Plainfield North's Ella Wrobel (88) and her SPVB 18 Elite teammates are working toward winning a national AAU title next month in Orlando. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Kelly Murphy. Lauren Carlini. Colleen Ward. Kelsey Robinson. Taylor Landfair. Nellie Spicer. Tracey Marshall.Ella Wrobel?Sports Performance has produced some of the best volleyball players in the country. U.S. Olympians. All-Americans. NCAA champions.Could Wrobel be the next player to join that exemplary list?“Hopefully,” said Sports Performance’s Rick Butler. “That’s not up to me...
Lenny, Dail feel the heat to three-peat at Winter Volleyball Championships
Club 1 B18 Skronkstrong had a rough start to its weekend at the Winter Volleyball Championships Saturday in Indianapolis, going 0-3 in first round pool play. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Jason Kougan (Lincoln-Way East) and his Ultimate B18 Gold teammates struggled to an 0-2 finish Saturday. Indianapolis, Indiana – Solomon Dail is feeling the heat.“(Coach Zach) Splitt is a very, very competitive person, and there’s a lot of pressure on me as a team captain because he really wants this three-peat,” said the 6-foot-5 Dail, a Sports Performanc...
Friday, October 15 results
Romeoville (far court) and Joliet Central recently tangled in a Southwest Prairie Conference match with the Spartans prevailing, 25-18, 25-19. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Friday, October 15 resultBeecher def. Milford 25-21, 20-25, 25-18Milford (22-7 overall): Caley Mowrey (11 kills, 5 blocks), Hunter Mowrey (11 kills, 17 assists), Anna McEwen (24 digs, 6 kills). Late Thursday, October14 results Coal City def. Reed-Custer 25-16, 25-23Reed-Custer (3-16 overall, 3-9 in the Illinois Central Eight Conference): Olivia Smith (3 aces, 1 kill, 12 a...
SPVB B18 Elite’s national championship hopes go down in the (Balboa) Bay
Chicago Bounce 18 Red defeated Pipeline 18-1, 25-21, 25-21, to win the 18 USA division at the 2021 USAV Boys Junior National Volleyball championships Wednesday in Kansas City. Kansas City, Missouri – The end came like a rushing wave.After beating the Nos. 2 and 6 seeds to reach the quarterfinals of the 18 Open division at the 2021 USAV Boys Junior National Championships at the Kansas City Convention Center, SPVB B18 Elite was swamped Wednesday by Balboa Bay 18 Blue, 25-12, 25-22.“We started off with a service error to start the match,” sai...
Balboa Bay ends 630 Volleyball 16-1's run to a USAV national championship
630 Volleyball 16-1 reached the championship match of the 16 Open division Saturday at the 2021 USAV Boys Junior National Championship in Kansas City, Missouri, before running afoul of Balboa Bay 16 Blue. Kansas City, Missouri – There would be no second scintillating comeback for 630 Volleyball 16-1.After mounting a furious rally to defeat Bay to Bay 16-1 (Campbell, California) in the semifinals, 630 Volleyball 16-1 saw Balboa Bay 16 Blue dash its national title hopes late Saturday at the 2021 USAV Boys Junior National Championship at the...
There's something special about playing for your mom, and for moms coaching their daughters
Dakota's Tabytha Toelke likely would have finished in the top three on the IHSA all-time career kills list but for the pandemic-shortened season. The four-year starter led the state with 562 kills as a junior. https://youtu.be/RHMmGZ6fp4E By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comTheir hometowns are separated by hundreds of miles and they have never met, but Dakota’s Tabytha Toelke, Paris’ Emma Pinkston and Herrin’s Kelsey Jurich have a lot in common.All three volleyball stars are multisport athletes, team captains, outstanding students...
Ella Ramsay's cerebral approach has Maroon fans thinking 'red'
Four-year starter and Loyola University recruit Ella Ramsay (14) of Moline worked tirelessly to turn herself into a six-rotation player for the Maroons. (Photo by Randy Sharer) Moline's Ella Ramsay By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comMOLINE – Moline High School volleyball fans have their fingers crossed.They haven’t been able to cheer their Maroons to a state tournament berth since 2002, but now they see Ella Ramsay’s approach could lead to a Class 4A Final Four appearance at Redbird Arena on November 12-13.Fans have actually seen two...
Saturday, June 12 results
Lane Tech defeated Jones College Prep, 25-18, 13-25, 25-21, Saturday at the (Chicago) Wolcott Sectional. Saturday, June 12 results Sectional semifinals (in bracket order) Marist Sectional Marist def. Homewood-Flossmoor 25-16, 25-10Lincoln-Way East def. Sandburg 25-15, 20-25, 25-23Minooka SectionalAt Belleville WestEdwardsville def. O’Fallon 27-25, 20-25, 25-20At MinookaLockport def. Lincoln-Way West 25-21, 23-25, 25-13Lockport (21-3): Matt Arens (21 kills), Braeden Goebbert (5 kills, 2 blocks), Carter Steffgen (15 digs), Evan Dziad...
Glenbard West is going home (but in a good way); Lockport, Lake Park win
Sophomore Jakobi Lange (7) had 13 kills for Hinsdale Central, but it wasn't enough as Glenbard West prevailed, 25-21, 25-18, at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Glenbard West senior Danny Pasinski knew he was going to get a lot of work Tuesday against Hinsdale Central.The 6-foot-4 outside hitter was ready for it.“We knew from the scouting report that our outside was going to work a little bit more than our other positions tonight,” Pasinski said. “So I think I got ran a little bit more, which is nice.“I hit a load to...
Saturday, April 17 results
Congratulations to Joliet Catholic coach Christine Scheibe, who got her 600th career win Saturday when the Angels defeated St. Francis. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Saturday, April 17 results Girls volleyball Dakota def. Sycamore 25-15, 25-22Dakota (13-3, overall, 7-2 in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference): Tabytha Toelke (14 kills, 2 aces, 1 block, 3 assists, 7 digs), Abi Schlueter (11 kills, 4 aces, 4 assists, 7 digs), Lexi Brashaw (2 blocks), Falyn McPeek (20 assists, 1 ace), Mary Zettle (1 ace, 5 digs), Lexi Rote (5 digs), ...