After pushing car home, Jozef Walus propels Reavis to upset win over Brother Rice. ‘Meant for a moment like this.'

Chicago Tribune

3 days ago

On the eve of one of the biggest boys volleyball matches in years for Reavis, senior outside hitter Jozef Walus certainly didn't see this coming. The engine blew in his car.
Walus and his friends pushed the car for two miles Wednesday night, and when all was said and done, he got home at 3 a.m. and finally went to sleep.
But the effects from that adventure weren't over.
'I got up at nine and my back was hurting from pushing that car,' Walus said.
His mother, Agnieszka, came to the rescue.
'She put some Icy Hot on my back, I fell back asleep with it, and when I woke up, I felt better,' Jozef said. 'I felt replenished.'
Things went much better Thursday night for Walus.
The host Rams hummed along like a brand-new car, pulling off a 25-18, 25-15 stunner over Brother Rice at the Reavis Regional in Burbank, winning their first regional title since 2011.
Walus tallied five kills and three aces for sixth-seeded Reavis (31-2). He also unleashed several other serves that had the backrow of third-seeded Brother Rice (30-8) scrambling.
Pawel Greczek led the Rams with nine kills and a .500 hitting percentage, while Brandon Wilke added six kills. Blue O'Neill had 23 assists and Krystian Paluch chipped in with 18 digs.
Vaughn Goberville paced Brother Rice with four kills. The Crusaders were guilty of 13 hitting errors and six serving miscues, ensuring that their season would end sooner than they expected.
Walus and the Rams, however, set the tone by taking a 14-5 lead in the first game. That helped silence the jitters they were collectively experiencing.
'We were 100% nervous,' Walus said. 'We were all nervous, but we put that aside and said that we wanted to win this. We put it aside and played our hardest.'
How nervous was Walus?
'When I went back to serve, I thought I was going to trip and fall,' he said.
To prove the opener wasn't a fluke, the Rams took a 15-4 lead in the second game and won handily, advancing to Saturday's Hinsdale Central Sectional semifinals against second-seeded Sandburg (33-4).
For Reavis coach Mike Jebens, this was the culmination of a graduating class that featured talented freshmen with potential four years ago. And Walus was one of them.
'Joey has been through so much,' Jebens. 'He was a JV player as a freshman and started as a sophomore and started as a junior and as a senior and has improved so much.
'He was meant for a moment like this.'
Paluch, who was also a top soccer player for Reavis, remembered regional final losses to Marian Catholic and Sandburg the past two years. He thought the Rams were ready for a breakthrough.
'It was great that we were at home,' he said. 'When we're at home, there is this different vibe, and the fans came out and supported us. This is something special.'
Paluch said he doesn't think he will go to college, so he wants to make the most out of the end of his high school career.
On the other hand, Walus committed to play volleyball at Bryant & Stratton in Wisconsin. He's glad that he can get in at least a couple more years of the sport and go from there.
'They are bringing in a few 6-8 middles and the setter from Argo,' Walus said, referring to Alexander Jakowicki. 'I didn't want to go to a four-year college. I just wanted to get my associate's degree real quick and go to a trade school.
'But I had a friend who committed there. It's a two-year program and it's close to home.'