Boys Volleyball
Coming off a 12-19 record in his debut as the Riverside-Brookfield boys volleyball head coach, Dan Bonarigo believes a .500 mark or better is a realistic goal this season. Bonarigo’s optimism about a successful second time around with the Bulldogs stems from any coach’s most prized possession – talented players.
Last season, RB showed flashes of its potential with a solid fourth-place finish at the Plainfield North tournament. (RB collected 107 total kills, 94 assists, 87 digs and 17 service aces.) The Bulldogs also gave Bonarigo his first postseason victory with a 25-16, 25-14 decision over Kennedy in regional action.
This campaign, the Bulldogs are looking for more.
“We have a lot of talent back,” Bonarigo said. “I think we are starting this year a little better off than the last one. Hopefully, we can figure things out early this season. Absolutely, I think that next step for us is [a record over .500].”
It’s no secret that the success of the Bulldogs in 2009 will start with the play of key returnees Pete Jansen, Juan Gomez, Ryan Bednar and Matt Gehrke. Jansen, who emerged as the Bulldogs’ most dominant hitter last season, will fill one of the outside hitter spots, while the explosive Gomez will anchor the middle of the court. The 6-foot-4 Bednar and 6-foot-3 Gehrke are both middle hitters capable of posting good blocks/kills numbers.
Junior Tim Hannigan, who also showed promise last season, is back along with a valuable addition in sophomore setter Elliot Louthen.
“I’ve been very impressed with Elliot’s ability,” Bonarigo said. “He’s trained hard in the off-season, and I see some leadership qualities in him.”
The Bulldogs’ infusion of new players also extends to a talented trio of juniors in outside hitter Galen Ryan, setter Patrick Lanzhotsky and libero Ivan Garcia.
“Like any team, we always think that our passing is not quite where we need it to be,” Bonarigo said. “We’re working on that, our serve-receive game, and our serving. We need to keep teams on their heels. Offensively, I think we have some really big hitters.”
The Bulldogs open their season hosting Morton on March 25 (5:30 p.m.). RB also will meet Oak Park, Leyden, Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South during a challenging schedule.
“We look forward to playing Oak Park because they always have a strong team,” Bonarigo said. “That game will be a good measuring stick for us. We’ll play a lot of quality teams this year.”