NIC-10 team favorites and top players to watch in 2024 boys volleyball season
Rockford's greatest-ever player in the young IHSA sport of boys volleyball is gone, with Braydon Savitski-Lynde now starring as a freshman for No. 12-ranked Ball State after leading Hononegah to a 59-8 record and back-to-back sectional finals.
Who will be the new boys volleyball stars in the NIC-10 this year? Here are our picks as the top seven players to watch, with players listed alphabetically:
More: Why boys volleyball has become a huge sport at Jefferson
Jack Allen, Hononegah
Allen, a 6-foot sophomore, is a well-rounded outside hitter who steps into a starring role for a team that dominated the NIC-10 the last two years but graduated most of last year's lineup. Guilford coach Trace Noack said: "Allen is the best passing outside in the NIC-10. If Hononegah does well, it will all be on his back.” Allen had 14 kills, 10 digs and eight aces in season-opening wins over Boylan and Belvidere North. “Jack is extremely versatile,” Hononegah coach Annie Curran said. “
Bryson Berry, Harlem
Guilford coach Trace Noack called Berry, a 6-2 junior outside hitter, “the best all-around attacker in the NIC-10.” He had 15 kills with a .560 hitting percentage in Harlem’s first two matches this year. “Bryson is calm and collected,” Harlem coach Derek Moore said. “He really lets his game show who he is and how he plays. When he jumps, he floats. It’s insane how long he stays in the air.”
More: History maker: Meet the NIC-10's first-ever NCAA Division I men's volleyball recruit
Cortez Christmas, Jefferson
Cortez is a 6-7 senior middle blocker for a team that finished second in the NIC-10 last year at 22-10-1 (11-3). “He has a tremendous verticle,” Jefferson coach Nicole Miller said. “Jefferson will be one of the taller teams this year, with almost every player in the front row over 6 feet tall. Offensively we will be a force, we just need to work hard to make the other pieces fit.”
Colton Devlieger, Harlem
Devlieger, a junior, is regarded as the best setter in the NIC-10. He had 42 assists and only one error in Harlem’s first two matches. “He had a lot of raw talent when he first started and is now growing into a leader and finding his groove controlling and demanding better from his team,” Harlem coach Derek Moore said. The Huskies (3-0 so far) were only 9-19 last year but are expected to challenge for their first NIC-10 title this year. “All the pieces for Harlem right now are falling into place,” Moore said.
Adam Johnson, Guilford
The 5-10 senior outside hitter is one of three returning NIC-10 first-team all-conference players. The third-year varsity player is a big reason why Guilford is considered the co-conference favorite along with Harlem. “He’s the best attacker in the NIC-10,” Guilford coach Trace Noack said. “He will be the leading point scorer for Guilford.”
Lucas Manaligod, Auburn
The junior defensive specialist will play wherever Auburn (9-26, 4-9 last year) needs him most. His best position is Libero, where Guilford coach Trace Noack called him the “best in the area since Kenny Kirnberger” from Boylan four years ago.
Jaden Webster, Guilford
Webster, a 6-4 junior middle blocker, is better known for basketball. He is a two-year starter for Guilford’s first-ever back-to-back NIC-10 basketball champions. He’s a rare non-club volleyball player among the league’s top players. “He’s an incredible talent,” Guilford coach Trace Noack said.
Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa City.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Who are top players, top teams in 2024 NIC-10 boys volleyball season?
