Samuel Nuudel is one of the best volleyball players in Stevenson history. He can be dominant.

But the senior outside hitter knows it doesn’t matter much if the Patriots don’t win.

“Our seniors want to leave a legacy for future volleyball teams at Stevenson,” Nuudel said. “The only way to do that is to win championships.”

Nuudel and the Patriots won another regular-season one on Wednesday, clinching their second consecutive North Suburban Conference title with a 25-22, 27-25 victory against visiting Libertyville in a first-place showdown in Lincolnshire.

With his high-flying hits from all over the court, the 6-foot-3 Nuudel led the way for Stevenson (26-9, 7-0) with 14 kills against the Wildcats (19-10, 6-1).

“He’s such a weapon for them,” Libertyville coach Jenny Smith said. “You have to prepare for him every time you play Stevenson, but that’s tough to do because he moves around so well.”

One of Libertyville’s keys to defend against Nuudel had to be helped off the court after the first point of the match when senior setter Luis Correa sprained his left ankle. He did not return.

“We wanted Luis to help block on Sam, but that went out the window early,” Smith said. “We switched some things up in the second game with our blocking, but Sam really killed us in the first game.”

Nuudel had eight kills in the opening set as Stevenson took advantage of Correa’s absence. Backup setter Peter Chalifoux eventually worked his way into the match and made the Wildcats dangerous offensively in the second set.

“It’s such a blow to start the game, but I’m not surprised Libertyville continued to fight and make the match a battle,” Stevenson coach Eric Goolish said. “They are well-coached and have a lot of good players, so we knew we had to keep the pressure on.”

Nuudel said the Patriots’ experience working together through good times and bad times this season helped them pull out the win.

“We lost a lot of good players from last year’s team, so we had to work hard this season getting everyone on the same page to keep the wins coming,” he said. “Our seniors are solid, but we also have some talented younger players who make us tough to defend.”

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Goolish noted a core of seniors that includes Ramsey Engel, Yugank Arora and Vince Concialdi.

“Of course, Sam is a special talent, but really our senior group is what makes this team go,” Goolish said.

Stevenson can reset its sights on making a long run in the postseason, which begins next week. The Patriots, who are a top seed in the sectional for the second straight season, lost to fourth-seeded Libertyville in a regional final last year. The teams could meet again in the Grant Sectional championship game; the Wildcats are seeded second.

“There are a lot of matches to be won before that happens, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see (Libertyville) again down the road,” Goolish said.

Nuudel, who isn’t planning to play in college, would like to end his competitive career on the biggest stage. Stevenson last qualified for state in 2000.

“That would set this team apart from other recent teams and cement our legacy,” Nuudel said.

Darren Day is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.