Former Marist star Kamryn Chaney (right) transferred from Princeton to Vanderbilt via the NCAA transfer portal. On the cover is former Sterling and Ohio State standout Grace Egan,, who transferred to Wisconsin. (File photos by Dave Ruggles) Good or bad – the face of college sports has been inexorably changed by the transfer portal, which has given athletes the power to move on to another school for any number of reasons – looking for a better fit academically, a coaching change, etc.The number of college students entering the transfe...

Former IC Catholic Prep and 1st Alliance VBC great Ava Falduto contributed 14 digs and 2 aces in Penn State's win over Louisville in the NCAA national championship game. (Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletics). https://youtu.be/BAiGpbOhCIw By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMelissa Masterson first coached in the IHSA state finals in 2019, when her Nazareth Roadrunners lost, 25-19, 25-18, to Sterling in a Class 3A semifinal.That match featured a pair of outstanding liberos in Nazareth sophomore Gillian Grimes and Sterling junio...

The Windy City Girls' 18s National Qualifier returns to the Schaumburg Convention Center this weekend as 124 teams vie for berths in the Open, USA, American and Liberty divisions at the 2025 USAV Girls' 18s Junior National Championship on April 23-25 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorToday, we announce the second Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week for the 2025 Boys/Girls Club season.Each week during the club season,we will be naming a “Player of the Week.” Coaches/club ...

Sky HIgh Adidas 18 Elite is one of six teams that finished the weekend 6-0 in the 17/18 Open division seeding event of the Windy City Power League. On the home page is Adversity G18 Adidas' Grace Kreutz (Loyola Academy). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe gang is back together at Adversity.Six-foot-1 outside hitter Grace Kreutz (Loyola Academy), who sat out last year with an injury and now wears a brace on her left leg, and 5-11 setter/rightside Victoria Belmonte (Fremd), who missed the last two years after suffering a knee injury and...

SPVB 18 Elite's Bella Bullington (22) was also nominated for Player of the Week after producing 48 kills and 10 aces during last weekend's preseason scrimmage at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorToday, we announce the first Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week for the 2025 Boys/Girls Club season.Each week during the club season, we will be naming a “Player of the Week.” Coaches/club directors throughout Illinois have been invited to nominate a boys’ or girls’ pl...

SPVB 18 Elite's Faith Jordan (Joliet West) avoids the block of 1st Alliance 17 Gold's Natalie Surges (Brookfield East, Wisonsin) and Molly Welge (Benet Academy) during the GLC preseason scrimmage event at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt’s time to get serious.The 2025 girls’ club season opened in earnest last weekend with the seeding portion of the Windy City Power League and preseason scrimmages held at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora.We talked to a few coac...