Rockford-area star sets NIC-10 record, leads the state in volleyball kills
Hononegah boys volleyball finished one set short of state for the second successive year, but its biggest star led the state.
Braydon Savitski-Lynde finished No. 1 in the state with 474 kills, according to MaxPreps.
The 6-foot-6 senior set a NIC-10 record and finished with 24 more kills than No. 2 man, Aidan Cupps of Plainfield North.
"It shows how much I wanted to win," Savitski-Lynde said. "Going out every game, trying to do everything I could for the team. It's cool to see I was up there with them. A lot of thanks to my teammates for supporting me and allowing me to do what I could."
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Hononegah finished 33-7 this year and was 26-1 last year, narrowly losing in the sectional finals in three sets both years after winning the opening set.
Lynde's 474 kills were 200 more than he had last year. He also ranks 19th in the nation. And of players in the top 20 in total kills, he ranked 8th in kills per set with an average of 5.3.
Like an ace in tennis, a volleyball kill starts with power, but there is also a lot more involved.
"It has to do a lot with understanding the defenses you are going up against," said Savitski-Lynde, who has signed to play NCAA Division I volleyball at Ball State. "A perimeter defense, one of the more common ones, leaves the middle of the court and the deep sides open. You have to go up, see those open spots, and hit those spots.
"My favorite kind of kill is when they leave the line, and the set is just far enough where I can hit it straight down the line. It's called a line bounce. That's the highlight kill. It didn't happen the most, but it's the most fun to do, for sure."
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: Hononegah's Braydon Savitski-Lynde led Illinois in volleyball kills
