1st Alliance 18 Silver finished third in the 18 National division at the just completed 2023 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Columbus, Ohio. COLUMBUS, OHIO – That’s a wrap.The 2023 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship concluded Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, and while Illinois did not produce any national champions, there were some solid finishes among the 11 teams from the state that competed.1st Alliance 18 Silver was the top finisher from the Great Lakes Region, going 7-1 and advancing to the Gold bra...
Where are Illinois’ top boys volleyball recruits in the Class of ’23 headed?
(Updated 5/19) Hononegah's Brayden Savitski-Lynde (far left), who plays club for 630 Volleyball VBC, has committed to Ball State University. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top Illinois boys volleyball players from the Class of 2023 and beyond who have committed to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. If you are a coach, club director or parent and know of a player who should be on this list, please contact us at Illprepvb@gmail.com.Class of 2023Aaron Amawan, S, Bartlett/Pipeline VBC,...
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...
Bella Bullington admits her Japanese is a little rusty ahead of her trip ‘home’
Six-foot sophomore outside hitter Bella Bullington from Marist is one of 21 Sports Perfromance players who are going to Japan to train with college and high school players from Tokyo and Nagano March 23-April 1. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSpending a week in Japan may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some high school student-athletes, but for Bella Bullington, it’s like going home.Or, in her case, it is going home.“I’ve actually lived in Japan,” said Bullington, one of 21 Sports Performance vo...
Where are Illinois' top girls' volleyball recruits in the Classes of '22, '23 headed?
(Updated 7/18) Six-foot-3 junior middle hitter Annie Eschenbach (17) of Benet Academy and 1st Alliance VBC has committed to Xavier University. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top players in Illinois in the Classes of 2022 and 2023 who have committed to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. All coaches and club directors have been invited to provide the names of their players who should be on the list. The attached list features the names of players that have been submitted so far.If...
Illprepvb.com presents 70 heavenly players in the freshman Class of 2026
Montini's 5-11 freshman middle hitter Francesca Lorenzo is part of a young lineup that could challenge for another Class 2A championship this fall. On the home page is St. Charles North's outside hitter Haley Burgdorf, one of the leading attackers in the Class of 2026. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Today, we complete our look at some of the top players in Illinois by listing (alphabetically) players in the Class of 2026.The list features players who are making an impact on their high school varsity teams this fall – either in the starting r...
It's the same old story … IHSA tournament an anti-climactic exercise in frustration
Occasionally, you get lucky and the two best teams in the state meet in the championship match. But neither top-ranked St. Francis nor No. 2 Marist even advanced to the 2021 quarterfinals after having to run a gauntlet in their respective sectionals. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor Hey, boys volleyball fans, let’s play “Pick the Winner.”Can you pick the winner of the De La Salle sectional? Morton, Acero/Garcia, Acero/Soto, Catalyst/Maria, Cristo Rey Jesuit, De La Salle, Dunbar, Hancock, Horizon/Southwest,...
‘It’s a Miracle!’ Martensen returns two years after freak accident nearly claimed her life
Alleman head coach Morgan DeBruine, who is amazed Miracle Martensen (kneeeling, second from right) is even playing at all, now calls her one of the most versatile players on the team. Alleman's Miracle Martensen By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMiracle Martensen wasn’t always thrilled with her unique name.The Rock Island Alleman senior doesn’t personally know anyone else named Miracle.“It always kind of annoyed me when I was younger because my name was talked about so much,” Martensen said. “But now it’s cool that there is a meani...
Where are Illinois' top boys volleyball recruits in the Class of '22 headed?
(Updated 6/21) Glenbard West's Trevor Powell has committed to the University of Southern California. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top boys players in Illinois from the Class of 2022 and beyond who have committed to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. If you are a coach, club director or parent and know of a player who should be on this list, please contact us at Illprepvb@gmail.com. Class of 2022Julian Abulescu, 6-6, OH, Deerfield/Chicago Bounce VBC, University of California...
Gwen Adler proves that you don't have to specialize to be a special student-athlete
Gwen Adler (far left) and her Barrington teammates finished third this fall in the IHSA Class 4A volleyball tournament at Redbird Arena. (Photos courtesy of the Daily Herald) Gwen Adler (15, lower left corner) watches as teammate Campbell Paris puts a kill away in an IHSA Class 4A semifinal. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comBoredom will never be a problem for Barrington sophomore Gwen Adler. Exhaustion may eventually trip her up, but not boredom.Adler is an outlier even by the energetic standards of teenager...