A few Illinois girls volleyball teams still have some work to do ahead of the AAU Girls’ Junior Volleyball Nationals in Orlando, Florida, on June 16-28.SPVB 16 Elite, which went 23-1 to win the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division including a 26-24, 27-25 victory in its only meeting with SPVB 16 C-Fed, stumbled in its 18 GLC Pre-Nationals 16 Open finale Sunday against its sister team, losing 25-21, 23-25, 15-11.It marked the second straight tournament that Sports Performance’s top 16s team failed to deliver on the final day. ...

The 18 GLC Pre-Nationals Tournament in Aurora this weekend is one final opportunity for local teams to face live competition ahead of the AAU Girls’ Junior Volleyball Nationals in Orlando, Florida June 16-28.But not everyone competing at the Great Lakes Center this weekend is doing so with the AAU tournament in mind. “We’re not going to AAUs,” said Cyclones 16 Black Adidas coach Michael Schwerdtfeger, whose team will compete in the 2018 Asics National Jr. Volleyball Championships next weekend at Navy Pier before packing it up for ano...

Lincoln-Way East, Illprepvb.com’s pre-season No. 1 team, was knocked out of the top spot following a 25-17, 22-25, 25-18 loss to Neuqua Valley at the Wheaton Warrenville South Tiger Classic on March 31.But the second-ranked Griffins finished where they started, rallying to beat No. 8 Neuqua Valley 20-25, 25-21, 25-22 in the IHSA Boys State Volleyball championship game Saturday at Hoffman Estates. “These kids are fighters,” Lincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore said. “Look at us against New Trier (in Saturday’s semifinal). We were down 1...

Was Kevin Kauling the question or the answer?The 6-foot-8 junior setter, who had spent the past week in Colorado Springs training with the U.S. Junior National Team, returned to the Neuqua Valley lineup early Saturday morning for the Wildcats’ IHSA state semifinal showdown with three-time defending state champion Glenbard West.“I got back in about 4:00 p.m. yesterday,” Kauling said. “I was in the air while they were playing (Lincoln-Way West in the quarterfinals). I texted Francisco (Comas) that I can play tomorrow because I’m not doing the...

Barrington didn’t look anything like the team that had won 19 in a row and Glenbard West didn’t remotely resemble the team that lost to the Broncos less than a month ago. The result was predictable. Six-foot-8 middle hitter JT Ardell had 7 kills and hit .875 and 6-3 junior middle hitter Connor Williams had 7 kills while hitting .700 as three-time defending state champion Glenbard West blasted Barrington 25-12, 25-18 in the first quarterfinal of the IHSA Boys State Volleyball Tournament Fridayat Hoffman Estates.Glenbard West (37-3) will ...

By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com The Lincoln-Way East boys’ volleyball team had breezed through the postseason without Mike Herlihy. But the Griffins certainly welcomed their senior middle hitter back Friday. After missing the previous four matches with a hand injury, Herlihy returned to the lineup and was one of four Griffins with 5 or more kills as they fought off some shaky moments and defeated Oak Park-River Forest 25-22, 25-20 in an IHSA quarterfinal match at Hoffman Estates High School. It was the 11th win in a row for L...