Marci Maier lost her window seat, but she gained career win No. 500. While No. 18 Glenbard East was rallying from a 23-21 deficit in the third set to defeat Plainfield Central, 23-25, 25-17, 29-27, Friday at Barrington in pool play of the Barrington/Vernon Hills Tournament, Maier missed her check-in time for a flight out of town Saturday night. “Group B, number 52,” she said. “I’m going to end up with a middle seat.” But coupled with her team’s 25-18, 25-19 victory over Prospect later in the evening, Maier could take some solac...
Former DeKalb, Sports Performance star now coaching Quincy Notre Dame
Former DeKalb, Sports Performance and Wisconsin star Courtney (nee Thomas) Kvitle is now the head coach at Quincy Notre Dame. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comVolleyball runs through Courtney Kvitle's blood.A standout player at DeKalb High School and Sports Performance Volleyball Club, she went onto achieve All-American status at the University of Wisconsin. As a junior there in 2013, she helped lead the Badgers to an appearance in the NCAA championship match.“That was amazing,” Kvitle said. “It was nothing like I've ever experienced....
Harrington, No. 1 Glenbard West break late tie to slip No. 3 Lincoln-Way East
By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com As advertised. In a matchup between two teams that have combined to win the past five IHSA championships, No. 1-ranked Glenbard West pulled away down the stretch Thursday to defeat Lincoln-Way East 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, in a scintillating match before a pack-the-place crowd in Glen Ellyn. Ben Harrington (16 kills, 6 digs, 3 blocks, ace) led the way for Glenbard West (2-0). But the junior outside hitter had plenty of help down the stretch as the Hilltoppers rallied for the final 4 points. ...
The Latest 1st Alliance Volleyball Club/Illprepvb.com Girls Club Rankings
The Windy City Power League 18/17s Division and the Great Lakes Power League Division I are in the books, and Illinois girls club teams are now focusing on the Mideast Qualifier this weekend in Indianapolis and the JVA World Challenge in Louisville on April 7-9. Meanwhile, here are the latest 1st Alliance Volleyball Club/Illprepvb.com Girls Club Volleyball Rankings as of March 18. (Previous ranking in parenthesis) 1. SPVB 18 Elite (1) SPVB 18 Elite wrapped up the Great Lakes Power League Division I championship with a 25-16, 25-22,...
Wheaton North Blue & Gold Tournament
Marist rolls past Minooka in reboot of 2017 Class 4A title bout
Minooka saw its eight-match winning streak snapped Tuesday by No. 1-ranked Marist, which extended its win streak to 49 and moved into second place on the Illinois' all-time win streak list. By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com If a team is going to move up the ranks of the all-time win list, it might as well do it in a big match. That's what the Marist volleyball team did Tuesday. By virtue of its 25-13, 25-21 victory over the host Indians in Minooka, the RedHawks won their 49th consecutive match to move into sole possession o...
Here is Illprepvb.com’s ranking of the top 25 boys volleyball teams in Illinois
Lincoln-Way East was Illprepvb.com’s No. 1 team in the preseason in 2018, and despite a couple of early-season losses, the Griffins carried home the big trophy when the dust settled at Hoffman Estates in June. Will history repeat itself? If you’re a fan of Glenbard West, which had won the previous three IHSA championships, you sure hope so. But teams like Lincoln-Way West, Barrington, Oak Park-River Forest, New Trier and the defending champions hope to have some say in the matter. Here are the top 25 teams in the preseason according t...
Jepsen, Marist turn back Sandburg in an early south side showdown
(Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com Before the Marist boys’ volleyball team kicked off its season, there was one bit of business that took place on the court – a ring ceremony for the last fall’s Marist girls volleyball team, which captured its second consecutive state championship. Watching the girl’s team honored planted a seed for RedHawk boys’ star player, Marty Jepsen. “Oh yeah, oh my gosh, that would mean so much to me,” Jepsen said. “Not for me as an individual, but for the memories of being with...
Who is this week’s Illprepvb.com “Player of the Week?”
Each week during the season, Illprepvb.com will name a "Player of the Week" selected from nominations provided by Illinois volleyball coaches. Coaches can nominate their players by providing a 100-150 word summary of their achievement and a large quality headshot and sending it to illprepvb@gmail.com by noon on Sunday of the week for which they wish to nominate a player.This week’s Illprepvb.com "Player of the Week" is 5-foot-10 sophomore outside hitter Annie Bart from Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein. Bart registered 46 kills, 6 se...
Frazzled early, St. Francis pulls it together late to beat Wheaton North
Ceiling redirections, service errors and momentum swings. Tuesday’s nonconference matchup between St. Francis and host Wheaton North had them all. But the biggest factor may have been a seemingly innocent 5-point run by St. Francis midway through Game 2 following a Wheaton North service error that allowed the Spartans to break an 11-11 tie and put some distance between themselves and the Falcons. No. 10 St. Francis seized the momentum and scored 23 of the next 30 points on its way to a 19-25, 25-17, 25-19 win over No. 20 Wheaton N...