(Updated April 11) Six-foot outside hitter Maggie Uhwat (7) from Richmond-Burton and Mission VBC has committed to Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) (Updated 12:00 p.m., Thursday, April 11Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top players in Illinois in the Classes of 2024 and 2025 who have committed to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. All coaches and club directors have been invited to provide the names of their players who should be on the list. The attached list feature...
Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com present 100 Players to Watch in the Class of ’26
Sophomore Bella Potempa (10) and Timothy Christian teammate Abby VanderWal (left) hope to lead the Trojans to their first IHSA Class 2A semifinal berth since 2015. On the homepage is St. Charles North's Haley Burgdorf. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe start of practice for the 2023 Illinois girls high school season is just a little more than a week away. Today, Illprepvb.com takes a look ahead to some of the players we expect to make an impact during the upcoming season.So here they are, the Michio Chicago...
Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com present 150 Players to Watch in the Class of ’24
Barrington setter/rightsde hitter and Iowa recruit Jenna Meitzler (11) will try to lead the Fillies to their third consecutive Class 4A semifinal appearance in November. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe start of practice for the 2023 Illinois girls high school season is just two weeks away. Today, Illprepvb.com takes a look ahead to some of the players we expect to make an impact during the upcoming season.So here they are, the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 150 Class of '24 Players to Watch:Class of 2024...
There’s no place like home, but if you can’t play here, then it’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’
Barrington's Jenna Meitzler (back row, fourth from left) and her Sky HIgh Adidas 17 Elite teammates opted to stay downtown during the USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place this week, but some clocal lubs chose the creature comforts of home. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt’s easy to forget that with more than 50,000 people from all parts of the country descending on Chicago to participate as a player, coach or spectator at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place, there were also ma...
Presenting the final 2023 1st Alliance VBC/Illprepvb.com Girls Club Rankings
Five-foot-7 junior defensive specialist Sarah Jensen (Barrington) and her teammates won SPVB 18 Red's third consecutive national championship in the 18 Club division at the 50th annual AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando, Florida. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe dust has barely settled on the 2023 girls’ club season and tryouts for upcoming season have already begun.Although Illinois produced no national championships in the Open divisions at the USAV tournament in Chicago or...
Arizona Storm brings the thunder, denies 1st Alliance 16 Gold a national title
1st Alliance 16 Gold reached the championship match of the 16 Open division at the USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place on Thursday, but suffered a heartbreaking 27-25, 25-23 loss to sixth-seeded Arizona Storm 16 Thunder (Phoenix, Arizona). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comA journey that started last November ended Thursday before a packed crowd on a highlighted court at McCormick Place. There, the 1st Alliance 16 Gold volleyball team lived up to its billing as the top-ranked team in the country and advanced...
This ‘Sting’ really hurts: 1st Alliance 15 Gold falls just short in National title bid
1st Alliance 15 Gold reached the finals of the 15 National division at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place on Saturday before falling to MKE Sting 15 Gold. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorRiding high in April. Shot down in May.Something had to give when 1st Alliance 15 Gold and MKE Sting 15 Gold met in Saturday’s championship match of the 15 National division at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place.The teams had split two previous matches, with 1st Alliance 15 Gold wi...
Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com present 100 Players to Watch in the Class of ’25
Amanda Stephens (19), who led tiny Augusta Southeastern to the IHSA Class 1A semifinals as a freshman in 2021, is back to lead the Suns again this fall. On the homepage is Norris City-Omaha-Enfield's Hinsley Everett. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor The start of practice for the 2023 Illinois girls high school season is just two weeks away. Today, Illprepvb.com takes a look ahead to some of the players we expect to make an impact during the upcoming season. So here they are, the Michio Chicago ...
Oak Park-River Forest’s ‘redemption tour’ begins at York summer league
Oak Park-River Forest, led by Grace Nelson (11) and Kinsey Smith (4), won the York summer league tournament Monday. https://youtu.be/qerVsnXPrUo By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt’s only summer, but …The Oak Park-River Forest redemption tour began in earnest Monday night.“The girls were disappointed with their with their finish last season,” said Oak Park-River Forest coach Kelly Collins, whose 27-10 team was defeated by Mother McAuley, 25-15, 25-15, in a sectional semifinal at Lyons Township a little more than 15 months ago.“The...
Former St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull takes on new challenge at Club Fusion
Former St. Charles East coach Jennifer Kull (shown here coaching the Saints at Mother McAuley last fall) has taken on a new challenge at Club Fusion. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorRetirement? That’s a word that’s not in Jennie Kull’s vocabulary.Kull, who won nearly 800 games at Champaign Central and St. Charles East during a coaching career that spanned 36 years before she stepped down following the 2022 season, is taking on a new challenge at Club Fusion in Batavia.Kull has agreed to join the Fusion team as a...