A look at some of Illinois' top uncommitted girls in the classes of 2021-23

Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top girls volleyball players in Illinois in the classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023 who have yet to commit to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top players in Illinois in the classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023 who have yet to commit to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. The following list includes players who compete at a very high level either for their high school or club teams. All par...

A look at some of Illinois' uncommitted boys in the classes of 2021 and 2022

Illprepvb.com is creating a list of Illinois boys in the classes of 2021 and 2022 who have yet to commit to a college or university and have indicated a desire to continue their volleyball careers. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com is creating a list of Illinois boys in the classes of 2021 and 2022 who have yet to commit to a college or university and have indicated a desire to continue their volleyball careers. The following list includes players who compete at a high level either for their high school or club teams. All high school...

First Point Foundation making a point of growing boys’ volleyball in Illinois

Lincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore is spearheading a move to expand boys' volleyball in Illinois. Wanted: A few good volunteers to help grow boys’ volleyball in Illinois.Lincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore is serving as the lead Illinois representative for the First Point Volleyball Foundation, which was established in 2016 by the USA Men’s National Team head coach John Speraw and non-profit executive Wade Garard.The mission of the First Point Volleyball Foundation is to connect donors to the men’s volleyball programs that need them the ...

UNO, JCA teammates express optimism about club and high school seasons

Volleyball clubs around the state were among the victims of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's latest executive order related to the pandemic, but many girls remain optimistic that they will be able to play sometime in the new year, if not sooner. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comWith the COVID-19 pandemic setting record numbers in recent days, all of them in the wrong direction, there remains uncertainty over the upcoming club and high school seasons.That uncertainty was further amplified when Illinois Gov. J.B....

Simpson-Kirr achieves a young girl's dream: coaching college volleyball

Former Downers Grove South star and IHSA champion Jackie Simpson-Kirr is in her fourth year as associate head coach at Clemson. Jackie Simpson-Kirr By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comJackie Simpson-Kirr was only 13 years old when she figured out what she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to coach college volleyball.It was a lofty aspiration for someone who had just been cut from her seventh-grade volleyball team.But the Downers Grove native made it a reality. Simpson-Kirr blossomed into a 6-foot-1 setter at Downers Grove Sout...

1st Alliance VBC presents an early look at some top boys club teams – 15s, 16s

Chicago Bounce 16 Red will look a lot like last year's 15 Red team with eight players back from the team that finished third at the Dennis Lafata Boys Bid Classic last winter. Boys’ volleyball clubs throughout Illinois (and southeastern Wisconsin) got some bad news earlier this month when Palos Courts was forced to postpone the start of the 2020-21 Palos Point Series due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The news got even worse this week when Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzer announced he would be shutting down indoor youth sports beginning Friday, al...

Where are they now? A look at where 600+ Illinois girls are playing college volleyball

Emily Holbrook (8) of Joliet Catholic and Sports Performance is now playing collegiately at Arizona State. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Illinois not only ranks third among all states in the number of girls who play high school volleyball (behind California and Texas), it is also at the top of the list for the number of its student-athletes who go on to play volleyball in college.So we asked club directors to send us their lists of alumni who are currently playing volleyball at a college or university anywhere in the country. There are nearly 50...

1st Alliance VBC presents an early look at some of Illinois' top boys club teams – 17s

Sandburg and Ultimate Volleyball Club's Gavin Kissane (1) returns from a 16s team that enjoyed a successful run during last year's Palos Point Series. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Boys’ volleyball clubs throughout Illinois (and southeastern Wisconsin) got some bad news last week when Palos Courts was forced to postpone the start of the 2020-21 Palos Point Series due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So while they wait for a possible January reboot, it’s never too early to look at what the boys’ club scene will look like in 2021. Most clubs – but...

1st Alliance VBC presents an early look at some of Illinois' top boys club teams – 18s

Libero Paul Wyszynski from Glenbrook North will anchor SPVB B18 Elite's defense when the boys' club season begins sometime after the new year. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Boys’ volleyball clubs throughout Illinois (and southeastern Wisconsin) got some bad news earlier this week when Palos Courts was forced to postpone the start of the 2020-21 Palos Point Series due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So while they wait for a possible January reboot, it’s never too early to look at what the boys’ club scene will look like in 2021. Most clubs – but...