Finishing off an impressive first season with the NVA, Paul Bilanzic has ranked as one of the top middles after the 2021 Season. Finishing as 4th overall in total blocks (19), 5th in blocks per set (19/33), and 4th overall in hitting efficiency (72/141). Even more, Paul helped push his untouchables team into their first-ever playoff appearance in only their first year in the league. But this has not been the only success that Paul has seen this year!
In January, Tall Paul was officially sworn in by the Supreme Court of Illinois, formally opening the Paul D. Bilanzic Law Firm. This momentous occasion came after he graduated from John Marshal Law School and passed the Illinois Bar Exam in December of 2020. Starting his career as an attorney, he now has his fancy corner office all set up and has already been helping his community with their legal needs. Along with his law license hanging on the wall, Paul proudly hangs his Park University jersey showing everyone his fond memories of becoming the 2012 and 2014 NAIA National Champion. Just another way to show his clients the level of excellence that Paul strives for every day in his work.
“Going through law school, passing the BAR exam, and working as an attorney has taught me the value of preparation. In law school, you must prepare yourself to read and digest information quickly and then act under pressure. Mental and physical preparation are skills that help me to succeed in both fields. I use the same routine to get ready for trial in court as I use leading up to an NVA game.”
“The most important thing I’ve taken away from the NVA to my job is the importance of having a solid team spirit. I’m so blessed to be playing with such a cohesive group of guys. We Snapchat and group message almost daily. My team has taught me the value of working in a healthy, happy, and friendly environment. There is no better feeling turning around from a big kill or block to have all 12 of my teammates already off the bench jumping up and down, cheering with me. As I build my law firm over the upcoming years, I plan to create that same kind of unity and brotherhood that I experienced with Untouchables teammates amongst my staff.” – Paul D. Bilanzic, Untouchables #16
The Untouchables are happy to see the strides that Paul has made both as a professional athlete and in his own professional career in law. He’s a great individual representing the Chicago community both in court and on the court, playing with Untouchables in the NVA.
Suppose you’re located in Chicago and want a free legal consultation. In that case, you can find the Paul D. Bilanzic Law Firm for one on Facebook and message Paul there. Specializing in Real Estate, Criminal Justice, Estate Planning, Personal Injury, and Business Law, he’s sure to help with whatever legal needs you might have! Or you can follow Tall Paul (@paul2tall4yall) on Instagram and Twitter if you want to see what the life of a professional athlete and attorney looks like. Otherwise, Tall Paul with surely be back again this season to make another push to bringing Chi-Town its first even NVA Cup Championship.
– NVA Staff Writer
]]>Huge announcement for all our Chicago Untouchables fans! We are now offering a wide range of apparel and accessories to be purchased at our online store. The options to choose from are plentiful and great and will allow you to represent the great city of Chicago anywhere you go. The store offers apparel for both men and women, with things like shirts, long sleeves, sweatshirts, and tank tops. The store also offers lots of apparel such as backpacks, hats, and blankets. This is a limited time offer on all products and we will only be able to sell for a certain amount of time due to the high demand for gear to represent your home team. So click the link down below to choose something for you or a loved one today!
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When it comes to defining any athlete’s success, it is easy to only look at how many games were won or where they ranked in the league. But in volleyball, where winning is so reliant on team success and chemistry, it can be hard to judge a player’s impact on the game without statistics to show you the whole picture. Setters look at how effective their assist rate is and how often their hitters get killed. Liberos look at how often they make a perfect reception. For outsides and opposites, attack percentages tend to be lower in the .300 with how often they get set during a game. Then, middles are constantly grinding to prove their worth, aiming to hit the golden number of attacks at a .500 positive kill rate.
Any game for a middle averaging above a .500 in hitting or more than one block a set is great, but to keep that average for an entire season puts them up amongst the greats! Thomas Burrell, middle blocker for the Chicago Untouchables, has put down some impressive numbers in his career. In high school, Thomas was already a pure middle blocker running when zero tempo sets when other middles have developed the athleticism to do the same. He was named the Division III Statistical Champion as he led the state in blocks per set.
