Providence fell to red-hot Mother McAuley in a game featuring the Warfield cousins competing against each other for the first time. First cousins Juliana (left) and Lexi Warfield. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comJuliana may have won the battle, but Lexi won the war of the Warfields. For the first time, first cousins Lexi Warfield (Mother McAuley) and Juliana Warfield (Providence Catholic) squared off against each other on the volleyball court. Juliana, a 5-foot-6 sophomore outside hitter, finished with a match-high 10 kills. Playi...

Jack Yurkanin and Ultimate B18 Gold are using the Asics Boys Summer Challenge to get ready for nationals beginning June 30 in Dallas. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) This weekend’s Asics Boys Summer Challenge at Velocity Athletic Center in Mokena is serving as the final tune-up for several teams that have qualified for the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships, June 30-July 7, in Dallas, Texas. Among them is Ultimate B18 Gold, which finished second in the country as 17s last year and has its eyes on the big prize next week with a rost...

https://youtu.be/_-In8IlF1IM Niles West coach Drew Roche did not have another setter on his roster when Kyle Moy walked into the gymnasium on the first day of practice in 2017. “When he came in his freshman year, we were running a 5-1,” Roche said. “We all thought, ‘OK, you’re the varsity setter by default.’ But he proved he belonged at the varsity level from the get-go.”Two years later, Moy has proven that he not only belongs, he is one of the best setters in Illinois.Wednesday in Evanston, Moy dished out 25 assists to lead No. 21 Ni...

Serve City 16 National will fly the Serve City flag at USAVs this summer, but will be playing under the 630 Volleyball banner during the 2019-20 season. Former Glenbard East player, college assistant and USA Men's Junior National Team technical coordinator Alex Hurlburt. Alex Hurlburt knew his body could not withstand the rigors of playing competitive volleyball after he played his final match for Glenbard East in 2010.“I was fairly tall and fairly athletic, but not skilled in any way,” he said. “After I made it through that last match m...

Cyclones 17 Black Adidas defeated Epic United 17 Elite ROX to win the 17s age division title of the Asics Junior National Volleyball Championships Sunday at Navy Pier. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThere was a fog hanging over Navy Pier early Sunday morning.  By 3:00 p.m. or so, it had turned into a cyclone. The Cyclones 17 Black Adidas volleyball team, that is. After finishing second in their age group in the same tournament the past three years, the Cyclones completed their mission this year, defeating Epic United 17 RO...

With minimal losses to graduation and players like Madi Malone and Mattie Chapman returning from last year's 40-2 Class 1A champion, Newark is a heavy favorite to repeat in 2019. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) School: Addison Trail Conference: West Suburban GoldHead coach: Dan StylerLast season’s highlights: 17-19 overall, 4-2 in conference (third place), fifth place (of 16 teams) at Metea Valley/Oswego tournament, third place (of eight teams) at Willowbrook tournament, lost to Glenbard North, 25-23, 25-22, in a Class 4A regional s...

Six-foot-6 middle hitter Zach Bulthuis (No. 79, shown here playing with Ultimate B18 Gold), is enjoying this high school season with his Chicago Christian teammates. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Chicago Christian's Zach Bulthuis will continue his playing career at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comZach Bulthuis had a big smile.He had every reason to. An outside hitter on the Ultimate B18 Gold team, Bulthuis never got to officially experience playing for his high school team...