St. Charles North improved to 5-3 overall and moved to 3-3 in the DuKane Conference with Thursday's win at Batavia. So you want to be a head coach? Then you must expect days like this. Batavia led St. Charles North 23-21 in Game 2 of their DuKane Conference clash Thursday in Batavia, looking to complete a two-game sweep. But four hitting errors down the stretch cost the Bulldogs the set, and eventually the match.The North Stars took advantage of Batavia’s late miscues to win Game 2, then opened leads of 9-2 and 12-3 in the third set t...
While we're waiting … here's a sneak peek at some of the top 18s girls' club teams
SPVB G18 Elite's Audrey Rome (Sandwich, on the home page) and Adversity G18 Adidas' middle hitter Gigi Barr (York, pictured inside) are two of reasons their teams rank in the top three of the 1st Alliance VBC/Illprepvb.com Preseason Girls Club Rankings. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) When will they start? How will they finish?Like the boys, the girls club season is on hold while Illinois continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor’s recent restriction on youth indoor sports has forced Illinois clubs to break for the time being,...
EVC 15 National setting the tone for a 'little' club with 'big' aspirations
EVC 15 National is off to a 19-2 start this season, including a 5-2 record in the 15 Club division of the Windy City Power League. Brian Eich and his EVC 16 National team, which finished fifth in the 15 Aspire division last summer at the 46th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Brian Eich never got the chance to play high school volleyball because his school didn’t offer it until two years after he graduated.He and his friends played beach volleyball every weeken...
Normal West wins nail-biter over district rival, wins first outright Intercity title
Averie Hernandez (10), a 6-foot-2 Northwestern recruit, totaled 57 kills while leading her Normal West volleyball team to a 4-0 record in the Bloomington-Normal Intercity Tournament at Normal West on Saturday. After a 25-17, 25-15 victory over Bloomington Central Catholic (pictured on defense), the Wildcats improved to 17-3 on the season. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Normal West’s first outright title in the 42nd Bloomington-Normal Intercity Volleyball Tournament on Saturday featured a ...
Presenting the Michio Chicago/Illprepvb.com 2021 girls H.S. preseason rankings
Plainfield North's Ella Wrobel (17, far right) is widely considered the best player in the state and will join Big Ten power Wisconsin after graduating this spring. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) You know the season is thisclose when somebody starts asking about rankings. So here we go. Maybe not the answer they’re looking for, but by all calculations, our best guess.Marist, Illprepvb.com’s No. 1 Class 4A team in the preseason in 2018 and again in 2019, is the preseason favorite in 4A again this fall. Marist went on to win it all in 2018, b...
Kurpeikis creating her own legacy with blessing of her Mighty Mac alumna mom
Jeanine Szczesniak (2) was the 1994 Sun-Times Player of the Year while at Mother McAuley before continuing her career at the University of Michigan. Ellie Kurpeikis (10) is expected to be a huge force at the net for Marist in 2021. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comEllie Kurpeikis was born to play volleyball.The daughter of Mother McAuley graduate and 1994 Sun-Times Player of the Year Jeanine Szczesniak, Kurpeikis always knew where her athletic future lie.“I’ve always pretty much played volleyball,” Kurp...
Pickering, Montini too much for Macander-less Macs; Shepard wins a wild one
Montini's Paige Pickering collected her 1,000th career kill during the Broncos' 25-17, 25-20 victory over Mother McAuley Thursday in Lombard. https://youtu.be/Hi8akNHRwu0 By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorYes, it was a huge moment for Montini’s 5-11 outside hitter Paige Pickering, who collected the 1,000th kill of her high school career late in the first set.Yes, it was a huge night for Pickering and five other Montini seniors – Reeghan Boyer, Lucy D’Anca, Ariana Joubert, Maddie Kasallis and Emily Labno – who were honored before th...
New faces, same expectations present challenge for SPVB 18 Elite
Sports Performance's top 18s team features (front row, from left) Gabriella Croll, Lilly Smith, Sarah Konovodoff and Lauren Hughes, and (back row, from left) head coach Seth Salmon, Audrey Rome, Adekola Barakat, Ella Wrobel, Zayna Meyer and Ellie Watson. Seth Salmon does not need a history lesson.“Gold, gold, gold, gold, silver, gold, bronze,” he said. “That’s a lot of recent history with them winning. It’s up to me to make sure it happens again.”Sports Performance’s 18 Elite team has been a regular atop the medal stand at the AAU Junior ...
'Underdog' Plainfield East surprises Minooka in Southwest Prairie finale
Plainfield East defeated Southwest Prairie Conference regular-season champion Minooka on Saturday to win the league's season-ending tournament in Minooka. Minooka’s plaque might be bigger, but Plainfield East got the last word.Plainfield East overcame a 24-21 deficit in the first set and fought back after squandering an early 9-5 led in the second to defeat regular-season champion Minooka, 28-26, 25-21, and win the season-ending Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament Saturday in Minooka.“It's absolutely amazing,” said Plainfield East se...
1,600 days? That's lots of water under the bridge and many Marist foes under foot
Kamryn Chaney (23) had 7 kills as Marist continued its mastery at home Monday with a 25-22, 25-13 victory over Joliet Catholic. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comIt's 1600 days and counting.The Marist girls’ volleyball team continued its home mastery with a 25-22, 25-13 victory over Joliet Catholic in an East Suburban Catholic Conference clash Monday.It was the 30th straight home win for the RedHawks. The last time they lost at home? Exactly 1,600 days ago, a 25-20, 25-22 loss to eventual IHSA Class 4A and nat...