Where are Illinois' top girls' volleyball recruits in the Classes of '22, '23 headed?

(Updated 7/18) Six-foot-3 junior middle hitter Annie Eschenbach (17) of Benet Academy and 1st Alliance VBC has committed to Xavier University. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top players in Illinois in the Classes of 2022 and 2023 who have committed to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. All coaches and club directors have been invited to provide the names of their players who should be on the list. The attached list features the names of players that have been submitted so far.If...

Pairings released for Illprepvb.com Crimson Classic at Plainfield North

Marist, Plainfield North and Normal U-High will be among the teams competing at the Crimson Classic on August 27-28 sponsored by Illprepvb.com at Plainfield North and Central high schools. Here is a complete list of the participants and pairings: 1. Belvidere2. Bolingbrook3. Geneva4. Grayslake North5. Hinsdale Central6. Homewood-Flossmoor7. Johnsburg8. Lake Central (Ind.)9. Lincoln-Way East10. Lincoln-Way Central11. Lincoln-Way West12. Lockport13. Loyola14. Maine South15. Marian Catholic16. Marist17. Minooka18. Nazareth19. Neuqua Va...

Illprepvb.com presents 570 reasons to watch girls high school volleyball this fall, Pt. III

Mother McAuley's Ellie White (8) played a big part in the Mighty Macs' success as a freshman last winter and figures to anchor the south side powerhouse for the next three years. On the home page is Wheaton Warrenville South's Rebecca Bellows. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Yes, the start of the 2021 fall girls’ volleyball season is still a few weeks away, but it’s never too early to speculate about what or who we’ll be seeing on high school courts across Illinois. Today, Illprepvb.com continues its look at 570 reasons to watch girls high...

Illprepvb.com presents 570 reasons to watch girls high school volleyball this fall, Pt. II

Normal U-High's Lily Barry (far right) projects to be a libero in college but will continue to man the pin for the Pioneers, who hope to return to Redbird Arena in 2021. On the cover is Normal Community West's Averie Hernandez. (Barry photo by Dave Ruggles) Yes, the start of the 2021 fall girls’ volleyball season is still a few weeks away, but it’s never too early to speculate about what or who we’ll be seeing on high school courts across Illinois. Today, Illprepvb.com continues its look at 570 reasons to watch girls high school voll...

Illprepvb.com presents 570 reasons to watch girls high school volleyball this fall, Pt. I

Marist's Mary Clare Brusek (5) is one of several returning starters for the perennial Class 4A power and one of the reasons the RedHawks will be favored to win their third championship in the last four IHSA tournaments. On the cover is Breese Mater Dei's Tori Mohesky. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Yes, the start of the 2021 fall girls’ volleyball season is still a few weeks away, but it’s never too early to speculate about what or who we’ll be seeing on high school courts across Illinois. Today, Illprepvb.com begins a look at 570 reasons ...

From top to bottom and everywhere in the middle, Blue Steel VBC is about family

Blue Steel Volleyball Club's 16-1 boys team went 5-4 and finished 13th in the 16 USA division at the USAV Boys Junior National Championship. The team was coached by Melissa Massey (far right) and her sister, Lauren Martin (far left), and featured Massey's three sons -- Riley (23), Sutton (9) and Trent (standing behind Sutton) -- and Martin's son Landon (17). The first thing that jumps out at you when surveying the roster for the Boys BSVBC 16-1 team that competed at the recent USAV Boys Junior National Championship in Kansas City is th...

Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association seeks board members amid restart

The restart of the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association is underway, and the group is looking for members to serve on its regional board and get involved in the revitalization of the organization. (Photo courtesy of The News-Gazette) The Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association is excited to announce the official restart of the organization. Illinois is one of the top states in the nation for men’s and women’s volleyball, and the organization is looking forward to growing the game.The IVCA is seeking to develop its regional board to...