Surrounded by younger teammates this season, Grayslake Central senior Ryan Huntington has been pushed to be more than a solid all-around player.
Changing positions was just the beginning.
“He has been a super leader on and off the court for us,” Rams coach Dan Erlenbaugh said.
The 6-foot-2 Huntington was the top setter for the Rams when that need arose last year. But with four sophomores and a junior in the starting lineup this season, Huntington has moved back to his more familiar position at outside hitter.
“I will play anywhere that will help our team be successful,” he said. “We have some really good young players who are going to make this team really something in the next few years, but I still want to help them develop now to be their best so we can help the four seniors we do have finish strong.”
Junior Jacob Strahan and sophomores Ben Boron, Ethan Page, Jackson Rowe and Bryce Tupaz give Grayslake Central plenty of talent to build around in the future. But having a senior like Huntington is invaluable, Erlenbaugh said.
Huntington, who finished with seven kills in Grayslake Central’s 25-14, 25-16 Northern Lake County Conference win at home against Grant on Tuesday, has 135 kills in 16 matches this season. Just as important, he has been a mentor for the Rams (12-4, 3-1).
“Ryan has done a lot for us the last three seasons, along with playing just about everywhere on the court,” Erlenbaugh said. “Having that kind of an experienced player means so much in terms of leadership and showing our younger guys how to get it done.”
Huntington might do a little bit of everything again at Augustana College, where he will continue his volleyball career.
“I might have to play libero as a freshman before moving back to outside later, but I will play anywhere they want to try to get into the lineup,” he said.
The Bulldogs (3-14, 0-5), another young team, tried their best to slow down Huntington and the Rams on Tuesday.
“Our game plan was geared to stop Ryan, but he’s such a great player, so that’s hard to do,” Grant co-coach John Gizowski said. “Central is lucky to have him.”
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The Bulldogs had no seniors in their lineup.
“Our kids hustle and don’t give up, so if they stick together over the next few years, we think some good things are going to happen,” Grant co-coach Martin Grum said.
Grayslake Central won eight of its first nine matches this season before losing three of its past six, including two setbacks against conference leader Lakes last week.
“It was a hiccup that hopefully we can overcome by playing better in the next few weeks,” Huntington said. “We think our best volleyball is ahead of us, and if that happens, we can win our conference and be a team that will be tough to beat in the playoffs.”
Erlenbaugh agreed, saying the Rams need more time.
“We are still learning about each other and what we need to do to be successful,” he said. “This team has a lot of potential, and hopefully we can reach that potential this season even with so many younger players.”
Darren Day is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
