St. Francis outside hitter Anna Paquette tries to slip a kill past a pair of Nazareth defenders during the Spartans' victory in the Class 3A championship game Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Addy Horner wasn't afraid to step up with the match on the line.The sophomore setter/rightside hitter delivered a championship for St. Francis. Horner hammered the match-winning kill as the Spartans scored the final 3 points of the match and nudged Nazareth, 25-23, 25-23, in the Class 3A championsh...
Benet, McAuley headed for 4A title game; Falduto keeps IC Catholic's hopes alive
St. Charles East's Kate Goudreau had 20 kills in the Saints' Class 4A semifinal against Mother McAuley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) NORMAL – The feeling never gets old.“That’s what you want to do,” said Benet Academy coach Brad Baker. “You want to come down here, win on Friday, and play for a championship. Only two teams get to play for it, and we’re one of them.”Benet Academy punched its ticket to the IHSA championship game at 8:30 p.m. Saturday by defeating Barrington, 25-21, 25-16, in the first Class 4A semifinal Friday at Redbird Arena.Ben...
Friday, November 11, IHSA Class 1A-4A semifinals
Benet Academy freshman Lynney Tarnow tries to slip a kill past the block of Barrington's Hope Regas (8) and Berkeley Ploder (10). (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Friday, November 11, IHSA semifinal results Class 1A Norris City-Omaha-Enfield's Hayden Knight (13) goes up for a kill against Springfield Lutheran's Makenna Cox (14) and Madelyn Cox (12). (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Aquin def. Newman Central Catholic 25-13, 25-16Aquin (40-1): Ainsley Stovall (6 kills, 1 dig), Hannah Broge (1 kill, 1 assist, 5 digs), Bentleah Stovall (5 kills, ...
Friday, November 4 IHSA Supersectional pairings
Sophomore Grace Kreutz (13) and the Loyola Ramblers seek their first trip to Redbird Arena since 2014 when they face St. Charles East on Friday at Hinsdale Central. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Friday, November 4 Supersectional Pairings(in bracket order)Class 1A(Elgin) Harvest Christian SupersectionalGrant Park vs. Aquin, 6:00 p.m.Grant Park (28-10 overall, 8-1 in the River Valley Conference).Aquin (38-1 overall, 12-0 in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference).(Lanark) Eastland SupersectionalAugusta Southeastern vs. Newman Central Catholic, 6...
IHSA Semifinal Pairings, Friday, November 11
Six-foot-1 middle hitter Natalee Rush (9) and her St. Charles East teammates will take on Mother McAuley at 8:30 p.m. Friday in an IHSA Class 4A semifinal. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) IHSA Semifinal Pairings, Friday, November 11Redbird Arena, Illinois State University, Normal(in bracket order)Class 1AAquin vs. Newman Central Catholic, 9:00 a.m.Aquin (39-1 overall, 12-0 in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference).Newman Central Catholic (29-7-1 overall, 12-0 in the Three Rivers Conference).Springfield Lutheran vs. Norris City-Omaha-Enfield, 10:...
Nazareth reaches second consecutive Class 3A title game, will face St. Francis
St. Francis' Emily Risley tries to get around the block of a pair of Taylorville defenders during Friday's Class 3A semifinal. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Not many high school athletes get to play for a state championship. Olivia Austin will play for her third in a year's time. Austin, a junior middle/opposite side hitter, had 6 kills in helping Nazareth to advance to the championship title match for the second straight season with a 25-19, 25-13 victory over Taylorville in the second...
Friday, November 4 IHSA supersectional results
Loyola Academy sophomore Grace Kreutz (13) had 6 kills in a losing effort against St. Charles East on Friday at the Hinsdale Central IHSA Class 4A Supersectional. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Friday, November 4 Supersectional Results(in bracket order)Class 1A(Elgin) Harvest Christian SupersectionalAquin def. Grant Park 25-19, 25-11Aquin (39-1 overall, 12-0 in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference): Lucy Arndt (13 kills, 4 digs), Ainsley Stovall (5 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace), Megan Holder (19 assists, 1 ace), Hanna Pizzolato (10 digs, 2 aces).Grant ...
Saints extend Kull's career with one last trip to Normal; Macs end Joliet West's run
St. Charles East's Kate Goudreau did a little serve receiving in addition to slugging 12 kills to lead the Saints past Loyola Academy at the Hinsdale Central Class 4A Supersectional. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) At Hinsdale CentralJennie Kull has made no secret of the fact that this is the final year of a coaching career that began at Champaign Central in 1986 and includes the last 25 years as head coach at St. Charles East.So, her players weren’t about to let her go out without one final trip to the promised land of Illinois high school volle...
Sixteen teams, four classes, one weekend at Redbird Arena – and so it begins
Nobody has won more IHSA championships during the past 10 years than Benet Academy coach Brad Baker, who guided the Redwings to Class 4A titles in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) (Cover photo courtesy of Papa Bear) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL -- It all comes down to this. Here is a brief look at the 16 teams that will compete for four IHSA championships this weekend at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal: IHSA Semifinal Pairings, Friday, November 11(in bracket order) ...
Taylorville stuns No. 1 Normal U-High; IC's Falduto, Russ keep their vow
The Taylorville Tornado3s are surrounded by their fans after knocking off No. 1-ranked Normal U-High at the (Chatham) Glenwood Class 3A Supersectional. (Photo by Randy Sharer) At (Chatham) GlenwoodCHATHAM – Down a set and trailing 23-17 in Game 2, Taylorville needed a lot of things to go right in order to upset Normal University High in the Chatham Glenwood Class 3A Supersectional on Friday.The stars improbably aligned as Taylorville pulled out a 22-25, 26-24, 25-23 shocker over U-High, which came in ranked No. 1 by Illprepvb.com.“We w...