Oak Park-River Forest senior setter Matthew Proskey stands out on the volleyball court. His aggressive playing style led to Coach Justin Cousin joking about his unique approach. Senior middle blocker Wesley Kochendorfer, hearing these comments during practice, coined a new nickname for him. ‘Our coach was joking around because Proskey is pretty aggressive,’ Kochendorfer said. ‘I think he’s one of the most aggressive setters in the state. Our coach said, “He doesn’t know what he is. He’s confused. He’s like a set-something.” A lightbulb went off in Kochendorfer’s head. ‘I said, “He’s the set-tacker,”‘ Kochendorfer said.
Despite no official position called ‘set-tacker’ in volleyball, the 6-foot-3 Proskey played a crucial role in leading the Huskies to their first state championship match since 1998. In the final held in Bolingbrook, Proskey recorded 39 assists as Oak Park-River Forest fell to Glenbard West with scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-20.
Proskey, committed to McKendree University, led the tournament with 89 assists over three matches. This included a victory against two-time defending champions Marist in the semifinals. Junior outside hitter Jimmie Chrusfield III also excelled, achieving the most kills with 43.
‘This season has been great,’ Proskey shared. ‘It’s all been kind of a blur because of how much fun I’ve been having. This year, we went to Arizona, and it’s been a blast. We learned a lot about ourselves and where we thought we should have been for the season. That was a huge, eye-opening experience.’
Proskey accumulated impressive numbers for the Huskies, finishing with 794 assists this season and nearly 1,400 in his high school career. His adept setting played a significant role in the team’s success. ‘So much of my success is attributed to our setter,’ said Kochendorfer, who has been playing alongside Proskey since middle school.
Beyond his setting skills, Proskey can also influence games offensively. ‘He can literally do everything,’ Chrusfield noted. ‘I remember my freshman year, somebody got subbed out, and he played outside hitter, and he carried our team to victory. Not a lot of setters can be offensive, but Proskey is very offensive, so you don’t know if he’s going to set it or hit it.’
Coach Cousin echoed those sentiments. ‘What position does Proskey play? He doesn’t even know. He wants to do everything because he can do everything. That’s Matt Proskey.’ Cousin, coaching since 2021, acknowledges Proskey’s critical role in the team’s achievements. ‘Proskey has been absolutely instrumental in everything we do. Whether it’s a good pass or a bad pass, he touches every single ball and puts up a better ball for his hitters every single time.’
Glenbard West was the only Illinois team to defeat Oak Park-River Forest this season. The Huskies’ sole victory in four encounters with Glenbard West was on April 14, the same day Proskey’s older brother, Calvin, pitched a game for UC Santa Barbara, leading his team past then-No. 1 UCLA. Calvin finished his season with a 2.87 ERA over eight appearances despite an early-season injury.
‘My mom and dad do what they can to watch us both,’ Matthew Proskey said. ‘His season didn’t end as he hoped, and it didn’t start well either. But after his injury, I was glad to see him back and up to speed.’
The Proskey brothers both played baseball and volleyball growing up, but Calvin eventually pursued baseball, while Matthew focused on volleyball. ‘Every day I’m in the gym, I know I’m going to touch the ball,’ Matthew said. ‘When I played baseball, I was just standing around doing nothing. I really enjoy volleyball.’
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