Boys volleyball: Lincoln-Way West’s Connor Jaral fits the volleyball mold

NEW LENOX – If the Lincoln-Way West boys volleyball team were to be in a crowded room wearing their street clothes instead of their uniforms, there would be one player that most would point to and say, “That’s a volleyball player.”

That distinction belongs to Connor Jaral.

Not only is Jaral 6-foot-4 with a volleyball player’s lanky, long-armed frame, but he also has shoulder-length hair and a generally easygoing vibe that, to most people, says volleyball.

“I guess I do look like a volleyball player,” Jaral said. “I have the long hair, I’m tall, I’m pretty laid back.”

Many boys who play high school volleyball come to it from different sports, trying to find one they enjoy and excel at.

That wasn’t the case for Jaral.

“I never really played other sports,” he said. “Volleyball has been it for me. I started playing when I was in eighth grade. I played a short season with Ultimate when I was 14. We didn’t play too many matches because it was a short season, but it was enough to get me really into it.

“I really got into volleyball when I was a freshman in high school. I played in school and I played club and have been doing it ever since.”

Last season, Jaral helped lead Lincoln-Way West to a 30-10 record, including an unbeaten 8-0 record in the SouthWest Suburban Conference. The Warriors took first at the Joliet West Invitational and won a regional championship before falling to O’Fallon in the sectional title match, coming just short of advancing to the state tournament.

The success of last season came with the Warriors flying under the radar, as district rivals Lincoln-Way East, a two-time state champion, and conference rival Lockport, another program with a rich history, were the teams on most people’s minds. This year is different, as the Warriors are now the team with the target on their back.

It’s a challenge that Jaral and his teammates relish, and one he is looking forward to.

“My biggest goal for the year is to make it to state,” Jaral said. “We got past Lincoln-Way East and Lockport last year. This year, we want to do that again and go another step and get to state. It’s going to be tough in this area, though. There are so many good teams. Playing against all the good teams in our area all year really helps prepare us for the postseason. We play great teams all the time, so we always have to be on top of our game.

“A personal goal is to make first-team all-state, but I will be happy if our team makes it to state.”

Early in his career, Jaral was positioned as a middle hitter/blocker and played only three rotations in the front row. The last two seasons have seen him take a larger role as an outside hitter, and he does not come off the court, playing all six rotations.

And that’s the way he likes it.

“I like to play every rotation,” he said. “When I was a middle and playing only three rotations, it was kind of tough to be sitting on the bench for half the match. When I play the full six rotations, I can get into the flow of the game better and have a better feel for how things are going and how players are reacting and being positioned.

“It’s the speed of the game that I really like the most. Everything happens so quickly, and I like to be involved in every play if I can.”

Jaral has led his team to a 9-1 record this season and earned praise from coach Jodi Frigo, who recently recorded her 200th career victory.

“Connor is a great asset,” Frigo said. “We pulled him up as a freshman for the playoffs just so he could get a taste of the varsity game – the speed of it and the pressure associated with postseason matches. For the three years since, he has been a very important part of what we have been able to accomplish.

“Playing volleyball has always been a dream of his. Both his parents [Steve and Janelle] played volleyball in both high school and college, so he came to it pretty naturally. He just loves volleyball and really wants to win.”

Others have followed his lead at West.

“Our team is unique this year in that all 15 players on the varsity play club volleyball,” Frigo said. “Everyone on the team is a capable player, and that depth has really helped us.”

Jaral echoed his coach’s thoughts.

“One thing that really helps is that everyone on the team is a real good player,” he said. “When we go Team 1 vs. Team 2 in practice, Team 2 really pushes us and gives us a good match. When the guys from Team 2 come into a match, we aren’t worried at all because we know how good they are. They would start for a lot of teams.

“I want to go on and play in college. I am not sure where I am going to go to school yet, but I know I want to play volleyball when I get there.”