SPVB 18 Kahl, 18 Red eye Orlando; Xtreme 16U rocks, 15 Thunder rolls, 18 Theta wins

Yuliia Shchepkina (Neuqua Valley) and her SPVB 18 Kahl teammates went 3-0 Saturday during pool play at the Champions Cup hosted by the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/ioVBnWsnKW0 By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhen Bria Lomax looks to her left, glances to her right or peeks behind her, she doesn’t see many familiar faces.“Yes, I am the sole survivor,” she said.Lomax, a 6-0 middle hitter, is the only returning player from the Sports Performance 18 Kahl roster that finished second ...

Saturday, March 25 results

Joliet Catholic's Zach Pekol (13) looks over the defense during the Hilltoppers' match against Bolingbrook Saturday at the Joliet West invite. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) (Updated March 27)Saturday, March 25 results At Vernon Hills SemifinalsGold PoolBrother Rice def. Palatine 25-22, 25-21Glenbrook North def. Barrington 25-14, 21-25, 25-22Silver PoolGlenbard East def. Vernon Hills 25-23, 18-25, 25-14Loyola def. Naperville North 25-15, 25-14Bronze Pool Sandburg def. Plainfield Central 25-16, 25-11Warren def. Deerfield 25-1...

Same old song: another year and nothing has been done to address disparities

Downers Grove South and New Trier locked horns in an IHSA quarterfinal at Hoffman Estates in 2022. The road to Hoffman in 2023 is laden with pitfall for both teams, while it's just an easy pass away for others whose main qualification is geography. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorHey, boys’ volleyball fans, once again it’s time to play, “Pick the Winner.”Can you pick the winner of the Jones College Prep sectional?Acero/Garcia, Acero/Soto, Chicago Military Academy-Bronzeville, Hope Academy, Cristo Rey J...

Lincoln-Way West’s Connor Studer has fun during Warriors’ victory at Plainfield North

Plainfield North dropped its season opener Monday to visiting Lincoln-Way West despite 8 kills from Aidan Cupps (14) and 17 assists, 2 kills and a block from setter PJ Vaughn (13). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorDon’t worry. Be happy.Lincoln-Way West’s Connor Studer said the key to winning volleyball games is having fun. The 5-10 outside hitter had plenty of that Monday at Plainfield North.Studer had 13 kills, including the final two of the match, to lead the Warriors to a 25-21, 25-19 victory over Plainfield North in the sea...

Tagtmeyer stands tall as Plainfield East makes short work of Bolingbrook

Bolingbrook junior middle hitter Jacqson LeSure (13) had 3 kills, but the Raiders fell to Plainfield East in a nonconference match Wednesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Plainfield East's Thomas Tagtmeyer By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comPlainfield East setter Thomas Tagtmeyer isn’t going to intimidate anyone with his height.The junior is listed at 5-foot-8, though he noted that he stands “5-9 in shoes.”That height might be merely average, but there was nothing average about his play Wednesday.Tagtmeyer did a masterful...

Family atmosphere keeps IPV players at home; close ones now go Fusion’s way

IPV (Illinois Performance Volleyball) 18 HP https://youtu.be/yMIu7B52akg By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIPV (Illinois Performance Volleyball) 18 HP’s Sarah Schmidt can’t imagine playing anywhere else.“I knew a girl in middle school who went there,” said the 5-10 setter from Rosary. “So, I went and really liked it. I stayed because of the small atmosphere. I know all the coaches and all the coaches know me. My current coach has known me since I was a 12-year-old.“It’s a really close community,” she added. “The girls...

Joliet Catholic follows Zach Pekol’s lead, stays positive in win over Metea Valley

Bartosz Chmielewski (seen here last year at the Wheaton Classic) had 13 kills, but it was not enough as Metea Valley fell to visiting Joliet Catholic Wednesday. (file photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorJoliet Catholic could have folded after squandering four set points in set one and surrendering a 15-8 lead in set two Wednesday at Metea Valley.But …“Our main motto this year is stay positive and enjoy the ride,” said Joliet Catholic’s 6-9 rightside hitter Luke Pekol. “Volleyball is game of runs. Between set...

Adversity G18 Adidas advances, others falter at Windy City Girls 18s Qualifier

Six-foot-3 outside hitter Catherine Burke (Loyola) and her Adversity G18 Adidas teammates finished second in their pool Saturday at the Windy City Girls 18s National Qualifier in Schaumburg. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/9NSxa5L6H5w By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAdversity G18 Adidas lived to fight another day, but VC United 181 Elite was not as fortunate, losing a three-way tiebreaker in its pool during day one of the Windy City Girls 18s National Qualifier Saturday at the Schaumburg Convention Center.Adversity defea...