When Frankfort's Erin Lorenz was looking for a name for her new volleyball club in 1998, she asked for advice from the young girls in the club.

"I asked the kids and the first group I started with was made up of 10- and 11-year-old girls," Lorenz said. "They had some interesting suggestions, like the Spike Girls because the Spice Girls were popular. And G-Force. I told them that they were good and I would think about it."

But Lorenz wasn't totally convinced those were the best names.

"Then, I just asked some adult volleyball players and they gave me some suggestions," Lorenz said. "I said I want something to say we're at the top. One suggestion was Ultimate and I said I liked that. We're the Ultimate club."

Ultimate has grown from five players to 500-plus. The club is also fielding boys teams and most likely they are thankful they are not called the "Spike Boys."

Ultimate's boys and girls teams have lived up to their name and enjoyed national acclaim in recent years and have helped send more than 80 athletes to college since 2004.

Several more will be on the way.

Ultimate's 18-Gold boys team, coached by former Lewis University coach Dave Deuser, has the makings of a top-10 team nationally according to the coach. Qualfiers for the Junior Olympics are underway the event will take place in the summer.

Members of the squad include Orland Park's Denny Falls, Palos Park's Jim Connolly, Mokena's Jon Hamm and John Langheld, New Lenox's Kyle Overby and Connor Wexter, Tinley Park's Mike Jebens and Corey Grove and Chicago's Albert Klimek and David Nelson.

"The good thing is that most of these guys have been together for about four years," Deuser said. "Yeah, they are the studs at their own high school. And they are competing for spots against each other. But they know each other well. They know their strengths and weaknesses. They are easy to coach.

"We're aspiring to be better. When we play the California teams, we have to be better. I have to try to keep them from being complacent or thinking 'well, I'm already all-state and I'm already signed to go to Stanford or Lewis'. I need to keep them to want to improve and get better. For the most part, they are easy to coach."

The 18-Blue team is not shy on talent. Members include Orland Park's Scott Canna, Ryan Mabbott and Tyler Parks, Homer Glen's Mike Sweeney, Tinley Park's Zach Betley, Frankfort's Greg Robinson and Pat Sinwelski, New Lenox's Kevin Tucker and Oak Lawn's Steve Kupcivickus and Joseph Mitchell.

Keith Kujawa is the Ultimate boys director and coach of the 17-Gold team. This team has a world of potential, according to the coach.

"We have many years ahead of us of up-and-comers at Ultimate," Kujawa said. "But the 17 Gold team finished fourth at the Junior Olympic Tournament in Atlanta [in 2009]. We had two All-Americans [Palos Heights' Garrett Dempsey and Orland Park's Bill Sirocky]. They went from being a good team to a great team.

"This team is getting a lot of collegiate attention. Penn State was here to watch these guys play. There is attention from Ohio State and a lot of NAIA schools. I think three will go on to play Division I and for boys, that's huge. There are 96 universities offering volleyball as a varsity sport and 30-something are Division I. Three from one team--that's huge. That's incredible."

Other members of the powerhouse include Orland Park's Tom Carmody, Jason Fox, Phil Hanrahan and Andrew Muys, Tinley Park's Jim Boyce and Bob Gallagher, Mokena's Sean Piet and Chicago's Joe Biros and Kevin Murphy.

"Because of our facilities, we only practice twice a week," Kujawa said. "There are clubs that practice three or four times a week. If we practiced three or four times a week, could I say that we could be potentially the No. 1 team in the country? Absolutely."

The 17-Blue team is also loaded with area talent including Palo Park's Sean Connelly and Jim Mead, Palos Heights' Mike Noyes, Orland Park's Joe Germino, Kevin Groeper and Mark Krause, Frankfort's John Kanapick and Matt Murphy, Chicago's Joe Fashingbauer and Dan Garvey and Hometown's Pat McGuiness.

By Jeff Vorva

Triblocal.com reporter

Triblocal.com photos by Jeff Vorva