Belleville East plans to reward itself following its championship Saturday at the Hoffman Estates Hawk Invitational with a visit to Wrigley Field Sunday for a college volleyball doubleheader. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Veteran setter Abi Monroe and her Belleville East teammates traveled a long distance this weekend.Only time will tell, but they believe it will help them get to where they want to go in the long run.The Lancers made the five-hour bus ride up Interstate 55 to compete in the Hoffman Estates Hawk Invitational th...
Kemps sheds her temps role to help Mother McAuley beat Lincoln-Way East
Sophomore Chyla Jukes (20) had 4 kills and 2 blocks to help Mother McAuley defeat Lincoln-Way East Thursday in Frankfort. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com With 15 players back from last season's team, Mother McAuley has a lot of depth. That depth had to come into play right away this season. Katelyn Beirne, a starting junior outside hitter for the Mighty Macs, went out with a dislocated kneecap after running into the net support pole in a victory over Montini on Tuesday. She is expected to miss ...
Downers South turns up the heat, but Glenbard West thrives under the pressure
Downers Grove South's Jennifer Curran (14) had 8 kills, but it wasn't enough as Glenbard West coralled the Mustangs Wednesday in Downers Grove, (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comDowners Grove South turned up the heat, but Glenbard West refused to be fried.Cara Herbert made sure of that. The veteran setter kept the Hilltoppers even-keeled during seesaw second set which saw 17 ties.“Our big motto is ‘Pressure is a Privilege,’ so we kind of used that motto to stay calm,” Herbert said. “That helped us in thos...
Zeidler, No. 1 Rochester roll to 5-0, handle tall but young Lincoln team
Rochester's Peyton Zeidler (16) battled Lincoln's Grace Bivin (19) and Kendal McWherter (11) on Tuesday at Lincoln. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comLINCOLN — When the match tightened, Rochester didn’t panic.The visiting Rockets, ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 2A by Illprepvb.com, simply leaned on their poise to push past Lincoln, 25-12, 25-15, at Roy S. Anderson Gym.The victors improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Central State Eight Conference while Lincoln fell to 1-2 and 0-2.“We came in not knowing a ...
Glenwood’s Wiezorek tops list of talented Ultimate Player of the Week candidates
(Chatham) Glenwood's 5-8 setter Morgan Wiezorek guided the Titans to a 6-0 record during opening week of the 2026 girls high school season. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe first week of the 2026 girls high school volleyball season is in the books, and there were several standouts who deserve recognition.But one player who stood out above the rest was Morgan Wiezorek, a 5-8 setter from (Chatham) Glenwood.Not only did Wiezorek lead the Titans to a 6-0 record and the title of the Springfield Lutheran Crusader Classic, where she w...
Marist runs away from Mizuno crowd; McAuley tames Joliet West at Metea Valley
If you were a Marist reserve scoreboard watching, you did not dare blink because it changed in the RedHawks' favor faster than a Wall Street ticker. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor Who knew that the 18 points that Riverside-Brookfield scored against Marist in a Gold bracket quarterfinal early Saturday would be the high water mark for the RedHawks’ opponents during the 2026 Mizuno Crimson Classic at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora? Marist made short work of the Gold bracket, following up its ...
Class 3A No. 2-ranked Morton tips No. 8 Normal West in a battle of veteran lineups
Morton's Rebekah Stock (13), who finished with 9 kills, helped the Class 3A No. 2-ranked Potters improve to 3-0 with a 20-25, 25-18, 25-19 nonconference victory at No. 8 Normal West on Thursday. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL — In a matchup of seasoned lineups, Morton’s veteran volleyball crew edged an experienced Normal West squad, 20-25, 25-18, 25-19, Thursday in Normal.The Potters, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3A by Illprepvb.com, certainly demonstrated they know what needs to be done an...
Benet’s ‘young guns’ get it done, stun Oak Park-River Forest in teams’ season opener
Benet Academy returns five seniors but just two starters from last year's IHSA Class 4A runner-up. Pictured (from left) are seniors Sophia Hattas, Maddie Bryant, Claire Weathers, Sophia Youssef and Katie Chvatal. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIf this was the year that Benet Academy was supposed to return to earth, somebody forgot to tell the Redwings.Benet Academy has been the most dominant big school in Illinois over the past 18 years, winning 18 consecutive regional championships, appearing in 13 sectional championships and winnin...
Welcome back, Kyla Mitchell. Lockport star makes long-awaited return in Porters’ win
Lockport's Hutsyn Timosciek had 7 kills during the Porters' victory Monday at Oswego East. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Welcome back, Kyla Mitchell. The Lockport senior middle blocker, who has committed to the University of Virginia, waited a year to get back on the court for her school. Monday, she did and led the Porters to a 25-15, 25-18 victory over host Oswego East in the season-opening match for both teams. “I had surgery on my right knee last August, and I played the last thr...
Who’s No. 1? Here are the 2026 Michio Chicago/Illprepvb Preseason Rankings
Marist is seekiing to become the first three-peat champion among big schools since Mother McAuley performed the feat in 1980-82. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepb.com EditorGirls volleyball. It’s always a number game. Down goes Batavia, Highland Park and Alton to Class 3A. Student enrollment in the Batavia school district has declined 15 percent over the past 10 years. At least there’s one upside. Small consolation. Up goes Bloomington Central Catholic to Class 3A, courtesy of the IHSA’s multiplier and “success factor.” Breese Mate...