Dilbeck-to-Bombacino a winning combination for Chesterton in volleyball sweep of visiting DAC foe LaPorte

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

It sounded like a skipping record, PA man David Dilbeck announcing the same words over and over Tuesday night at Chesterton’s DAC home volleyball match vs. LaPorte: “Luuuuuuuuca! Reese Dilbeck with the assist.”
The script seldom varied in the first half or so of the match. Dilbeck, a junior, takes a pass from the back row and skillfully sets soaring senior Lucca Bombacino, who buries a shot onto the hardwood floor or off a Slicer for yet another kill. The crowd erupts. Bombacino and teammates smile. Rinse and repeat.
Bombacino had 21 of the Trojans' 43 kills and Dilbeck had 33 of 42 assists.
Their chemistry is what you want from two athletes exceptional at their specialties.
Dilbeck reached the 1,000-assist milestone during a match against Bishop Noll in the Penn Invitational over the weekend.
“Reese and I have a great connection,” Bombacino said after the sweep. “We’re really clicking with things, which is so nice. It’s good to have a setter I’ve been with for three years now.”
Dilbeck and Abby Parrish, a freshman setter at Wayne State and the Chesterton career record-holder in assists (1,884), played in a two-setter alignment. This season, the Trojans are going with a one-setter lineup, a challenge Dilbeck welcomes.
“I definitely miss Abby,” Dilbeck said. “She taught me a lot, but I feel like she taught me enough to where I think I can run the offense by myself and have everybody behind me. It feels good.”
So does having options as talented as seniors Bombacino (Michigan recruit) and Maddie Gilliam (Butler) to set.
The Dilbeck-to-Bombacino combo was so dominant, and Bombacino so accurate with a variety of shots, that there was not much reason to stray from it early in the night.
“Lucca and I connected the past two seasons, but I feel like we have much better communication right now than we ever have,” Dilbeck said. “And Maddie’s always giving me feedback. They all give me feedback, but Maddie is always communicating, which is so important. I have to be consistent in talking to my hitters about where they need me to place the ball.”
The Trojans bring such a talented setter in Dilbeck, outside hitter (Bombacino), middle blocker (Gilliam), and server (junior libero Delaney Barrett) that daily practices are a great example of iron sharpening iron.
“It’s fun to pass her serves in practice,” Bombacino said of Barrett. “It can get frustrating sometimes, but it’s good. She’s a great server.”
The skills of those four athletes accelerate on a daily basis the growth curve of everyone on a roster that had several players making meaningful contributions in the 25-13, 25-20, 25-23 sweep of the Slicers.
Freshman outside hitter Madelinn Miles plays taller than her listed height of 5-foot-8 inches and she had a number of spectacular plays early in the night.
Junior reserve Madelynn Costello sparked the team with strong play later in the night.
The Trojans, who improved to 5-2 overall in winning their conference opener, resume the schedule Thursday night at home vs. fellow DAC title contender Lake Central.