SLC VOLLEYBALL: Westosha’s Polick named Player of the Year

Westosha Central libero Jack Polick focuses on the volleyball while attempting a dig in a game held earlier this season. Polick was named Southern Lakes Conference Player of the Year (Earlene Frederick/The Report).

By Jason Arndt
Editor

In Jack Polick’s senior season with the Westosha Central High School boys volleyball team, the libero was often found diving for loose balls and slamming onto the gym floor, where he contributed some of his 504 digs.

His work ethic, combined with the support of his Falcon teammates, yielded him Southern Lakes Conference Player of the Year honors.

Polick, who became the second straight Falcon to earn the honor, said the achievement would not have been possible without his team.

“It feels great to receive the recognition, but I couldn’t have done any of this without my team,” said Polick, who acknowledged his setter, Connor Muff, and two hitters, Jason Olson and Mason Welter.

“Obviously, my setter Connor Muff is an outstanding player,” he added.

Muff, who pitched in 902 assists, added 50 service aces along with 124 kills was named to the first team.

Falcons coach Wayne Schultz said the honor could have gone either way.

“We were extremely honored the other coaches in the conference thought enough of our team to name Jack the Player of the Year and Connor first team all-conference,” he said. “They are both deserving and either one could have been POY.”

“(Connor) was a strong player all year,” said Polick, who said the setter was always the first to arrive at practice and the last to leave.

Polick, meanwhile, said the honor comes as a surprise, considering his position.

“Libero is a very underrated position in volleyball,” he said. “You have to have a lot of toughness. You have to keep pushing.”

Along with Polick and Muff, Olson and Welter received all-conference acknowledgements, with Welter earning a spot on the second team and Olson notching honorable mention.

Polick, whose team concluded its season in the WIAA sectional semifinal at Racine Horlick, already misses holding court with his teammates.

“This team was more of a brotherhood, honestly, it has only been a week and a half since the end of the season and I already miss it more than anything,” he said.

Drake Muhlenbeck, who graduated in 2017, was the first Falcons Player of the Year.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Player of the Year: Jack Polick, Westosha Central.

First team:
Outside hitters – Malik Tiedt, jr., Burlington; Drew Pesick, sr., Burlington.
Setters – Connor Muff, sr., Westosha Central; Alex Tenhagen, sr., Wilmot; David Paul, so., Burlington.
Middle hitter – Quinn Cafferty, jr., St. Catherine’s Lutheran.
Liberos – Trey Krause, jr., Burlington; Jack Polick, sr., Westosha Central.

Second team:
Outside hitters – Evan Schuster, so., St. Catherine’s/Lutheran; Cameron Wischnowski, sr., Wilmot; Daxton Cramer, sr., Union Grove.
Middle hitters – Mason Welter, sr., Westosha Central; Andy Ellingham, jr., Burlington.
Setter/Outside hitter – Elijah Scheckel, sr., Union Grove.
Libero – Kevin Kessel, jr., Wilmot.
Honorable mention – Sam Lois, so., Burlington; Sawyer Dujardin, so., Burlington; Connor Rasch, jr., St. Catherine’s/Lutheran; Adam May, jr., St. Catherine’s/Lutheran; Nate Koch, jr., Union Grove; Jason Olson, sr., Westosha Central; Brandon Keller, sr., Wilmot.


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