Seton Hall-bound setter Taylor Jakubowski has led Huntley to a 18-2 record despite the graduation of seven seniors and several key starters from last year's 35-4 team. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) (Editor's note: This story originally ran on October 9, 2019) Huntley's 5-foot-8 senior setter Taylor Jakubowski. Although no exacting scientific study has been published on the subject, some estimates put the distance a setter runs during a match at anywhere from a half-mile to three miles.Then there are days where a setter may feel like the...

VC United attracts boys and girls from throughout the Rockford and northwest Illinois areas, like 5-11 outside hitter Gracey Lovgren (17) from Stillman Valley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comEric Schulze had been involved in club volleyball for two decades when he decided to put out his own shingle in 2017.He picked a good place to do it.Schulze was informed by some Rockford-area residents that an area club had dropped its boys’ program and asked if he wanted to help form a new one. At the time, he been coac...

Illprepvb.com is compiling a list of the top uncommitted players in the classes of 2020-23. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top players in Illinois in the classes of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 who have yet to commit to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. The following list includes players who compete at a very high level either for their high school or club teams. All parents, coaches and club directors are invited to provide the names of their players who should be on the list.If yo...

Matt Pollock (back row, No. 18) was named to the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Boys Volleyball Team in 2008. (Sun-Times photo by Jean Lachat. Cover photo courtesy of JVC Civita Castellana) Matt Pollock played professionally overseas after graduating from Pepperdine. (Photo courtesy of JVC Civita Castellana) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMatt Pollock is excited.But the Orland Park native and 2008 Sandburg graduate is not only excited about his new job as assistant men's volleyball coach at Pepperdine University, where he starr...

Nancy Lill won her 1,000th career game as a varsity girls' coach at Hersey earlier this month. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Hersey coach Nancy Lill gives instructions to libero Maddie Mullin during the Mid-Suburban League championship game. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Nancy Lill believes things happen for a reason.That's led her to register over 1,000 wins as a girls’ volleyball coach.Lill, who has been the head coach at Hersey since 1988, reached that milestone on Friday, October 18. when the Huskies defeated Evanston, ...

Blue Steel Volleyball Club's 16-1 boys team went 5-4 and finished 13th in the 16 USA division at the USAV Boys Junior National Championship. The team was coached by Melissa Massey (far right) and her sister, Lauren Martin (far left), and featured Massey's three sons -- Riley (23), Sutton (9) and Trent (standing behind Sutton) -- and Martin's son Landon (17). The first thing that jumps out at you when surveying the roster for the Boys BSVBC 16-1 team that competed at the recent USAV Boys Junior National Championship in Kansas City is th...