Written by Trey Meier, Staff Writer
The Indian Trail Boys Volleyball team has been among the best in the state for quite a few seasons now, and this year is no different. The team is led by a senior quartet of Carson Bakkala, Carson Skalbeck, Jackson Antos, and Nathan Klimish, who is coming off an impressive all-state season a year ago. The Hawks lost three important seniors after their historic run to a third place finish at state a season ago, although they seem to be doing just fine without them.
“After losing three starting players, we aren’t as bad as we thought,” said Bakkala, who broke the single game ace record against Union Grove on Sept 28.
The seniors have stepped up to fill the roles of the captains that left last year, and a lot of credit has to go to them for the success they have had this season.
The Hawks have a balanced team with many key contributors. Klimish leads the team in blocks, followed by Antos and Bakkala. The man in the middle, Skalbeck, does all the dirty work, and has the most digs on the team. Junior Chris Reimer has been an exceptional teammate this year, dishing out an abundance of assists as well. When clicking, the combo of Klimish, who holds the single season kill record, and Reimer can be very dangerous.
Coach Brian Sharkey has also kept the team consistent and improving throughout the year. His resume, consisting of three sectional championships, ve regional championships, and two conference championships, has gained him deserved respect among the players.
The group of guys is not fazed by much and have won some crucial games this year, most notably coming again Bradford, and No. 10 ranked Horlick.
“We handle pressure very well and also see the court well,” said Bakkala. “We just need to work more on our ball placement.”
Cleaning up those little mistakes could make this team extremely tough to beat.
The goals for the team are as expected.
“We want to win the conference tournament and go to state,” said Bakkala.