Every senior wants to win on his or her senior night, especially when that game is going to be the last one played on the athlete’s home court or field.

New Trier celebrated its senior night on Thursday, May 12, by sweeping conference rival Waukegan 25-13, 25-13 in Northfield.

“Senior night is always very emotional and very nostalgic and for these seniors, it’s their last home game,” New Trier coach Sue Ellen Haak said. “This has been a great senior group, great volleyball IQ, work hard together and I’m glad they were all able to contribute tonight and it was a night to make memories.”

Haak started a senior-laden lineup in the first set and the Trevians (25-4) got off to a slow start against a feisty Bulldog squad that was making its last trip to Northfield before it leaves for the North Suburban Conference next season. The set was tied at five until a New Trier block gave the Trevians a 6-5 lead, one they wouldn’t relinquish.

“Most games we play we seem to get out to slow starts. I think it’s mostly mental and a little bit emotional tonight,” New Trier senior outside hitter Harry Marwil said. “It wasn’t too emotional for me because we’ve gone through it so many times, we know what it’s like and not that big of a deal.”

The Bulldogs had gotten the Trevian lead down to 17-12 when Marwil stepped to the service line and started a seven-point run that ballooned the lead to 24-12. He had two aces and two kills in the run and fellow senior Peter Hindsley added one in the run as well. Marwil would get the set-winning kill a moment later, as well.

Haak started an entirely new look in the second set as she gave starters Hindsley, Henry Lindstrom, Brian Kaiser and Alec Chang a rest and allowed other players to get more playing time.

“I thought it was important to honor our seniors tonight, but it’s also the end of the season and we’re trying to get everyone into the game whenever we can, so I felt there was a chance to do both,” Haak said. “We’ve had a very strong bench all season. I’ve been able to sub more than I ever have, so that makes it easier on a night like tonight.”

With the extended playing time, players such as Marwil and William Wolf were able to stand out and showcase their own skills.

Unlike the first set, the second set was never close as the Trevians got out to a 4-0 lead, thanks to two kills from Wolf and a kill from Michael Tamkin.

Thanks to the squad’s tough serving, height and ability to terminate, New Trier was able to extend the lead to a healthy 14-5 margin with Jackson Biilello, Tamkin and Joe D’Attomo all helping pad the lead with kills of their own.

Marwil finished with nine kills, while Lindstrom and Wolf had four kills each.

“I think during practice my setter and I have a good chemistry and it transitions over,” Marwil said. “We had the best chemistry on the court so he kept going to me.”

“This senior class has a wide variety of personalities, but yet they all still jell really well,” Haak said when asked to compare this senior class to others. “Different individually but they come together as a team.”

The Trevians play in the Vernon Hills Tournament this weekend and then have a Central Suburban League crossover next week before starting play in the IHSA playoffs where they earned the top seed in the Evanston Sectional. Other top five seeds include Hersey, Glenbrook North, Evanston and Loyola. New Trier is in the Maine East regional, where it will face the winner of Notre Dame and Addison Trail. If the Trevians prevail there, they will face one of either Maine East, Senn, Glenbrook South or Waldorf. The Trevians have won two consecutive sectional titles.

– See more at: http://www.wilmettebeacon.com/high-school/boys-volleyball-trevians-celebrate-senior-night-win#sthash.20jbXd0p.dpuf