Naperville North boys water polo has won three straight sectionals, and this year, they are attempting to do it as hosts against Neuqua Valley. On the other side of the pool, the Wildcats look for an upset and avenge a 22-12 loss earlier this season. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Naperville North opens the IHSA Boys Water Polo Sectional Semifinal with a 6-0 lead against Neuqua

Four minutes in with an early 1-0 lead, the Huskies start to work it around and inside to Jack Reif, who scores to go up 2-0.

Looking to get on the scoreboard, Declan Puacz flicks it to Mario Valente, whose point-blank shot is stopped by the arm of Caleb Uson. Neuqua stays scoreless.

After a save late in the quarter, Uson sends it down the pool to Jack Boudeman. Boudeman is free to get close, rise up and shoot. His goal puts North ahead 3-0.

The Huskies’ offense starts to heat up as two quick passes set up Jack Reif, whose thunderous shot finds the net. 4-0 North, holding Neuqua scoreless in the first quarter.

Down 6-0 in the second, Puacz gets a quick steal and takes off on his own…  They have a numbers advantage on the break, and the senior rises to fire home the Wildcats’ first goal.

Huskies extend lead to double digits and move on to play Waubonsie Valley in the Sectional Final

The Huskies didn’t let off the gas at all. Here is Reif being hounded by two defenders and still finishing strong. 7-1 North.

Here’s a perfect pass to start the break. It lands right in front of Mason Hoffman, who hustles ahead to free himself up. He raises up, pump fake! And he flicks it over for some style points. 9-1 North as they roar ahead.

For Neuqua, Puacz finds Milan O’Connor in front of the net; he slings it off the post, and it doinks in. North leads 10-3 now.

Here’s Reif working around the side of the net. He passes it to Hoffman, who muscles in another shot. North leads 11-4.

Already with a commanding lead in the second half, North takes possession again. Jack Reif is right where he wants to be and scores again.  North takes it 19-9, without much struggle. They play Waubonsie for the sectional final.

LAFAYETTE ― McCutcheon boys volleyball coach Keith Crisler saw his players meld together after two years of learning the sport together.

Boys who picked up the sport for the first time two seasons ago became a formidable group that learned to pass, digs and score points together as a unit.

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McCutcheon was swept in the first IHSAA sectional boys title title on Saturday afternoon to Zionsville 25-19, 25-14, 25-18, but the program summitted after going 11-20 in 2023 and 6-18 in 2024.

For Crisler, finishing with a 15-10 record in 2025 was a breakthrough for his Mavericks.

More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA

“One word I would say is growth,” Crisler said. “Growth as individuals, as athletes and as a program in the sport. Boys volleyball and men’s volleyball in Indiana has (some time) to grow, but I feel like we’ve had a successful season because we took that pioneering step to learn something new and that’s not an easy thing to do.”

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The number of boys volleyball teams expanded from 35 in 2022 to the 133 competing in the IHSAA playoffs this spring.

As the competition grew, so did McCutcheon.

“I don’t think anyone should leave this season with their head down and their shoulders slumped,” Crisler said. “They are pioneer men and left their mark in their first official year in Indiana.”

The growth of McCutcheon volleyball was headed by graduating starters senior libero Khelan Patel, middle blocker Jayden Heygood, setter Kieraan Jordan, outside hitter Josh Madsen and outside hitter Malachi Kenner.

Patel, Heygood, Jordan, Madsen and Kenner were the “founding fathers of McCutcheon boys volleyball,” per Crisler.

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More: IHSAA boys volleyball sectional semifinals: McCutcheon advances to championship against Zionsville

“They are the true pioneers,” Crisler added. “A lot of what we did this season is because of them. With experiences they had and how they led the younger boys in our program, they should probably have a statue or something like that.”

Patel was a consistent libero who attacked and placed shot receives in playable directions for his offense.

“It just shows the effort and drive we had for the game,” Patel said. “I know all of us who have been playing, we go play during the offseason because of how much we love the sport. We really took it upon ourselves to grow the game, build the program and build what we had within our community at McCutcheon volleyball.”

Jordan distributed the ball as a setter but could also provide an extra body at the net to make blocks or earn kills and points for his team.

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“It’s truly something special to be there during the first year and build this thing from the ground up when it wasn’t a fully sanctioned sport,” Jordan said. “It’s just awesome to see it blossom into this and see it expand like football and baseball.”

