Two players from the Frankfort-based Ultimate Volleyball made great first impressions during their freshman year in college.
New Lenox’s Connor Wexter, who played at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., was named Newcomer of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III. Palos Heights’ Joe Smalzer, at Loyola University in Chicago, was named Freshman of the Year by the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
“It’s amazing when a club can have one player receive an honor like that,” Ultimate Boys Program Director. “To have two is almost unheard of.”
Wexter, a 6-foot-1 Lincoln-Way Central High School graduate, was second in the nation with an 11.88 assist-per-set average. He racked up 63 assists in a five-set loss to Grand Canyon Jan. 28. The team finished 23-11 and won the consolation championship in the Molten Division III Invitational Volleyball Championship in April.
Wexter found out about the honor after his coach texted him in class.
“When you get a text from your coach to come into his office, you get kind of nervous,” Wexter said. “I thought I was in trouble or something. Then he told me to check my e-mail. and I saw I was Newcomer of the Year. It was pretty cool. I was pretty excited.”
Smalzer, a Marist High School graduate, sat out his first year at Loyola as a redshirt in 2010 but the 6-foot-8 athlete roared onto the scene in 2011 with 345 kills, including two matches in a row in which he racked up a career-high 21 kills. He led the Ramblers and conference in service aces with 47 and hit the floor for 144 digs.
Loyola finished 21-8 and made it to the finals of the MIVA Tournament before falling to Ohio State in four sets.
“I wasn’t focused on winning Freshman of the Year – if I did that would be diverting from our team goal,” Smalzer said. “But I was happy to win it. I found out when a friend of mine from Lewis, Matt Gallik, texted me congratulations. I was like ‘what are you talking about?’ And he told me to take a look at the conference website.”
Kujawa was not surprised the pair opened their college careers in impressive fashion.
“I knew they were bound for greatness,” he said. “The first time Connor played at nationals for us, you can see his determination. He jumped over chairs to get to a ball and wound up giving himself a concussion. Joe’s sheer height and physical ability makes him unique.”
