Identical twins Zach (left) and Luke Pekol excel on the court and in the classroom thanks to their work ethic and time management skills. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comLuke and Zach Pekol saw plenty of interesting things while walking along the famed Las Vegas Strip earlier this summer.But the Joliet Catholic stars found themselves to be the center of attention. The Pekols, who are identical twins and stand 6-foot-9, are used to it.“Wherever we go, people always ask us how tall we are, and the next question is usually, ‘Do you ...

Lockport's 6-1 sophomore middle blocker Jenna Kolosta (18) is greeted at the net by Lincoln-Way East's Hayven Smith (16) and Tamia Maddox (12) during the Crimson Classic championship match at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThere was something about finishing last season only one game over .500 that didn’t sit well with Lincoln-Way East veterans Ava Nepkin and Jada James.“Going into last season, we all anticipated having a good year,” Nepkin said. “Unfortunately, it wasn't.”But ...

University High hopes an explosive offense can earn the team a trip to Redbird Arena, which is just seventh-tenths of a mile south of the school off Main Street in Normal. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Home buyers often look for places that are “move-in ready.”Likewise, volleyball fans of Class 3A state powerhouse University High School in Normal hope to watch an offense that won’t need renovation during or after its August 22 season-opener at Bloomington.“Our top strengths will be our setting and our offense,” says Mike ...

Willowbrook suffered its first loss of the 2022 season Wednesaday at the hands of visiting Lyons Township, 25-20, 12-25, 25-22. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe graduation of Tia Kostic and Adriana Vassek – who together accounted for more than 500 kills – from last year’s sectional semifinalist Lyons team put the burden of being “that” girl squarely on the shoulders of returning outside hitter Kamryn Lee-Caracci.So far, Lee-Caracci has shown that, boy, she can carry that weight a long time.Wednesday in Villa Park, Lee-Caracci slamm...

1st Alliance 17 Gold huddles on its way to winning the 17 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana – The Gold bracket of the 17 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship was a breeze for No. 1 seed 1st Alliance 17 Gold.Getting there? Well, that was a different story. After finishing second in its initial pool and losing to AZ REV 17 Premier (Phoenix, Arizona) 17-25, 25-19, 15-13, in its first match of a Round 2, three-team pool Sunday, 1st Al...

Kitty Sandt and Nazareth bounced back from a 25-21, 25-13 loss to Maine South with a 25-18, 25-18 victory over Providence Catholic to reach the Bronze bracket Saturday at the Plainfield North Crimson Classic. (File photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorMetamora deserved a better fate Friday.The Redbirds, who return three starters from the team that opened last season with 27 consecutive victories and advanced to a Class 3A supersectional, found themselves on the other side of the net Friday against No. 2 seed Mar...