Madisen Babich (far right) enjoyed an all-state career at Lyons Township under former coach Joann Pyritz before moving on to Cal State Fullerton. She now tackles another challenge at Downers Grove South. (Photo by Mark Brown for Cal State-Fullerton Athletics). We are just a few days away from the first day of practice for the 2021 Illinois girls’ high school volleyball season.No one is still quite sure what the season will look like. We do know that per Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order Wednesday, all Illinois K-12 students whether in public or pr...

Geneva lost for just the third time in DuKane Conference play, falling at Wheaton North, 25-23, 18-25, 25-21, in front of a large senior night crowd Tuesday. There was something different about this game.The playing court was the same size. The height of the net was unchanged. There were six players on each side. Two officials – one up, one down. The ball was regulation. Rally scoring was used.So what was it that made this match different?People.“This is the first volleyball game all season that we’ve actually had a crowd,” said Geneva co...

After leading Wheaton Warrenville South to an IHSA Class 4A runner-up finish in 2019, Zayna Meyer (left) has big goals for her SPVB 18 Elite team this spring. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) SPVB 18 Elite's BYU-bound setter Zayna Meyer. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By PJ BrozynskiIllprepb.com Writer/Editor If you can’t live at home while you’re going to college, you can always do the next best thing.Take home with you.“We’re going to see a lot of each other, for sure,” said Sports Performance 18 Elite setter Zayna Meyer. “It’s like bringing home ...

Hinsdale Central's (from left) Matthew Schwab, Cullen Bradley, Jakobi Lange, Nicholas Kujalowicz, Ethan Du, Sam Snyder and AJ Hood. Winning easy is OK, but winning hard is fun.“This was really fun,” said Hinsdale Central’s 6-4 sophomore Jakobi Lange.Lange had 15 kills and 6-3 senior outside hitter AJ Hood added 6 kills and a pair of blocks as Hinsdale Central broke a 13-13 tie with a 7-2 run midway through Game 2 and never looked back, defeating York, 20-25, 25-17, 25-18, Tuesday in Elmhurst.“This is the first game where we had real good ...

If some of these faces look familiar, they should. Lake Park features a senior-dominated lineup that has been together since this photo was taken in 2019, when the Lancers lost in the sectional semifinals to Glenbard West. Sometimes it’s not how many errors you make, but when you make them.Barrington and Lake Park met in Roselle Saturday in a battle of two unbeatens. Both finished the match with the same number of errors – 21. But Barrington’s errors proved more costly, particularly its 12 service errors, one very untimely rotation miscue a...

Mission Volleyball Club enjoyed a successful competitive debut at the Wisconsin Juniors Pre-Season Kick-Off at the Lake View RecPlex in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Mission Volleyball Club was initially conceived as a rebranding of Club Fusion's branch operation in Marengo before becoming its own entity. If you open it, will they come?That’s the question for anyone thinking of starting a new volleyball club.For Mission Volleyball Club, the answer has been a resounding, “yes.”Over 200 athletes ...