Sam Buckley (middle row, third from left), who played rightside hitter for Benet last spring, is the lone returning starter for the Redwings this fall, and she will not be returning to the position she played as a junior. A minor bump in the road?Or a pothole the size of Pontiac?Benet has won four of the last nine Class 4A championships – 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019. It has won 13 consecutive regional championships, played in 12 sectional championships over the last 13 years (winning eight of them), and has won a state trophy seven times d...
Raiders on the rise, Geneseo looks to reload, and Shepard, Elk Grove previews
Bolingbrook, which won the 24-team tournament at Joliet Junior College this summer, looks to build on the success of last spring's team which went 10-3 and posted wins over Joliet Catholic and Lockport. Today is the first day of practice and tryout for hundreds of high schools across Illinois, anticipating that we will have a full and interrupted season of girls volleyball in 2021.As we learned last week, masks will be mandatory at all volleyball events this fall -- practices, matches and tournaments -- but it seems like small price to pa...
These girls go to extreme lengths (mostly by car) to achieve their dreams
Macomb's Kennedy Adair travels more than 80 miles one way to play for Iowa Select Volleyball Club in Davenport, Iowa. Mendon Unity's Emma Hoing By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comPeople will go far in pursuit of an athletic dream.Yet to be determined is how far it’s worth going.For decades, the world of club volleyball has seen the “worth it” distance stretch to astonishing lengths for players hoping to land a college scholarship or merely improve as much as possible.Name a club and chances are at some point in its history it’s had...
Friday, May 28 results
Vernon Hills defeated Loyola, Barrington and Lake Forest to win its own quadrangular Friday. https://youtu.be/Hi_tybTjPQI Friday, May 28 results Antioch def. Mundelein 26-25, 25-23Mundelein (8-4 overall, 3-2 in the North Suburban Conference): Tyler Vrska (9 digs, 2 assists), Evan Meister (3 kills, 2 digs), Paolo Escobar (3 digs), Leighton Eddy (1 kill, 2 blocks, 2 aces, 2 digs), Ryan McElligott (11 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 6 digs, 10 assists), Jacob Franczca (5 kills, 1 block, 2 digs), August Holsman (2 kills, 1 dig), Matthew Kawa (1...
Here are the latest 1st Alliance VBC/Illprepvb.com Girls 17 Club Rankings
1st Alliance 17 Silver finished seventh in the 17 Open division at last weekend's Northern Lights Qualifier in Omaha, Nebraska. When they were good, they were exceptionally good. When they were not as good, you had to take it with a grain of salt.Illinois’ 17s proved to be a mixed bag last weekend at the Northern Lights Qualifier in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Central Zone Invitational in Indianapolis, Indiana. Nevertheless, given that it was the first time out of the house for many Illinois clubs, the results were promising.Making the bi...
Memory serves St. Francis; Downers Grove South, Lincoln-Way West claim regional titles
After dropping the first set, Aaron Marrs (3, far right) and Downers Grove South rallied to beat Oswego in the Benet Regional championship match. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Aiden Benson remembers.“Bad memories,” he said. “Bad memories all the way around.”Two years ago, led by 6-7 junior middle hitter Bryce Walker and a bunch of sophomores and vying for its first-ever berth in the IHSA state quarterfinals, St. Francis was the No. 1 seed in the Hinsdale South sectional. But the Spartans were stunned by No. 8 Hinsdale Central, 25-18, 25-16, in t...
Saturday, May 22 results
Saturday, May 22 results Glenbard West def. Hinsdale Central 25-14, 25-20Glenbard West (21-2 overall, 6-1 in the West Suburban Silver): Tommy Lohman (20 assists, 2 kills, 5 digs, 1 ace), Danny Pasinski (10 kills, 2 digs, 2 blocks), Gavin Swartz (4 kills, 2 digs), Nick Jones (2 kills, 1 block), Danny Dorsey (3 kills, 3 blocks), Kenny Gibson (2 assists, 11 digs), Parker Moorhead (4 kills, 2 digs), Sam Alles (8 digs).Hinsdale Central (11-4 overall, 5-1 in the West Suburban Silver): Jakobi Lange (7 kills, 2 digs), Cullen Bradley (6 kills).St. V...
Monday, May 17 results
(Photo by Dave Ruggles) Monday, May 17 results Argo def. Lemont 25-22, 20-25, 25-18Belleville East def. Metro East Lutheran 25-12, 25-5Benet def. Metea Valley 25-19, 25-17Benet (12-2 overall, 4-1 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference): Ethan Sturm (3 kills, 3 blocks), Niall Gallagher (5 kills, 2 blocks), Augie Mazza (5 kills), Drew Rogers (6 kills), Peter Shanley (2 kills, 3 blocks), Ryan Treacy (4 assists, 2 digs), Nick Guth (15 assists, 2 digs).Carmel def. Lake Zurich 23-25, 25-18, 25-18Carmel (10-2 overall, 4-2 in the East Suburban...
Here are the latest 1st Alliance/Illprepvb.com All Girls Club Rankings
That's what friends are for. Adversity G18 Adidas not won the 21 Nike Mideast Qualifier to snag an Open bid to nationals, their victory paved the way for Fusion 18 Red, which finished fifth at both the qualifier and the Great Lakes Regional, to receive a "trickle down" bid in the American division. 319 miles. That’s the distance Kayla Daros’ family drove Saturday afternoon moments after final volley of Club Fusion 18 Red's match at the 21 Nike Mideast Qualifier in Louisville, Kentucky, and St. Charles East’s opening tip at St. Franc...
Pandemic prompts Oak Lawn's restless Kate Dillon to add golf to busy calendar
When the pandemic forced the cancellation of the fall volleyball season in 2020, Oak Lawn's Kate Dillon decided to take up golf. She also plays basketball and softball at the southwest suburban Chicago school. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Oak Lawn outside hitter Kate Dillon began golfing last fall and has seen her game measurably improve over the past year. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comKate Dillon was a girl in search of something to do last fall.The girls’ volleyball season had been postponed until the spring due to the coronavi...