He committed to play at the Stevens Institute of Technology in University, where he led the team with 116 blocks and was named NCAA Statistical Champion with 1.426 blocks per set in his last season. He also finished second in the nation with a .507 hitting percentage in his senior season, getting 217 kills on 351 attempts. His blistering performance made him a First Team AVCA All-American, got him selected for the First Team All-UVC, and was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year. On top of getting such great accolades, he pushed Steven’s Ducks to win the NCAA D-III National Championship in 2015 and take runner-up in 2018.
Thomas has been a fantastic player to come out from the east coast and has earned his spot as one of the highest-level athletes to join the NVA this last year. First involved with Team Freedom’s second team, Thomas, made his debut in the NVA with the Tennessee Tyrants. They made a solid run through the playoffs finishing fourth in the league, leaving teams bewildered. Burrell still had explosive and powerful as ever, proving to be the top middle for his team and 4th best in the whole league. One highlight from his gameplay was an absolute banger of a push ball against the Utah Stingers. The attack caught both USA National Players Russel Holmes and Jake Langlois off guard.
https://www.facebook.com/675776632/videos/10158259991711633/
The Chicago Untouchables are lucky to have picked up such a powerhouse player and are ready to make a run for the 2021 Championship Podium. To get weekly social media updates on Thomas this season, you can follow him (@tburrell343), the NVA (@nvausa), and the Chicago Untouchables (@untouchables_nvausa) on Instagram and Facebook as well as their website (https://untouchables.nvausa.com/). As always, fans can check out the NVA on YouTube to catch reruns of Thomas’s 2020 Championship performance with the Tennessee Tyrants. Additionally, people can find live-stream coverage for all upcoming events starting April 23rd.
]]>The American Jock has been a permanent staple in American pop culture, giving athletes a bad rap for not being the smartest cookies. With films of football players stuffing kids in lockers or a basketball star who failed all of his classes, athletes tend to get preconceived notions about their intelligence. However, volleyball players have managed to break the jock mold by holding some of the highest GPAs of any school’s sports programs, winning All-Academic awards. But it’s no surprise given the amount of dedication and hard work that elite-level volleyball players have developed in their crafts.
One such athlete currently playing in the NVA for the new Chicago Untouchables is Saint Francis Libero Ryan Alu. His excellence in the classroom has always matched his success as a libero. With a 4.2 GPA while at Central Bucks West High School, Ryan also carried his team through two conference championships earning himself two All-League team selections. Also playing club with Infinity Volleyball Academy, Ryan was selected for the regional High-Performance Program of USA Volleyball with the Future Select and Select teams. Being able to excel when the pressure is an invaluable trait that Ryan uses to get the best out of every opportunity he has had with Volleyball.
Doing the unthinkable to others at a four-year degree, Ryan obtained a TRIPLE MAJOR degree in BS Computer Science, BS Cyber Security, and BS Mathematics. He was even involved in over six extracurricular clubs and was even Vice President of his class this last year. His perseverance and work ethic at St. Francis has genuinely been an outstanding accomplishment leading the school to write an expose on all of his achievements thus far! https://www.francis.edu/Ryan-Alu/
“The most beneficial thing volleyball has done for me is give me confidence in myself. In athletics, your ability as a player is always in question and always being tested. That pressure is mentally and emotionally taxing and only the players that cease to quit and keep the joy of the game in their heart will develop the confidence in themselves to overcome any difficult obstacle.” – Ryan Alu.
In his first professional season with the NVA, Ryan made a statement to the league when he was named the Best Libero of the 2020 Championship Tournament. As a vocal leader in the backcourt, Ryan was instrumental in keeping the defense composed and ensuring his attackers are always covered at the net. Not to mention his impeccable reaction times and analysis on serve receive to get himself in the best position to make a perfect pass. His superb hand-eye coordination probably has a lot to do with the skills he developed as a member of his school’s eSports team. He even once held the two-year world record for the speed run in Super Smash Bros.
