(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...
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 ...
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...
Here are the final 2022 1st Alliance VBC/Illprepvb.com Girls H.S. Rankings
Genoa-Kingston assistant coach Marv Leavitt (white jacket), who won more than 700 matches as a head coach at St. Charles North, St. Edward and Burlington Central, lets the Cogs know where they placed in the IHSA Class 2A tournament. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) In the immortal words of the late Bill Paxton ("Aliens"), “That's it, man. Game over, man. Game over.” Game over.Last weekend’s IHSA championships were a mixed bag of old and new. Mother McAuley won its state-record 16th IHSA championship, while St. Francis, which won 12 ...
McAuley's chemistry produces IHSA title No. 16; Barrington claims third place
Benet freshman Lynney Tarnow slams a kill past Mother McAuley defenders Ellie White (8) and Ellery Rees (9). (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor NORMAL – No. 16?Mother McAuley had the formula.Junior outside hitter Ellie White had 20 kills, 9 digs and a block and the Mighty Macs shook off a long Benet run that forced a third game to claim its record 16th IHSA championship by beating the Redwings, 25-22, 17-25, 25-14, in the IHSA Class 4A championship match Saturday at Redbird Arena. The difference? Chem...
Saturday, November 12, IHSA final results
Aquin junior Ainsley Stovall had 13 kills in the Class 1A championship match. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Saturday, November 12, IHSA championship resultsClass 4AChampionship Benet sophomore libero Aniya Warren gathers one of her 23 digs in the Class 4A championship match under the watchful eye of coach Brad Baker. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Mother McAuley def. Benet Academy 25-22, 17-25, 25-14Mother McAuley (39-3): Sam Falk (1 assist, 18 digs), Gigi Navarette (4 assists, 20 digs), Olivia Klapp (20 assists, 5 digs), Ellie White (20 kills, 1 ...
St. Francis denies Nazareth to claim title No. 13; Joliet Catholic stops Taylorville for third
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...