Saturday's opening round of pool play at the 2020 Boys Winter Volleyball Championship at McCormick Place was a mixed bag for the locals, with No. 3 seed Future 18 Elite dropping its 18 Open pool finale and SPVB B18 Lenny going unbeaten in the 18 USA division. Future 18 Elite, which earned a bid to the 2020 USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships in Reno this summer by finishing fifth last weekend in California, had its sight set on winning the 2020 Boys Winter Volleyball Championship at McCormick Place this weekend.“We’re here...

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...

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 ...

Lions 15-1 features an unusual roster in 2020 that includes three middle hitters and three setters. https://youtu.be/xC98jBFNf6U Last summer, Lions 15-1 finished fifth in the Open division at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.However, last year’s Lions 15-1 team and the 2020 edition bear little resemblance to each other.“The biggest difference right away is the height,” head coach Laura Burgarin said. “Last year, I had 6-foot-3, 6-2, 6-1 across the front row. I’m working with a little smaller g...

Naperville Central won a Class 4A regional title in 2019 behind Southeast Missouri recruit Kayla Closset, who said that coach Brie Isaacson always had faith in her even when she didn't. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Naperville Central girls' volleyball coach Brie Isaacson By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comBrie Isaacson’s life is both full and fulfilling.The Naperville Central girls’ volleyball coach has guided the Redhawks to two state championships and has owned her own club, Club 1 in Plainfield, for the past 12 years.She’s done it whi...

Wheaton Warrenville South coach Bill Schreier does not expect to watch his teams participate in an IHSA-sponsored state tournament in 2021. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Marist boys' and girls' coach Jordan Vidovic. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comNo one has won more IHSA boys volleyball championships than Wheaton Warrenville South coach Bill Schreier. He has also led the Tigers to a pair of top four finishes in girls’ volleyball.But Schreier is not optimistic he will be adding any hardware to the trophy case in 2021. “I would have...