46th AAU Junior Nationals roundup: SPVB 16 Elite, 16 C-Fed take home the big prize

SPVB 16 Elite and SPVB 16 C-Fed celebrate their national titles Friday at the 46th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida. You could hear “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks, yelling down from the heavens, “Let’s play two … and while we’re at it, let’s win ‘em both.”So Sports Performance’s top two 16s teams heeded Mr. Cub’s advice.SPVB 16 Elite defeated top-seeded A5 Mizuno 161 Gabe (Georgia) to rule the 16 Open division and SPVB 16 C-Fed claimed the 16 Premier division title over Laguna Beach 16Q (California) Friday at th...

Jepsen leads Marist into the history books with victory over Glenbard West

Glenbard West's Ryan Swartz had 9 kills to lead the Hilltoppers past New Trier in a semifinal Saturday at Hoffman Estates. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Marist's Marty Jepsen had 8 kills in a semifinal victory over Oak Park-River Forest. Move over, Superman. There’s a new sheriff in town.Marty Jepsen slammed 14 kills on 31 attempts without an error for a staggering .452 kill percentage to lead No. 1-ranked Marist to a 25-21, 25-23 victory over Glenbard West in the championship match of the 2019 IHSA boys’ volleyball tournament Saturday at H...

Saturday, June 1 Results

Saturday, June 1 Results Championship Marist def. Glenbard West 25-21, 25-23Marist (40-2): Marty Jepsen (14 kills, 11 digs), Nyherowo Omene (3 kills, 1 assist, 3 blocks), Jake Bonnett (4 kills, 1 assist, 3 digs, 2 blocks), Gene McNulty (25 assists, 2 digs), Jake McClain (5 kills, 1 dig), Rocky Mayer (2 kills, 1 assist, 1 ace), Brendan Chausse (14 digs).  Glenbard West (38-4): Benny Harrington (12 kills, 2 assists, 8 digs), Nicco Cavalcante (8 kills, 3 digs), Will Schwegel (3 digs), Ryan Swartz (10 kills, 1 assist, 13 digs), Connor W...

The Future is ‘wow’ in the 16s division at the Asics Boys Summer Challenge

Future 16 Elite defeated Ultimate B16 Gold in the championship match of the Asics Boys Summer Challenge 16 division Sunday in Mokena. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThe Future is now.With a healthy lineup, Future 16 Elite captured the championship of the Asics Boys Summer Challenge on Sunday at the Velocity Training Center in Mokena with a dominating 25-14, 25-22 victory over Ultimate B 16 Gold. “I’d say it was a pretty good day for us,” said Future coach Kate Wright. “We’ve got all our starters back on the court, a...

Transitioning from high school to club presents 18s with challenge at Velocity

Jack Yurkanin and Ultimate B18 Gold are using the Asics Boys Summer Challenge to get ready for nationals beginning June 30 in Dallas. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) This weekend’s Asics Boys Summer Challenge at Velocity Athletic Center in Mokena is serving as the final tune-up for several teams that have qualified for the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships, June 30-July 7, in Dallas, Texas. Among them is Ultimate B18 Gold, which finished second in the country as 17s last year and has its eyes on the big prize next week with a rost...

630 Volleyball’s mission: win national championships, prepare players for college

Serve City 16 National will fly the Serve City flag at USAVs this summer, but will be playing under the 630 Volleyball banner during the 2019-20 season. Former Glenbard East player, college assistant and USA Men's Junior National Team technical coordinator Alex Hurlburt. Alex Hurlburt knew his body could not withstand the rigors of playing competitive volleyball after he played his final match for Glenbard East in 2010.“I was fairly tall and fairly athletic, but not skilled in any way,” he said. “After I made it through that last match m...

Cyclones kick up a storm at Navy Pier, win Asics Junior National 17s, 18s championships

Cyclones 17 Black Adidas defeated Epic United 17 Elite ROX to win the 17s age division title of the Asics Junior National Volleyball Championships Sunday at Navy Pier. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThere was a fog hanging over Navy Pier early Sunday morning.  By 3:00 p.m. or so, it had turned into a cyclone. The Cyclones 17 Black Adidas volleyball team, that is. After finishing second in their age group in the same tournament the past three years, the Cyclones completed their mission this year, defeating Epic United 17 RO...

USAV roundup: SPVB B15 Elite nearly pulls off hat trick, but falls in Open final

Sports Performance's 15 Elite team reached the championship match of the 15 Open division at the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday before falling to unbeaten MB Surf Asics 15's. Sports Performance’s 15 Elite team did the improbable Saturday in the 15 Open division at the 2019 USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Dallas, Texas. But it was asked to do the impossible. After beating two of the last unbeaten teams remaining in the tournament to advance to the finals, SPVB B15 Elite faced ...

Walther Christian seeking head girls volleyball coach

Walther Christian Academy, a school of about 250 students located in Melrose Park and a member of the Chicago Prep Conference, is looking for a head varsity girls volleyball coach for this coming fall season. Walther Christian typically has 20-25 girls in the program. Candidates should possess strong skills in teaching the game, have Christian beliefs, be a positive role model for the school’s young ladies, and either possess or be willing to work towards obtaining coaching certification (i.e. ASEP, NFHS, etc). Walther Christian Academy is a p...