division I program that plays in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association with Princeton. And that leads to another connection.
Senior right-side hitter Jeremiah Aro, Snider’s teammate at Sandburg, has committed to Princeton.
“I’ll be seeing him,” Snider said of Aro. “We’re doing a little bit of trash-talking, but they beat us this year. We will beat them next year.”
Snider made a trip to the Connecticut campus during the cold of December, but he still loved what he saw there.
“The snow gave it a little winter wonderland feel to it,” Snider said. “It had a little Harry Potter look.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
