Willowbrook is the 2021 Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Team of the Year after starting the season with 30 consecutive wins, handing eventual Class 4A champion Metea Valley one of its two losses and reaching the sectional finals at Class 4A runner-up Mother McAuley. Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Girls All-State Volleyball Team. Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments on the court and in the clas...

Nazareth's Lauren Salata flicks a kill down the line in Friday's Class 3A semifinal victory over Joliet Catholic. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – When a volleyball team such as Belvidere North has more weapons, it behooves setters like Jayden Flynn to use them.The senior did just that, notching 24 assists as four of her hitters had 6 or more kills in a 25-18, 25-17 victory over Normal West in a Class 3A state tournament semifinal at Redbird Arena on Friday.Ranked No. 1 in 3A by Illprepvb.com, Belvide...

Montini had a lot to celebrate Friday, rolling past Breese Mater Dei, 25-10, 25-11, in an IHSA Class 2A semifinal at Redbird Arena. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). Class 2A Class 2A By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNormal – Can anyone stop Montini?Breese Mater Dei certainly couldn’t.“You just watched the best team in the state dominate a team that was really, really strong,” said Breese Mater Dei coach Chad Rakers after watching his team succumb to the Broncos, 25-11, 25-10, in an IHSA Class 2A semifinal Friday at Redbird Arena.Montini s...

Springfield Lutheran's Makenna Cox tries to tip around two Augusta Southeastern defenders in the second IHSA Class 1A semifinal won by the Suns, 25-16, 25-23. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Class 1ABy Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – The little engine that could ran out of steam.After surprising No. 1-ranked (Champaign) St. Thomas More in the first set, (Freeport) Aquin fell behind in each of the next two sets and could never quite catch the Sabres, falling 19-25, 25-22, 25-18 in the first IHSA Class 1A semifinal Friday at Redbird Arena...

Freeport Aquin's Lucy Arndt had 15 kills to lead ther Bulldogs past Springfield Lutheran in the IHSA Class 1A third-place game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Class 1A By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – For one brief shining moment …Tiny Augusta Southeastern, drawing from the communities of Augusta (population: 900), Bowen (500), West Point (200), Plymouth (350), Colmar and Huntsville in the far west central county of Hancock, faced off against St. Thomas More, which draws from the city of Champaign (population: 87,636) and surroundi...

Barrington's Amanda Cleary (above) and Augusta Southeastern freshman Amanda Stephens (on the home page) are among the players named to the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Girls All-State Honorable Mention Team. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Girls All-State Volleyball Team and those players selected as “Honorable Mention.” Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments o...

Pleasant Plains' Sienna Hadley (15) tries to beat the double block of Montini's Sienna Skarda (15) and Isabel Evenson (10) during Saturday's Class 2A championship game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Class 2ABy Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – Death, taxes (for all but most major U.S. corporations) and Montini winning the Class 2A championship Saturday at Redbird Arena.Inevitable.From the time the IHSA released the enrollment ranges for the various fall sports back in late summer, there was very little short of an act of the Almighty ...

Plainfield North junior Lauren Jansen (11) hits past the block attempt of Benet's Anne Eschenbach (17) and Sam Buckley (11) during Monday's sectional semifinal at Oswego. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) At OswegoBy Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comBenet had tradition, desire and grit on its side Monday.What the Redwings didn’t have was Ella Wrobel.Wrobel was an unstoppable force, ripping 19 kills to go with 13 service points and a career-best 6 aces, leading second-seeded Plainfield North past third-seeded Benet, 25-14, 18-25, 25-18, at the Cl...