Illprepvb.com looks at the players who will have a big impact on the ‘23 season

IC Catholic Prep's Ava Falduto will return for her senior seaosn in 2023, hoping to give the Knights another shot at an IHSA Class 2A championship. On the home page is Benet Academy's 6-4 freshman Lynney Tarnow. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorReflecting upon the past is not a bad thing. But looking ahead always opens the door to more possibilities.Today, we look ahead to the 2023 Illinois high school girls’ volleyball season by listing some of the girls we believe will have a significant impact on what unfold...

Here are the top 17s, 16s, 15s boys' club teams in new 1st Alliance/Illprepvb poll

Adversity 16 Adidas-South finished third in the 16 Open division at the 2022 AAU/JVA Chi-town Boys Challenge on November 19-21 at McCormick Place. And now, the rest of the story. Monday, we announced the initial 1st Alliance VBC/Illprepvb.com Boys Club 18s rankings of the new season. Today, we take a look at the top 17s, 16s and 15s boys club teams in Illinois. (Of course, this could all change by the end of the week when THE Point Series 15-18s 2022 wraps up.) But for now, strap in. Here are the initial 1st Alliance VBC/Illpre...

Bethany College is looking for a few good men; Marist, Lincoln-Way East seek teams

Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia, is establishing a men's volleyball program to begin competing during the 2023-24 academic year. Chuck Shoemaker, former head coach at Alderson Broaddus University, has been named the inaugural head men's volleyball coach at Bethany College, a Division III school in Bethany, West Virginia.The team is scheduled to begin competition during the 2023-2024 academic year. Bethany College is looking for potential student-athletes who are interested in playing collegiate volleyball.Interested student-athle...

Illprepvb.com presents a first look at Illinois' top 2023 club teams … the 18s

(On the home page) SPVB 18 Elite and SPVB 18 Kahl tangle at the Great Lakes Volleybal Center in 2022. (Above) Marist's Kamryn Chaney (far court) returns for 1st Alliance 18 Gold along with six other players who won a national USAV championship as 17s. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorFirst, congratulations to former Mother McAuley great Kayla Caffey, who played in her second NCAA Division I national championship in two years when Texas defeated Louisville on December 17.A 2016 graduate of McAuley, Caffey was gr...

Presenting the 2022 Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Special Mention Team

Oswego East's Vivian Campbell (far court) led the Wolves to a Southwest Prairie Conference title and one of the best seasons in school historty. On the home page is Joliet Catholic's Ava Neushwander. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2022 Girls All-State Volleyball Special Mention 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 classroom as high school stu...

Aquin feels no pressure in 1A; G-K's Pierce puts dagger in IC Catholic's 2A title bid

Alayna Pierce (16) had 18 kills to lead Genoa-Kingston past IC Catholic Prep in the Class 2A championship match Saturday at Redbird Arena. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor NORMAL -- Genoa-Kingston’s Alayna Pierce didn’t have the kind of performance she had hoped for in the Cogs’ semifinal victory Friday over Chillicothe IVC. The 5-foot-11 junior had 8 kills, but those came at the expense of 38 attempts and 9 errors for a -.025 hitting percentage.So, Pierce went back to the drawing board.“At practice this mor...

Recruiting 102: What You Can Do To Help College Coaches Find You

Illprepvb.com 2022 Player of the Year Lucy Arndt of tiny Aquin Catholic in Freeport, who plays club for VC United VBC, will attend Southeast Missouri State in the fall. VC United formed a recruiting support team headed by Courtney Slinko and Lauren Hansen to work directly with their athletes throughout their recruiting journey. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Editor's note: This is a reprint of an article that first appeared on Illprepvb.com in June 2021. We tried to verify/update the information provided by Peter Gustin, My Recruiting Assistan...

Be like … Sophie? Arndt is Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Player of the Year

Lucy Arndt (12) grew up wanting to emulate former Aquin great Sophie Brunner, who led the Bulldogs to two IHSA championships in basketball. Leading Aquin to an IHSA Class 1A championship this fall certainly qualifies. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comFreeport Aquin’s Lucy Arndt grew up wanting to emulate Sophie Brunner, who led the Aquin girls’ basketball team to IHSA Class 1A championships in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before playing at Arizona State University and briefly in the WNBA and Italy.Arndt did emulate ...

Presenting the latest 1st Alliance VBC/Illprepvb.com Boys Club Rankings

Adversity 16 Adidas-South put together back-to-back wins in the 16 Open divisions at THE Point Series 15-18s 2022 and the 2022 JVA Showdown in Motown. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWith a few exceptions, boys’ club teams will go on hiatus over the holidays, giving us time to catch up with the final weekend of THE Point Series 15-18s 2022 and the 2022 JVA Showdown in Motown last weekend in Detroit, Michigan.Through the early part of the season, 630 Volleyball 18-1 and Adversity B16 Adidas-South have established themselves as seri...

Aquin's Arndt joins a list of 'Player of the Year' honorees that dates back to 1982

Ryann DeJarld, who played at Mother McSAuley and later at Notre Dame, was the last playerr honored as "Player of the Year" by the Chicago Sun-Times before it discontinued its coverage of all high school sports other than football and boys basketball in the spring of 2015. (Photo courtesy of the University of Notre Dame) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorDid you know that girls were not permitted to participate in interscholastic volleyball contests until 1973?Then during the 1974-75 school year, the IHSA sponsored its first volleyball t...