Any team would be lucky to have an accomplished and intelligent player like Ryan. The Chicago Untouchables are ready to make the best out of their new team this year. The NVA is just as excited to have a player with the same resilient passion for growing professional Volleyball in the United States. To get weekly social media updates on Ryan’sRyan’s journey this season, you can follow him (@ryan.alu), the NVA (@nvausa), and the Chicago Untouchables (@untouchables_nvausa) on Instagram and Facebook as well as their website (https://untouchables.nvausa.com/). As always, fans can check out the NVA on YouTube to catch reruns of Ryan’s 2020 Championship performance with the Tennessee Tyrants as well as find live-stream coverage for all upcoming events starting April 23rd.
]]>November 5, 2020 Match #5 Stingers Vs Tyrants
Set #1 – Stingers 26, Tyrants 24
Tyrants jumped out to a 3-0 lead from 2 kills and a Stingers’ hitting error. Stingers countered quickly with a side-out and block point to reduce the Tyrants lead to 5-3. The Tyrants increased their lead from 9-6 to 15-8 after a dig, kill and block point and Stingers’ hitting error and over pass kill. Stingers finally stopped the bleeding at 15-9. But the Tyrants increased their lead on a block point to 17-10. Stingers scored three consecutive points back on a two kills and a block and rallied to 19-16. But the Tyrants answered with a side-out, block and Stingers’ hitting error to increase their lead again to 22-16. Stingers followed up with a 3-point run from two kills and a Tyrants’ hitting error to reduce the lead to 23-22. A Stinger service error gave the Tyrants a 24-23 lead. But the Stingers rallied to take a 25-24 lead after a Tyrants’ service error and a block. Both teams sided out and then the Stingers won the set point on a block.
Stingers – 13 Kills, 5 Block Points and 8 Opponent Errors; 88% Reception and 45% Hitting.
Tyrants – 2 Aces, 13 Kills, 4 Block Points and 5 Opponent Errors; 87% Reception and 46% Hitting.
Set # 2 – Stingers 25, Tyrants 21
The Stingers jumped out to a 4-0 lead from 3 kills and a Tyrants’ hitting error. Another Tyrants’ hitting error increased the Stingers’ lead to 6-1. But the Tyrants bounce back with 3 consecutive points to 6-4. Stingers sided out and score two more points off a block, Tyrants’ hitting error and an ace to take a 11-5 lead. Stingers continued to increase their lead to 14-6 with two kills. Tyrants rallied with good defense and kills and an ace to cut the lead to 17-15. Stingers quickly countered with a solid kill to 18-16. Then, increased their lead to 21-16 with three consecutive kills. Tyrants rallied back to 22-19. But the Stingers scored two consecutive points to 24-19. Tyrants sided out and then scored on their serve 24-21. Stingers won the set with a kill.
Stingers – 1 Ace, 12 Kills, 1 Block Point and 11 Opponent Errors; 81% Reception and 40% Hitting.
Tyrants – 1 Aces, 12 Kills, 2 Block Points and 6 Opponent Errors; 87% Reception and 46% Hitting.
Set #3 – Stingers 25, Tyrants 21
Tyrants took an early one point lead 4-3. At 7-7 the Stingers scored a point on a Tyrant hitting error to take the lead 8-7. The Tyrants tied it at 9-9 and took the lead with a block and followed up with two kills off the block to extend their lead to 12-9. Stingers countered with two clean kills and one off the block to tie the set 12-12. The Stinger rally ended on a hitting error that gave the Tyrants a one point lead at13-12. Stingers bounce back with two consecutive kills and took the lead 14-13. At 15-15 Tyrants regained the lead on a clean kill at 16-15. Both teams continued to side-out until 19-19 and then the Stingers’ took the lead on a kill 21-19. Tyrants called a time out to regroup and sided-out with a kill and then tied the game with a block point 21-21. Stingers counter with a clean kill 22-21, followed it with another kill and took a 23-21 lead. A Tyrant’s hitting error sets up set and match point at 24-21. The set and match ends with a Stingers’ block point.
Stingers – 1 Ace, 18 Kills, 5 Block Points and 8 Opponent Errors; 94% Reception and 64% Hitting.
Tyrants – 2 Aces, 13 Kills, 1 Block Points and 5 Opponent Errors; 100% Reception and 52% Hitting.
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