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...
Abbreviated NCAA fall volleyball season concludes for handful of Illinois girls
Belvidere North's Class of 2019 outside hitter BrookLyn Messenger and her Air Force Academy teammates are expected to begin their COVID-19 delayed season in February. Notre Dame junior and Mother McAuley graduate Charley Niego While Illinois high school teams sit idly until February due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several NCAA Division I college teams featuring Illinois Class of 2020 graduates are wrapping up the fall portion their schedules.The NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved a plan in late September to conduct 2020 fall cham...
Assist king Burchett continues to give back to the game he once dominated
Former Wheaton Warrenville South and Illinois men's club volleyball setter Doug Burchett recently shared some of his knowledge with middle school and high school players at 630 Volleyball Club in Darien. Doug Burchett led Wheaton Warrenville South to two of its record seven state boys' volleyball titles. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.comDoug Burchett believes someone will break his Illinois’ high school all-time assist record. But it likely won't happen anytime soon.“There's a lot of really solid setters out there,” said Burchett, whos...
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....
Which boys' high school teams will be among Illinois’ best in 2020?
Many athletes, coaches and fans are holding out hope that some of the 2020 boys high school volleyball season can be salvaged and scenes like this one be repeated. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Updated 3:45 p.m., Wednesday, April 1 Two weeks on the shelf (and more ahead), but here and elsewhere we’re still hoping that there will be a boys’ high school volleyball season, even a substantially abbreviated one. After Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzer announced Tuesday that schools would remain closed through April 30, the IHSA released a statement...
'Stronger together' – merger of Wildcat Jrs., Division 1 offers new opportunities
Division 1 and Wildcat Juniors recently merged, creating more training and participation opportunities for athletes who live in the North Shore area. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThe COVID-19 pandemic has played havoc with youth sports.One of the hardest-hit sports has been volleyball, which saw the cancellation of the Illinois boys’ high school season last spring, the cancellation of the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships and a scaled-down AAU Junior National Championships this summer, and the postponement of the IHSA...
Illprepvb.com presents 200 reasons we can't wait for volleyball in the fall: Liberos
Libero Gillian Grimes was an anchor for Nazareth during its drive to Redbird Arena last fall. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, Illprepvb.com begins its look at 200 reasons we’re looking forward to girls high school volleyball resuming in the fall.Of course, there is no guarantee that Illinois schools will re-open by mid-to-late August or early September, and the IHSA will most likely follow the lead of state government before it OKs high school sports in the fall. But if schools do re-open, and the IHSA gives the go-ahead to fall sport...
Minooka welcomes back 10 seniors; Niles North leaves South, and more
Middle hitter Mason Weis (12) and outside hitter Shane Ooms (11) led Minooka to the IHSA quarterfinals at Hoffman Estates in 2019, a destination the Indians' 10 seniors hope to reach again in 2020. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Note: Although Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzer’s most recent “stay at home” order extended school closings until April 8, Illprepvb.com will continue to publish content relevant to the 2020 high school boys’ volleyball season in the hope that it will be resumed at some point in the future. School: Grayslake NorthConference:...
Fenton gets help from roundballers; Guba takes over at Shepard, and more
Glenbard North's Michael Dziewior (to the right of and slightly behind Future 18 Elite coach Jacob Stone), is one of four veterans returning for Panthers' boss Dedra DeBenedetti. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Note: Although Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzer’s most recent “stay at home” order extended school closings until April 8, Illprepvb.com will continue to publish content relevant to the 2020 high school boys’ volleyball season in the hope that it will be resumed at some point in the future.School: FentonConference: Upstate EightHead coach: &n...
Illprepvb.com presents the 50 All-Time Best Illinois Boys Volleyball Players, Nos. 31-40
Former Glenbard East star Dan Mader, the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year in 2008 and currently the associate director of Volleyball Club Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska, stands in front of the club's new facility currently under construction. Today, we continue to count down the 50 All-Time Best Illinois Boys Volleyball Players. The players were selected based on their athletic ability, their individual accomplishments on the court, how they impacted their team’s success, their place in IHSA history, and in some cases, how they ...