St. Ignatius' Michael Eastman is the first player to commit to joining the new men's volleyball program at Illinois Wesleyan University. (Photo by Tim O'Brien) Michael Eastman By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMichael Eastman is holding out hope that his final high school season will be played. Either way, the St. Ignatius senior will not only start anew next year, he will also help establish a new collegiate program.“I hope so,” Eastman said about the possibility that part of this season could still be played if the coron...
Minooka's Ooms remains hopeful while recovering from a serious ankle injury
Minooka's Shane Ooms (2, far left) suffered a serious ankle injury during club season, but hopes to come back and lead Minooka to an IHSA championship. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Minooka's Shane Ooms By Matt Le Cren Special to Illprepvb.comMinooka star Shane Ooms had visions of leading his team to a state championship this spring.Instead, the 6-foot-4 senior outside hitter has been cooling his jets while rehabbing a gruesome ankle injury.Now the coronavirus pandemic has sidelined all of his teammates and every other athlete indefi...
A master of Fortnite, Badrljica has now set his sights on the volleyball court
Naperville Central's Nick Badrljica spends hours each day playing "Fortnite," the most popular video game in the world. He and his partner are among the top-ranked players in the United States. "Fortnite" has more than 200 million registered players worldwide. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comAs a freshman, Nick Badrljica decided he didn’t have time to try out for the volleyball team at Naperville Central.He was too busy playing video games.In an earlier generation – or even just a decade ago – that would be considered a sign of ...
Montini's Billy Cyze doesn't let anything, including a rare birth defect, slow him down
Montini's Billy Cyze, flanked by his brothers Daniel (left) and Thomas (right), has learned to adapt to a rare birth defect, and in addition to being a valued member of the school's volleyball team, is a member of the school's robotics team and a licensed UAS pilot. Billy Cyze is a leader on Montini's robotics team, and holds an Unmanned Arial System (UAS) license that allows him to fly drones up to 55 pounds. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMontini senior Billy Cyze can best be described as a problem-solver.The 6-foot-3 outside ...
Volleyball community mourns the loss of player, coach, friend Tracey Marshall
Tracey Marshall, pictured with one of the teams she coached at Sports Performance, passed away Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Sports Performance). Former Plainfield North and Hinsdale Central volleyball coach Tracey Marshall passed away Thursday. She was 42.No further details about the cause of death are available.Marshall was Plainfield North’s girls head coach from 2010-2017, winning three Class 4A regional titles and a sectional title in 2015. She was also the boys’ volleyball head coach for four seasons before taking the head girls p...
West Aurora's Ortiz patiently waits to rekindle his two great loves – music and volleyball
West Aurora middle hitter Emilio Ortiz (back row, left) has been playing in a popular Mexican band, L2M Y Su Grupo Sierreño, for the past three years. But the coronovirus pandemic has forced Ortiz to put both careers on hold. Ortiz was inspired to take up the guitar by the late Mexican pop star Ariel Camacho, who died in a car accident in 2015 at the age of 22. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comVolleyball is music to Emilio Ortiz’s ears. Ortiz, a senior at West Aurora, is a middle hitter on the Blackhawks’ volleyball team....