Jordan and Patel saw the culture grow at McCutcheon through their activity, setting an example for future players to come.

“It shows how much we’ve grown from March 10 and the first day of the season to now,” Jordan said. “We’ve been really focused and bought into the program and this was our goal, to make it to the championship. It showed there was so much focus put into this team.”

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at  ethan_a_hanson.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon boys volleyball shows growth in 2025 season

Four years ago, landing in San Diego was the last thing I would have imagined doing before graduating high school. At the time, I had committed to Emerson College for journalism. My cousin just graduated from there, and she just landed a job at NBC in New York. Growing up, all I wanted to do was be her; to me, it seemed like I was getting close.

Next thing you know, I fell in love with Boston and the whole walkable big city aspect. I got into music journalism, and I couldn’t stop spending my money on general admission concert tickets in the area. It was such a fitting city for the arts, and at the time, it felt like home. Come July 2022, I had to make the last-minute decision to transfer back home and attend community college due to the school’s high costs.

My hometown, San Jose, California, became my home once again for my sophomore year, which was surprisingly refreshing instead of feeling all too familiar. I was on the women’s soccer team, which felt really nice since I hadn’t touched a ball since my last high school season. I got a job with the school’s marketing department and kicked off the first social media campaign it ever had. It felt good to feel like I was giving back to my community instead of finding my way around a new city on the other side of the country.

Then came graduation, and I had to ask myself – Where should I go next? Where is the right place to start over?

I looked at San Diego State University, since it was a good school that:

1.) Was still in California 

2.) Affordable 

3.) Had a journalism program that felt right for me. 

As soon as I got accepted, I knew that was where I was going to continue my journey.

Once I moved to San Diego, I felt like I had a lot of catching up to do. I spent the last two years figuring it out, and now I really had to pick it up and start to establish myself and what I want my career to look like. I knew I wanted to be an entertainment journalist, but didn’t really have a particular niche that I felt fully confident in.

I took a Sports Journalism class on a whim. I thought it would satisfy my desire to stay tied to sports while also allowing me to see where my writing skills could take me. I wrote about sports that I had never reported on before, from college basketball to professional women’s volleyball. Covering the inaugural season of the San Diego Mojo led me to opportunities I never thought would come across my lap – working in PR, writing a feature for the San Diego Union-Tribune, getting to meet Joe Musgrove and Jordan Love – the list goes on.

Looking over NIL and partnership contracts then got me interested in law. I joined the Pre-Law Society with the help of my intramural soccer teammate and gained the confidence to view law as a way to contribute to the field of sports with my desire to build player relationships. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I ran for executive board. I was nearing my senior year, and I thought I could use some university leadership experience to add to my belt. And to my surprise, I ended up winning the race for secretary.

The same thing applied to the Daily Aztec. It made the most sense to go to school for journalism and take an editor role for the school newspaper. Being selected as Social Media Editor for my senior year, all while balancing other prior commitments, felt overwhelming to say the least. Senior year is usually supposed to be more laid back and relaxing, and it seemed like I combined the workload of the last three years into one.

Nonetheless, I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. I take every experience and opportunity of mine with so much gratitude. And I believe that I wouldn’t have been offered it if I couldn’t handle it all. 

It was that dedication and perseverance that led me to win the Outstanding Media Studies Student award for the 2024-2025 year. As a transfer student, I always thought my contribution to the school and its journalism program would be minimal. With this award I have realized that no matter how long I’m a part of a program and where on the map it is, I’m always going to push myself and make a difference in the communities that I am a part of. 

But, as always, I would like to thank my parents and my family. I’ve never met a more supportive group of people who keep me grounded and motivated to keep moving forward. Through the ups and downs and the struggles with financial aid and navigating the first-generation student experience, I truly couldn’t have done it without them. It is my hope that I have inspired my little brothers and my younger cousins to follow in my footsteps and take advantage of higher education and the freedom of choice that our parents and grandparents didn’t have when moving to the United States.

I would also like to thank every single one of my professors for granting me the opportunity to learn and grow from their curricula and feedback, and passing along their years of expertise onto me. Thank you to all of my mentors for helping a lost, young adult find herself, her voice, and her passions in a short span of four years. Thank you to all of my peers for cheering me on and offering your helping hands in a time when we were all figuring it out together. 

And with that, I leave SDSU with a heart full of gratitude, hope, and love. Thank you for the most amazing last two years and for helping me become the person I am today. Go Aztecs!