Bloomington Central Catholic's Kampbell Niepagen (7) lit up the scoreboard at Redbird (CEFCU) Arena last weekend. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThat’s a wrap on the 50th anniversary of the IHSA girls volleyball tournament.It’s time to close the books on a girls’ high school season (with the exception of the announcement of our all-state team later this month) that provided more than a few surprises.There was some talk last weekend about the IHSA possibly moving Saturday’s third-place games to an alte...
Michio Chicago/Illprepvb.com Player of the Year Annie Eaton delivered for Raiders
Quincy Notre Dame setter Annie Eaton led the Raiders to 137 wins during her four-year career and ranks among the top five on the IHSA list of all-time career assist leaders. (Photos courtesy of Muddy River Sports). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAsk somebody who knows her, and they might tell you that despite her mind-numbing assist record set while at perennial Class 2A power Quincy Notre Dame, 5-8 setter Annie Eaton’s "best and prettiest” assist might not have even occurred on the volleyball court.Back in the spring of 2022,...
Marist frustrates Benet in Class 4A final; Mater Dei repeats in 2A, Calhoun wins 1A
Bella Bullington had 16 kills to lead Marist to its first IHSA Class 4A championship since going back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – Someone along press row asked, “How do you explain it?”Sheer toughness, that’s how.“That’s an upset for the ages right there,” said Marist coach Jordan Vidovic. “No question about it. All toughness, right? You can have the biggest players, you can have a Division I roster, you can bring in transfers, you can do whatever you want, but you still g...
No sweat: Mahomet-Seymour rally stuns (Bartonville) Limestone in Class 3A final
(Bartonville) Limestone's Ella Karmenzind (24) soars for one of her 6 kills in the IHSA Class 3A championship game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy Sharer Special to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Down a set and trailing 19-11 in the second, Mahomet-Seymour seemed stuck between hopelessness and panic against (Bartonville) Limestone in the Class 3A state championship match at CEFCU Arena on Saturday.Appearances, however, were deceiving as the Bulldogs, No. 2 in the final Illprepvb.com state rankings, resuscitated themselves and their rauc...
Sixteen enter, four teams heave (IHSA championship trophies) this weekend
DePaul College Prep sophomore Kalia Kroth (13) led the Rams past St. Laurence in the IHSA Class 3A supersectional Monday at Hinsdale South. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – Gone is Mother McAuley. Gone, too, are Galena and St. Francis.Three new IHSA champions will be crowned this weekend at Redbird (now CEFCU) Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.But the drama only begins there.Can Benet Academy, which has played second fiddle to Mother McAuley each of the previous two seasons, cap...
DePaul Prep ‘super-sedes’ St. Laurence; Bullington, Marist eliminate Normal West
Kayla Birmingham (6) had 22 kills and 2 aces, but her efforts went for naught as DePaul College Prep defeated St. Laurence, 21-25, 25-15, 25-21 at the IHSA Class 3A Hinsdale South Supersectional. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorDePaul College Prep and St. Laurence have a lot in common.Both schools compete in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference for girls’ sports and the Chicago Catholic League for boys athletics. DePaul College Prep rose from the ashes of Gordon Tech, an all-boys school, in 2014, while previo...
Mahomet-Seymour, Limestone reach 3A final; Marist, Benet to clash in Class 4A
Benet Academy's Keira O'Donnell had 6 kills and 2 blocks to lead the Redwings into Saturday's IHSA Class 4A championship game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – You don’t have to remind the Benet Academy Redwings how their season has ended the last two years.Just don’t compare those teams to this year’s Redwings.“It’s a whole new season, a whole new team, so we’re just trying to treat it like a new opportunity, a clean slate,” said Benet Academy setter Audrey Asleson. “We obviously think about what happe...
Here are the final 2024 regular-season Michio Chicago/Illprepvb Girls H.S. Rankings
Ellie Klokkenga (6) and Celia Cross (7) will try to lead Hartsburg-Emden back to Redbird Arena after their second-place IHSA Class 1A finish a year ago. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorLet the countdown to Redbird (now CEFCU, but it will always be Redbird to us) Arena begin.(What else is there to say?)Here are the final regular-season Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girls H.S. Rankings:Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2024 Girls H.S. Rankings(last week’s ranking in parenthesis) Class 4A1. Benet Academy (...
Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com recognize top performers at last week’s IHSA regionals
Barrington's 6-2 outside hitter Whitney Mall had 14 kills to lead the Fillies to their fourth consecutive Class 4A regional championship at Prospect last week. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThis week, rather than recognize one outstanding individual performance, the Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week series recognizes several outstanding individual performances during last week’s regional championship games.These individuals helped propel their teams to this week’s sectional semifinals, whic...
Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com salute top performers at last week’s IHSA sectionals
Benet Academy junior Brooklynne Brass (5) had 13 kills, 2 blocks and 4 digs in the Redwings' sectional championship victory over St. Charles North last Thursday at West Aurora. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThis week, rather than recognize one outstanding individual performance, the Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week series recognizes several outstanding individual performances during last week’s sectional championship games.These individuals helped propel their teams to Monday’s supersectio...