Peering into the crystal ball at some teams to watch in 2019

Marist lost only once to an Illinois team and three times all season while repeating as state champion. Which are the teams to be seen in 2019?Can Marist three-peat? Or will Benet, Belleville Althoff or a more seasoned Edwardsville team derail the RedHawks in their bid to make history?Can Class 3A champion Sterling weather the loss of Josilyn Borum and Gretchen Gould and defend its state title, or will Joliet Catholic or Nazareth supplant the Warriors?Will St. Thomas More be factored up to 3A, or will 6-foot-1 Allie Trame and the Sabers ge...

Illprepvb.com announces Player, Team, Coach of the Year and All-State First Team

Althoff's Karinna Gall led the Crusaders to a second-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A tournament. (photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we continue to announce the Illprepvb.com 2018 Girls All-State Volleyball Team with our Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Team of the Year and those players named to the First Team. Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the Illprepvb.com all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments on the court as high school players, not on any future potential or curren...

Illprepvb.com 2018 Girls All-State Volleyball Team

Player of the Year: Anna Hayes, Hartsburg EmdenCoach of the Year: Mark Wasik, Downers Grove NorthTeam of the Year: Sterling First Team Josilyn Borum, 6-0, Sr., S/RS, SterlingKarinna Gall, 6-1, Jr., MH, Belleville AlthoffAnna Hayes, 6-0, Sr., OH, Hartsburg-EmdenTaylor Jakubowski, 5-7, Jr., S, HuntleyTaylor Landfair, 6-4, Jr., OH, Plainfield CentralKatie Lanz, 6-0, Sr., OH, St. Charles NorthMadi Malone, 6-0, So., OH, NewarkMaddie Misner, 5-11, Sr., OH, CarbondaleHattie Monson, 5-5, Jr., L, BenetMegan Schlechte, 5-11, Sr., OH, Wind...

Marist’s Hannah, Althoff’s Wemhoener head Illprepvb.com All-State Second Team

Camryn Hannah led Marist to a second consecutive IHSA Class 4A championship. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we continue to announce the Illprepvb.com 2018 Girls All-State Volleyball Team with those players named to the Second Team. Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the Illprepvb.com all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments on the court as high school players, not on any future potential or current recruitment status. Players represent all four IHSA classes and hail from every cor...

Illprepvb.com announces the 2018 Girls All-State Honorable Mention Volleyball Team

Naperville North's Sarah Kushner (second from left) is among the players named all-state honorable mention. Today, we continue to announce the Illprepvb.com 2018 Girls All-State Volleyball Team with those players named to the Honorable Mention team. Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the Illprepvb.com all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments on the court as high school players, not on any future potential or current recruitment status. Players represent all four IHSA classes and h...

Illprepvb.com announces the 2018 Girls All-State Special Mention Volleyball Team

Decatur St. Teresa junior Lexie Huck (28) led the Bulldogs to a third-place finish in IHSA Class 1A. (photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we begin announcing the Illprepvb.com 2018 Girls All-State Volleyball Team with those players named to the Special Mention team. Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the Illprepvb.com all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments on the court as high school players, not on any future potential or current recruitment status. Players represent all four IHSA cl...

Mission accomplished: Sterling beats Belleville Althoff to win Class 3A crown

Sterling defeated Belleville Althoff to win the Class 3A championship in its first appearance in the state finals. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com Early in the season, Sterling sophomore Bree Borum was asked what the team's goal was this season. “To win state,” Borum said. Mission accomplished. The Golden Warriors held off a charge from defending Class 3A champion Belleville Althoff and emerged with a 25-21, 25-22 victory to capture the Class 3A state championship Saturday at Redbird Arena. “...

1st Alliance Volleyball Club/Illprepvb.com 2018 Final Girls Rankings

                                                                                                                 (Photo by Dave Ruggles)Sixteen teams that were ranked in the preseason made the 1st Alliance Volleyball Club/Illprepvb.com final rankings for 2018. Seven teams ranked in the preseason were among the other teams worth mentioning. The final rankings are partly based on each team’s finish in the IHSA tournament, and partly based on a team’s body of work during the entire season.1st Alliance Volleyball Club/Illprepvb.com 2018 Fin...

Pleasant Plains rains mainly on Galena’s parade in Class 2A title match

Pleasant Plains' Anna Kanilakan splits the Galena block during Saturday's Class 2A championship. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com Before this season, the Pleasant Plains girl’s volleyball team hadn't won a sectional. Now the Cardinals are Class 2A state champions. Using a balanced attack, Pleasant Plains (34-6) put together some key spurts and went onto a 25-18, 25-20 victory over Galena in the IHSA Class 2A state championship match Saturday at Redbird Arena. It was the first state championship i...

Revisiting past girls’ volleyball “Players of the Year”

West Aurora's Lauren Carlini (back row, far right) was a Player of the Year in 2012. Did you know that girls were not permitted to participate in interscholastic volleyball contests until 1973? Then during the 1974-75 school year, the IHSA sponsored its first volleyball tournament at Lantz Gymnasium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. New Trier East won that affair, defeating Rich East 15-10, 6-15, 15-3. Eight years later, the Chicago Sun-Tines named its first “Player of the Year” when it recognized Mother McAuley’s Eva Murra...