Mother McAuley will be making its third consecutive trip to the IHSA Class 4A semifinals in Normal. (Photo by Randy Sharer) Friday, November 10, IHSA semifinal pairings Class 1AHartsburg-Emden vs. Cissna Park, 9:00 a.m.Hartsburg-Emden (32-7 overall, 5-0 in the Tomahawk Conference).Cissna Park (37-3 overall, 12-0 in the Vermilion Valley Conference).Effingham St. Anthony vs. Galena, 10:30 a.m.Effingham St. Anthony (32-8 overall, 6-0 in the National Trail Conference).Galena (34-4 overall, 10-0 in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference).Class ...
Nine boys, five girls from Great Lakes Region named to national development team
Benet Academy sophomore Lynney Tarnow was one of five girls from the Great Lakes Region recently named to the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program roster. On the home page, New Trier's David Wolff was one of nine boys from the Great Lakes Region selected for the program. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) In 2021, USA Volleyball launched the National Team Development Program (NTDP). Under NTDP, young volleyball athletes who aspire to take the next step on their path to the podium have the opportunity to be identified, developed a...
Locals roll out the welcome mat for West Coast entries at Chi-Town Boys Challenge
Seeded eighth to begin the 2023 AAU/JVA Chi-Town Boys Challenge, a late Suinday loss to the eventual tournament runner-up dropped SPVB B18 Elite into the Silver bracket on Monday. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe question you had to ask yourself while running from one end of McCormick Place’s South Hall to the other Monday was, “What did we do before they put wheels on luggage?”Monday was getaway day at the 2023 AAU/JVA Chi-Town Boys Challenge, and if you did manage to avoid tripping over a stray piece of luggage, chances are you w...
Presenting the Michio Chicago/Illprepvb First, Second and Third All-State Teams
One of the best liberos in the country, Benet Academy's Aniya Warren was named the MVP of every tournament in which the Redwings competed this season. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2023 Girls First, Second and Third All-State Volleyball Teams. 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 student-athletes, not on any future pote...
Multi-talented Lincoln derails St. Ignatius; Benet, McAuley headed for 4A rematch
Lincoln's Alyssa Company slips a kill past St. Ignatius' Gabby Williams during the Railsplitters' Class 3A semifinal victory Friday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – The battle for supremacy between specialists and generalists in volleyball seemed to have been decided in the former group’s favor decades ago.Lincoln, however, continued to make a case in the Class 3A IHSA tournament semifinals at CEFCU Arena on Friday that multisport athletes have yet to surrender.With all-staters from other sports lend...
Presenting the Michio Chicago/Illprepvb Girls Special Mention All-State Team
Rock Falls' libero Carlie Kobbeman set a new single-season school record with 385 digs for the IHSA Class 2A third-place Rockets. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2023 Girls Special Mention All-State Volleyball 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 student-athletes, not on any future potential or current recruitment ...
The game’s afoot. The IHSA girls volleyball season comes to a head this weekend
Willowbrook coach Irene Mason said that having fun is one of the keys to her team's postseason success. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – So what do you do when you’re making your first trip to the IHSA girls volleyball semifinals?“Rest is a part of it,” said coach Irene Mason, who is taking Willowbrook to a place no team from Villa Park has gone before. “I want to make sure their bodies are rested. There's a lot of sickness out there. I want to make sure their bodies and minds are healthy and relaxed and...
Fast-growing Hybrid Advantage taps into rich talent pool on the southwest side
Hybrid Advantage 161 finished 33rd in the 16 Open division at the 50th AAU Boys National Volleyball Championship last summer in Orlando, Florida, the first year of the club's existence. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorLate last summer, the Nebraska women’s volleyball team drew more than 92,000 fans to Memorial Stadium to watch the Huskers play the University of Nebraska-Omaha.But the concept of playing a volleyball match outdoors at a football stadium may not have originated with Nebraska.At least that’s Brandon McGinnis’ stor...
Mastery of the moment makes McAuley’s Ellie White choice for Player of the Year
Elllie White and Mother McAuley finished second at Autumnfest at Glenbard East, where they defeated Barrington, 25-18, 25-23, in the semifinals before losing to Benet Academy in the championship match, 25-22, 25-22. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThe power Mother McAuley’s Ellie White often unleashes with her right arm is a sight to behold.But that’s not the skill that sets the 5-foot-11 outside hitter apart from every other player in the state.No, it’s her consistency. White was like a human metro...
Slow start, Normal West can’t stop McAuley; Willowbrook’s long wait is over
Willowbrook's Hannah Kenny (6) puts down a kill over the utstretched arms of Joliet West's Peyton Darguzis (18) and Brooke Schwall (12). (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Falling behind 10-4 to open the Class 4A supersectional Friday at Normal Community might have rattled many teams beyond repair, but not Mother McAuley.The reigning state champion Mighty Macs mounted a 12-2 comeback that catapulted them to a 25-19, 25-21 victory over upset-minded Normal West in front of a capacity crowd.“It was shaky...