St. Rita’s Zach Carroll was halfway to history.

In boys volleyball, no player in Illinois High School Association history has competed in the state tournament all four years.

Five teams have made four or more consecutive state appearances, including St. Rita from 2000 through 2003. But no player stepped onto the court in the Elite Eight or beyond for all four years.

As a freshman and a sophomore, Carroll played in the state tournament at Hoffman Estates. In 2018 and 2019, the Mustangs lost both times in the quarterfinals to New Trier.

Optimism was high for 2020, with St. Rita returning 10 underclassmen from a 14-player roster. But then the coronavirus pandemic hit and the IHSA canceled the entire spring season.

Although that eliminated Carroll from contention of being the first player in IHSA history to play four times at state, he wasn’t worried about himself.

He was hoping the team would get a chance to return for a third straight season.

“I’m really upset about that — that would have been a lot of fun,” Carroll said. “We lost to New Trier two years in a row, and it would have been fun to place a little higher.”

Now, the 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter continues to cross his fingers.

Carroll has high hopes of playing in the state tournament three out of his four varsity seasons at St. Rita. And the Mustangs (9-1) have put together a power-packed start to this spring.

The bad news for the Carroll, the Mustangs and every other boys volleyball team in the state is the IHSA has not announced if there will be a postseason beyond the regional.

Still, Carroll has been keeping the faith there will be an announcement soon regarding the sectional and state.

“I want there to be a state tournament,” he said. “I want it a lot. I want to be able to go out there and show what we’re about.

“The last two years people were saying, ‘New Trier is going to beat you.’ And this year, we want to go out there and get them.”

There is another reason he wants an extended postseason. This is the final year on the court for the Mount Greenwood resident.

In a unique career path, Carroll plans to forego college after graduation and go right into the working world. Carroll said Tim O’Keefe, the owner of Keeler Construction Group Inc., is taking him under his wing.

“He wanted someone my age who was not going to college,” Carroll said. “He wants to mold someone into someone like himself.”

Carroll said he has done landscaping, plumbing and laid

concrete the past few summers. He said he’s all for hard work.

“I like building things,” he said. “I have always liked working with my hands. I think it’s cool that I know how to do a lot of things.”

St. Rita coach Brian Hagen said it’s going to be odd next season not having Carroll in the gym.

“He’s been around since fifth or sixth grade,” he said. “His brother (Tim) played for me in 2016. I’ve been waiting to see this senior season for a long time.”

Juniors Ryne Jacobsen, Charlie Flynn, Danny Chambers, Connell Moonan, James Sanders and Sean Dahill also have been putting up big numbers for the Mustangs.

“We want this team to have a chance to play in a state tournament this year,” Hagen said. “But our future is bright with nine juniors on the team and a sophomore team that started the season 8-0.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.