Adversity South 18 Adidas coach Dalton Solbrig huddles with his players after their 25-18, 29-27 loss to SPVB 18 Elite in an 18 Open division semifinal of the AAU/JVA Windy City Round-up Sunday at McCormick Place. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhat’s next for Vince Spadoni and SPVB 18 Elite?“We just want to win a national championship,” said the 6-6 outside hitter by way of West Chicago.“We need to focus on one point at a time, and do what we can to fix the things we need to fix,” he added. “We’ve only got one week left (before headi...

Glenbard West's 6-4 junior middle hitter Otis Yahn (19) had 6 kills in the Hilltoppers' 25-20, 25-20 loss to Marist in Saturday's IHSA championship match at Hoffman Estates. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorLet the debate begin. “This is the best team to ever do it, right here, the best team in Illinois history, hands down,” said Marist coach Jordan Vidovic, moments after his team defeated Glenbard West, 25-20, 25-20, Saturday at Hoffman Estates to earn its second consecutive IHSA championship.“I can say tha...

Head referee Marek Franc explains a call to Lake Park's Nolan Cocat (16) and Carter Gibbons (14) during the Lancers' 17-2,5 25-14, 25-21 loss to Marist in an IHSA quarterfinal Friday at Hoffman Estates. (Photo by Mike Cocat) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com O’Fallon finding itself in a close match? That's no problem for the Panthers.After nearly seeing its season end earlier in the week in a 23-25, 31-29, 25-21 sectional final victory over Lincon-Way East, O'Fallon found itself in another tight match Friday in the second IHSA q...

Junior setter Andrew Fanella (3) and his Glenbard West teammates will be looking to bring home the school's sixth IHSA boys championship from Hoffman Estates this weekend. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThere will be some new faces taking the floor when the 2025 IHSA boys volleyball quarterfinals get underway Friday at Hoffman Estates.Defending champion Marist and last year’s third-place finisher Glenbard West are the only teams among the eight quarterfinalists returning from year ago, and there is some though...

Matt Swiatkowski (9) and Benet Academy, who defeated Oswego, 25-20, 25-14, in the regional championship match Thursday in Oswego, will face Plainfield South in a sectional semifinal at Hinsdale South at 2:00 p.m. Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWith their team trailing 21-16 in the third set to No. 2-ranked Downers Grove North in the regional championship match Thursday on the Trojans’ home floor, even the most fervent Plainfield South fan had to have some doubt creeping into their mind.But not Do...

St. Charles North's Diego Torres (8) had 5 kills during the North Stars' 25-18, 25-23 victory over Geneva in Saturday's quarterfinal match at the regional hosted by St. Charles East . )File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNobody has done a study of the IHSA boys volleyball tournament, but…Since the NCAA Division I men’s basketball field expanded to 65 teams in 1985, the No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeds have the closest head-to-head record with the No. 9 seed owning an 83-77 advantage, a 51.88 winning percentage.Somebody fo...

Mason Lupima (2) and Joliet Central defeated Southwest Prairie Conference rival Romeoville, 25-12, 25-19, on Tuesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorReavis’ Pawel Greczek is no stranger to Argo. When he was a member of the Reavis JV team as a freshman, his team defeated Argo to win the conference championship.Tuesday in Summit, Greczek and the Rams added another notch to their belt, defeating Argo, 25-18, 25-18, in a battle of South Suburban Conference unbeatens, clinching no worse than a share of the league...

Owen Bare (far left) watches Otis Yahn convert one of his sets into a kill during Glenbard West's run to the championship of Springfest at Glenbard East earlier this season. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorEach week during the volleyball season, we announce an Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week. Coaches throughout Illinois are invited to nominate a player for their outstanding performance on and off the court.This week, the Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week is Glenbard West’s 6-0 s...

Glenbard West celebrated its victory over Oak Oak-River Forest by lying down in a circle on the Glenbrook North court with their feet facing toward each other. https://youtu.be/ovDweBeWGaM By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhat’s the old adage? Familiarity breeds contempt?But in this case, familiarity bred respect.“We talked before the game,” said Glenbard West’s 6-0 setter Owen Bare. “We knew them. We knew the last time we played them, they came back super strong in the second set. So, we were ready for that.“We came together a...

Homewood-Flossmoor dropped a tough Southwest Suburban Conference match Tuesday at Stagg. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt happens to every team at one time or another.You’re caught in a bad rotation and can’t get out.After a number of service errors contributed to a first-set loss, Homewood-Flossmoor opened the second set with another service error before finding itself stuck in a rotation from which it was unable to claw its way out.Stagg took advantage, building an 11-0 lead and cruising to a 25-21, 25-18 victory Tuesday in Palos H...