Benet Academy middle hitter Lynney Tarnow (12) and the Redwings took over the No. 1 spot in Class 4A of this week's Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girl;s H.S. Rankings. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor There’s a new No. 1 in Class 4A after Benet Academy (31-2) defeated Marist and Mother McAuley in a span of five days last week to leapfrog the pair after sitting at No. 3 for most of the regular season. Otherwise, not much is expected to change between now and the start of the postseason next Tuesday.May...
Benet wraps up “rivalry week” by beating McAuley for Autumnfest championship
Mother McAuley sophomore outside hitter Keira McQuillan (10) hits past a pair of Huntley defenders during the Mighty Macs' 25-11, 25-14 quarterfinal victory Saturday at Autumnfest. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorRivalry week.“That’s what we called it,” said Benet Academy’s 6-2 setter Ellie Stiernagle.This week, Benet Academy faced the two teams that had beaten the Redwings in the last two IHSA Class 4A championship games – Marist (2024) and Mother McAuley (2023).Benet seniors Stiernagle, Lynney Tarnow and Soph...
Here are 50 more players to watch when the boys ’25-26 club season gets underway
Michael Johnson (77), a 6-3 rightside hitter from Waubonsie Valley, returns after helping SPVB 18 Delta finish in the top 10 of the 18 Club division at last summer's AAU national championships in Orlando. Johnson will play for SPVB 18 Alpha this season. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor The boys’ club season kicks off this weekend with THE Point Series 16/15s #1 2025 at the Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park, followed by the 18/17s on October 25-26 and the 2025 AAU/JVA Chi-Town Boys Challenge at McCormick Place November 1-3....
L-W East’s Ross enjoys ‘sweet’ win over Lockport; Benet’s momentum miffs Marist
Lynney Tarnow (12) had 11 kills and a block in Benet Academy's 27-25, 25-19 win over Marist Tuesday in Lisle. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comRoss was boss. Especially on her 16th birthday.Sophomore outside hitter Kolby Ross celebrated her Sweet 16 birthday with a match-high 14 kills, Klarke Mosby added 11 kills, and Lincoln-Way East got a huge Southwest Suburban Conference win by putting together a big capping burst for a 25-15, 21-25, 25-19 triumph over Lockport on Tuesday in Frankfort.The two teams could...
Who are the top 100 boys club players in Illinois heading into the ’25-26 season?
Six-foot-8 setter Greyson Covay of Sports Performance VBC and Oswego High School is a University of Southern California recruit and arguably one of the top volleyball players in the country. Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorReady or not.The boys’ club season kicks off next weekend with THE Point Series 16/1...
Here are the most recent Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb Girls H.S. Rankings
Lockport visits Lincoln-Way East on Tuesday in a battle of Suthwest Suburban Conference unbeatens. (Phioto by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor From Northbrook to the south side, from the western suburbs to Bloomington, after putting a ton of miles on the old heap over the past eight days, it’s time to give it a rest.My car is pretty beat up, too. Meanwhile, here are this week’s Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girls H.S. Rankings (with last week’s rankings in parenthesis): Class 4A rankings1. Mother McAu...
Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb Player of the Week Kalyn Brookbank is writing her own story
Barrington junior Kalyn Brookbank ranks among the top attackers in Illinois this fall with more than 350 kills. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorTalk about tough acts to follow.Barrington’s 6-1 junior Kalyn Brookbank hails from a strong lineage of outstanding athletes. Her mom, Betsy Spicer-Brookbank, was a two-time All-Big Ten volleyball selection at Illinois. Her aunt, Nellie Spicer-Coleman, starred at UCLA and was a member of the U.S. national team.Last season as a sophomore, Kalyn played high school ball...
Here are the best 10 things we saw at the Saints Fall Classic in Bloomington
Mascoutah finished fourth at the Saints Fall Classic Saturday in Bloomington, and had a good time doing it. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepb.com EditorHere are the best 10 things we saw (and heard) at the Saints Fall Classic Saturday in Bloomington1. The championship match.Bloomington Central Catholic and Normal U-High met up for the second and final time this season – the Saints are Class 2A-bound in the postseason and U-High is solid contender in Class 3A – in the championship match Saturday. It did not disappoint. The Saints overcame deficits o...
No ‘babying’ or ‘sugarcoating,’ just family love at Georgetown-Ridge Farm, Johnsburg
Johnsburg's Adelaide Bruns (left) and Abriana Bruns flank their mother and head coach, Abby. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comGood luck naming a sport that doesn’t include relationships.Volleyball, for one, is chock full of them.But what happens when the relationship between a coach and player involves tough love crossing paths with familial love?Things can get complicated. Feelings might get hurt.Folks around the volleyball programs at Johnsburg and Georgetown-Ridge Farm high schools, however, can attest that teams creating a fa...
IHSA boys volleyball finals are on the move, but not everyone’s happy about it
Bolingbrook has hosted boys regionals and sectional tournaments through the years, including Glenbard West's sectional victory over Downers Grove North in 2024 (see homepage), and will now host the boys state finals beginning in 2026. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.com The IHSA boys volleyball state finals are on the move for the first time in 30 years.Only it’s not the move many coaches were hoping for. The venue change was precipitated when Hoffman Estates, which has hosted the boys tournament since 1995, decided to end its run...