Eastside Volleyball 18U Ninjas finished third in the 18 Club division at the 50th AAU Girls National Volleyball Championships in Orlando. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorORLANDO, Florida – “Someone stop me. Oh, someone please, just try and stop me.” – Katharine Hepburn in the 1938 movie classic, “Holiday,” with Cary Grant.There must be something to this red(head) mystique.Seeded fifth in the field of 58 teams, Sports Performance 18 Red won its third consecutive national championship, defeating Mill City 18s (Lowell, Massachusetts), 25-...
No turning back SPVB/Illprepvb.com Player of the Year Chance Shampine
Chance Shampine overcame a serious back injury as a junior to lead Glenbrook South to its first IHSA quarterfinal berth since 2014 and become the first Player of the Year from the Glenview school since Sam Kim earned the honor from the Chicago Sun-Times in 2003. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comChance Shampine’s junior season didn’t go the way he expected.His senior season didn’t go the way anybody else expected.The Glenbrook South star missed more than half of the 2022 season with a serious back injury.“I...
Presenting the Sports Performance VBC Illprepvb.com Coaches Hall of Fame Class of ’23
Legendary coach Larry Sample guided Jacksonville to an IHSA Class AA championship, the first won by a downstate school in the big-school class, in 1988, then later coached (Chatham) Glenwood for three years before retiring following the 2008 season. (Photo courtesy of the Springfield State Journal-Register). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorFive years ago, Illprepvb.com was approached to collaborate on the creation of an Illinois High School Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame.Unfortunately, at the time, nothing ever came of that phone call...
Friday, April 28 results
Friday, April 28 resultsAt Lincoln-Way EastBrother Rice def. Naperville North 25-16, 25-17Brother Rice (15-3 overall, 4-0 in the Chicago Catholic League): Shauniel Nelson (7 kills), Paul Baker (7 kills), Zach Mikrut (5 kills), Carter Mosel (4 kills), Roman Rzeszutko (21 assists), Ryne Collins (7 digs).Brother Rice def. Hamilton Southeastern 24-26, 25-23, 15-13Brother Rice (16-3 overall, 4-0 in the Chicago Catholic League): Paul Baker (10 kills), Shauniel Nelson (13 kills, 2 aces), Carter Mosel (4 kills), Zach Mikrut (4 kills), Roman Rzeszutko ...
Timothy Christian dons pink, but could they be seeing red in less than a month?
Timothy Christian players and their fans were decked out in pink Wednesday to raise cancer awareness, after which they paused to celebrate another Trojans' victory. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorPlaying without 6-3 junior outside hitter and University of Texas recruit Abby VanderWal for the first 10 matches of the season – a stretch during which the Trojans went 7-3 and lost to rival and probable sectional foe IC Catholic Prep -- might not have been the worst thing to happen to Timothy Christian.“I think we were able to learn and bui...
Monday, September 18 results
Illini West got tripped up at the "Shoebox" on Monday, falling to host Monmouth-Roseville, 26-24, 25-21. Monday, September 18 results (updated, 8:35 a.m. Wednesday, September 20).Argenta-Oreana def. Tuscola 25-20, 26-24Tuscola (2-15 overall, 0-1 in the Central Illinois Conference): Emily Czerwonka (16 assists, 1-0 digs), Reese Davis (11 digs), Ayla Deleva (1 kill, 1 ace, 1 block), Catie Gibson (2 kills), Natalie Hasting (5 digs, 1 block), Sydney Moss (11 kills, 11 digs, 3 blocks), Carly Ochs (8 digs), Addisyn Petry (2 kills, 14 digs), Brai...
Presenting the latest Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girls H.S. Rankings
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...
Normal U-High strongarms Rochester in early Central State Eight showdown
Normal University High sophomore Levyn Snow (5) helped her No. 2-state ranked team down No. 10 Rochester, 25-21, 25-17, on Thursday at Normal. Attempting to block were Rochester's Grace Jameson (11) and Charlotte Beatty (12). (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – In general, Rochester’s volleyball team knew where trouble was going to come from on Thursday.Knowing specifically where to place blockers and passers, however, against a team with as many weapons as Normal University High proved problematic as...
Tuesday, August 29 results
. Marist's Elise Bocanegra had 11 digs in the RedHawks' victory over St. Francis on Tuesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Tuesday, August 29 results (updated 2:22 p.m., Wednesday, August 30)Alleman def. Cambridge 26-24, 21-25, 25-23Alleman (2-1 overall, 0-0 in the Western Big Six): Ashley Wood (1 ace, 5 kills, 1 block, 8 digs), Delaney Orendorff (1 kill, 5 blocks), Megan Hulke (2 aces, 1 kill, 4 blocks, 28 assists), Ashlyn Sullivan (1 aces, 1 kill, 12 digs), Carson Wendt (2 blocks, 8 digs), Audrey Erickson (6 kills, 2 blocks), Clair Hulke (...
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 ...