Grant Urban Shines in Volleyball and Football at Lincoln-Way East

In seventh grade, Grant Urban played soccer, baseball, and basketball. By his senior year at Lincoln-Way East, he had emerged as a college football recruit and a pivotal player for the Griffins’ volleyball team. Urban expressed surprise at his trajectory, stating, “I had no idea where my career would go. I thought I was going to be a professional soccer player, to be honest. I never thought that I would be doing this.”

Urban will soon be kicking for the Wisconsin-Whitewater football team. However, his current focus is on helping Lincoln-Way East achieve postseason success. As a senior outside hitter, Urban contributed nine kills in a 25-17, 25-21 victory over Lincoln-Way West in the Kankakee Regional championship. His efforts were complemented by junior outside hitter Carter Geiger’s six kills and nine digs, as Lincoln-Way East (28-10) secured its third consecutive regional title. Henry Yacobozzi added five kills, while Rylan Kim recorded 23 assists and Marty Dwyer totaled 14 digs. Lincoln-Way West (22-15) saw Colin Baikie lead with 10 kills, supported by David Neylon’s five kills, Aiden Kettelson’s 18 assists, and Mason Thompson’s 14 digs.

Despite a late start in volleyball, Urban has impressed spectators over three years on varsity. Lincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore highlighted Urban’s athleticism, noting, “It’s a lot easier to excel at any sport if you are as athletic as he is. He could be a great basketball player. He’s just an athletic kid.” During the offseason, Urban attended various kicking camps rather than playing club volleyball. Fiore explained this affected Urban initially but credited repetition for his improvement. Geiger, a George Mason recruit, praised Urban’s motivational impact, stating, “He gets all the guys going and everyone loves him. You can hear them cheer his name.”

Lincoln-Way East’s next challenge is a match against district rival Lincoln-Way Central (30-6) in the O’Fallon Sectional semifinals. This follows Lincoln-Way Central’s win over Homewood-Flossmoor, 25-23, 25-17, in the Andrew Regional. Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way Central split their regular-season meetings. The Griffins have faced setbacks, including the loss of senior outside hitter Joey Abbeduto to shoulder surgery, but are on a 13-match winning streak. “The season didn’t start out the best but we got back and had a big run,” Geiger remarked, emphasizing the team’s energy and the bench’s contribution.

During the fall, Urban supported Lincoln-Way East’s football successes while participating in a charitable cause. Through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, he secured monetary pledges per point he scored. He reported donating around $1,000, saying, “I thought it would be a nice thing to do. I really wanted to make my season on the field help make an impact off the field.” Urban leveraged social media and family support to spread his initiative.