Junior Addie Brookbank (5) and Barrington will try to improve to 12-1 when they visit Mid-Suburban West rival Fremd on Tuesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThree weeks in the books and we still have more questions than answers.This week's Wheaton Classic may answer a few of those questions in Class 4A, or it could leave us with a preponderance of riddles much like the Lincoln and Effingham tournaments did last weekend.Meanwhile, while some schools already know if they are hosting regionals, we are lookin...
From ‘Oh, it’s just Westville,’ to ‘Oh, no! It’s Westville!’
The Westville Tigers started the season with a bang, winning their own tournament without dropping a set. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThere is a lot of joy in Westville these days.More may be on the way if Ella Miller and her teammates have their way.The Tigers, 11-0 following Thursday's 25-14, 25-16 victory over Vermilion Valley foe Hoopeston, are off to the fastest start in program history and are creating a buzz around Westville, a town of 3,120 just south of Danville and close to the Indiana state line.“It’s really exciting ...
Free-swinging Heyworth rattles Eureka in Heart of Illinois Conference stunner
Setter Allison deFreese (3) gave Eureka 27 assists and 11 digs at Heyworth on Tuesday during a 25-19, 23-25, 25-12 Heart of Illinois Conference loss. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comHEYWORTH – It’s hard to say whether Heyworth’s free-swinging style caused Eureka to turn tentative or it was Eureka’s tentativeness that emboldened its host on Tuesday.Whatever the case – perhaps some of both – Heyworth knocked off Eureka, 25-19, 23-25, 25-12, behind senior Ava Riddle’s 28 assists, 14 digs and 2 aces.“I saw th...
Monday, September 25 results
Oswego defeated Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg to win the SETtember Fest at Champaign Central on Saturday. Monday, September 25 results (updated 9:29 a.m., Tuesday, September 26)Barrington def. Schaumburg 25-16, 25-20Barrington (15-2 overall, 4-0 in the Mid-Suburban West): Molly Kozak (5 digs, 1 ace, 3 service points), Whitney Mall (7 kills, 2 digs), Gwen Adler (17 assists, 3 digs, 6 service points, 1 kill), Jenna Meitzler (13 assists, 6 kills, 2 digs, 2 service points, 1 block), Addie Brookbank (5 digs, 3 service points), Berkeley Ploder...
Wednesday, September 6 results
Oak Park-River Forest's Grace Nelson (11) registered her 1,000th career kill during last weekend's tournament in Avon, Indiana. Wednesday, September 6 results (updated 1:20 p.m., Thursday, September 7)Benet Academy def. St. Charles East 25-18, 23-25, 25-17Benet Academy (8-1 overall, 1-0 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference): Elle Stiernagle (2 kills, 40 assists, 1 dig, 1 block), Audrey Asleson (11 kills, 1 dig), Lynney Tarnow (11 kills, 1 dig, 1 block), Ava Novak (7 kills, 3 digs, 1 block), Gabby Stasys (6 kills, 1 dig), Aniya Warren (1...
ASICS Challenge at Mother McAuley
Tuesday, September 5 results
Members of the all-tournament team at Saturday's Oregon invite included Rhiannon Robertson and Rachel Nevdal of Durand, Alayna Pierce, Hannah Langton and Alivia Keegan of Genoa-Kingston, and Molly Amendt of Lena-Winslow. Tuesday, September 5 results (updated 8:35 p.m., Wednesday, September 6)Aquin Catholic def. Orangeville 16-25, 25-18, 25-18Aquin Catholic (7-1 overall, 1-0 in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference): Ainsley Stovall (20 kills, 1 block), Megan Holder (28 assists, 3 kills, 2 blocks).JV: Orangeville won 25-13, 25-18Athens...
Hersey’s van den Herik plans a comeback; Burgdorf embraces underdog role
Hersey captured the title of its siix-team round robin turnament Saturday while awaiting word on the future of 6-1 outside hitter Claie Van den herik (8). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNever bet against Hersey’s Claire van den Herik.Van den Herik, a 6-1 outside hitter, was poised to make a triumphant return to the court this fall after an ACL tear to her left knee during a summer league game prior to last season robbed her of her junior year.“I went up (for a kill), then all of a sudden when I came down, I heard a pop,” van den Her...
Life on the outside agrees with Oswego’s talented 6-1 junior Sidney Hamaker
Oswego junior Sidney Hamaker (13), shown here at last weekend's West Aurora round-robin, had 12 kills Tuesday to lead the Panrthers past host Waubonsie Valley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThere are very few places – if any – on a volleyball court where Oswego’s 6-1 junior Sidney Hamaker doesn’t thrive.As a sophomore last year, Hamaker played middle hitter for her club’s top 18s team, which finished second at the AAU national championships in Orlando. But for the past two years, she’s played outsi...
Friday, September 1 results
Batavia is scheduled to compete in the tournament Saturday at Jacobs. Friday, September 1 results (updated 2:35 p.m., Tuesday, September 5) At Oregon Genoa-Kingston def. Lena-Winslow 25-13, 25-18Genoa-Kingston def. Forreston 25-17, 25-13Genoa-Kington (4-1 overall, 0-0 in the Big Northern Conference): Alayna Pierce (26 kills), Hannah Langton (27 digs), Alivia Keegan (26 kills, 28 assists, 1 block, 11 digs, 1 ace), Mia Wise (3 aces).Genoa-Kingston coach Keith Foster: “Today was the start of a two-day tournament and we started it ver...