Friday, September 24 pool play Saturday, September 25 championship brackets ...
St. Charles East rallies behind Skyler Misch to topple young St. Francis
St. Francis coach Lisa Ston flanked by some of her players. By Phil BrozynskiFor Illprepvb.comSkyler Misch probably could have taken a dozen more swings if needed. “My arm is pretty good,” she said. “I play softball. I’m a pitcher, so my arm is pretty warm all the time.”Misch wasn’t just warm Saturday night, she was smokin’. The 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter had a team-high 14 kills to lead St. Charles East (2-0) to a 21-25, 25-15, 25-13 victory over St. Francis Saturday night in Wheaton.Misch’s strategy is simple.“It's not about hitti...
Mother McAuley, Ellie White thrill their fans with thrashing of archrival Marist
Marist outside hitter Kamryn Haney, who led the RedHawks to the championship of the Wheaton Classic, was limited to just a single kill Thursday at Mother McAuley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comWhen Marist traveled to face rival Mother McAuley in the spring, there was something missing.The crowd.That wasn't missing when the two teams got together again on Thursday night, however. The gym was packed to the rafters and the home crowd left happy. That's because Mother McAuley’s 5-11 sophomore outside hitte...
Thursday, September 30 results
Somonauk celebrated its six seniors and their parents Thursday for their contributions to the Lady Bobcats volleyball program. Thursday, September 30 results Aquin def. Dakota 25-21, 23-25, 25-20Aquin (17-2 overall, 7-0 in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference): Lucy Arndt (22 kills, 1 block, 14 digs), Ava Hiveley (7 kills, 11 digs), Megan Holder (25 assists), Hanna Pizzolato (28 digs).Armstrong def. Iroquois West 25-6, 25-16Iroquois West (1-17 overall, 0-6 in the Vermilion Valley Conference): Kyli Rabe (6 digs), Crystal Diaz (5 digs),...
The boys are back in town, but who will wear the crown … if there's a crown to wear?
Marist won it all in 2019, and if the RedHawks are to successully defend their title (providing there is a state tournament beyond the promised regionals), it will be due in large part to 6-8 senior Nyherowo Omene (center, standing behind Marty Jepsen), the one holdover from that championship team. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). (Updated 4/23)Marist won the IHSA boys’ championship in 2019, the last time a state series was conducted, the last time a boys’ volleyball season was conducted in Illinois.Who would have won it all in 2020? We can only s...
Lauterwasser: Naperville North has a new vibe with several 'newbies' in the lineup
Paige Lauterwasser (14) and her Naperville North teammates suffered their first loss in the DuPage Valley Conference on Thursday. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorGone is longtime setter Anna Jaworski, who is busy setting all kinds of records at Southern Illinois University.Gone, too, are middle hitter Ellie Hall and outside hitter Eva Hartung, who were a big part of Naperville North’s unbeaten season last spring.So there are a lot of new faces on the Huskies’ side of the court this fall. But there is one familiar face.“Yeah, we only d...
St. Viator's season-opening win streak ends, not with a whimper but with a roar
St. Viator is enjoying its most successful season since the 2017 team reached the Class 3A semifinals in Normal, an aspiration that is shared by this 2021 edition. Adversity.What was it that German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said? “That which does not kill us makes us stronger?"St. Viator is a much stronger volleyball team today than it was Tuesday.“We knew adversity would come our way,” said St. Viator setter Cailyn Harrington. “We had to face that today. We knew it was coming. We know Benet's a great team. Today, we were kind of prep...
Former McAuley star Katie O'Connell is leading the way for Ferris State
Former Mother McAuley star Katie O'Connell (No. 7, left) and Minooka standout Samantha Hermann (3) are two of the reasons Ferris State was ranked No. 17 in the AVCA Division II preseason poll. (Photos courtesy of Ferris State Athletics) Ferris State's Katie O'Connell. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comKatie O’Connell is doing it again.The Evergreen Park resident and former Mother McAuley and Michio Chicago Volleyball Academy star earned All-American honors in each of the past two seasons for Ferris State and she appears headed...
Sangamon County Tournament Results
Pleasant Plains won the recent Sangamon County tournament. Sangamon County Tournament, September 25-27Quarterfinals Pleasant Plains (12-3) def. Pawnee (6-5) 25-9, 25-11Williamsville (5-11) def. New Berlin (8-12) 25-15, 14-25, 25-22Athens (13-4) def. Riverton (7-12) 25-18, 25-16Springfield (Lutheran) def. Auburn (4-8) 25-20, 25-7Consolation SemifinalsNew Berlin (9-12) def. Pawnee (6-6) 25-20, 25-15Riverton (7-13) def. Auburn (4-9) 24-26, 25-16, 25-16Championship Semifinals Pleasant Plains (13-3) def. Williamsville (5-12) 25-13, 25-23Springf...
Sandburg makes Lincoln-Way East work overtime for share of conference title
(Photos of Wednesday's South Suburban Conference match between Bremen and Shepard by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comFor Lincoln-Way East, boys volleyball conference titles are old hat.But this one is extra special.Wednesday in Frankfort, the Griffins rallied past Sandburg, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19, to clinch at least a share of the Southwest Suburban Conference championship. It's the 12th conference championship for Lincoln-Way East since the league formed in the fall of 2005. But it's also the Griffins’ first since wi...