Setter Sarah Musial i(5) s one of only a few returning players for 2022 IHSA Class 4A semifinalist St. Charles East. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor The Illinios girls high school volleyball season begins in earnest in just a few days, and today Illprepvb.com continues its annual series of previews of the teams, players and coaches whose ultimate goal is a trip to Redbird (now CEFCU) Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. Here is nearly everything you need to know about m...
Arizona Storm brings the thunder, denies 1st Alliance 16 Gold a national title
1st Alliance 16 Gold reached the championship match of the 16 Open division at the USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place on Thursday, but suffered a heartbreaking 27-25, 25-23 loss to sixth-seeded Arizona Storm 16 Thunder (Phoenix, Arizona). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comA journey that started last November ended Thursday before a packed crowd on a highlighted court at McCormick Place. There, the 1st Alliance 16 Gold volleyball team lived up to its billing as the top-ranked team in the country and advanced...
Catching up with the girls’ club scene, including rankings and qualifiers
SPVB 18 White dropped only two sets while going 9-0 and winning the 18 Club division at last weekend's JVA World Challenge in Louisville, Kentucky. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt’s time to catch up with the girls’ club teams from Illinois or that feature several players from Illinois.To date, 11 teams in the 18s age group, ten 17s teams and six 16s have punched their tickets to the 2023 USAV Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Columbus, Ohio, on April 28-30, and the 2023 USAV Girls Junior 14s-17s National Championship at ...
Nathan Grutza does it all as Plainfield East stops Plainfield North in SPC finale
Plainfield East's Kendall Killins (2) had 11 kills in the Bengals' victory Thursday at Plainfield North. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comPlainfield East coach Jeff Wilkie left nothing to chance going into Thursday’s regular season finale against host Plainfield North.“We’ve been preparing for this all week, watching film,” Wilkie said. “I found a whole lot of crowd noise on a YouTube video and played it in our gym one day, just because of how loud it was in our gym last year when they were at our house.“I...
Smiley, Kushner, SPVB 18 White hope to shine under the bright lights in Florida
Sydney Kushner (above, No. 2) and Cailey Smiley (home page, No. 14) and their SPVB 18 White teammates know their work is far from done despite their big win at the recent JVA World Challenge in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorRed, white and … feeling blue?Not in the plan for this crew.Cailyn Smiley, a 5-9 outside hitter from Oswego East, played for three different 18s teams at Sports Performance (18 Red, 18 White) as a junior, finally landing on the 18 Elite roster at the 49th AAU Girls Ju...
There’s no place like home, but if you can’t play here, then it’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’
Barrington's Jenna Meitzler (back row, fourth from left) and her Sky HIgh Adidas 17 Elite teammates opted to stay downtown during the USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place this week, but some clocal lubs chose the creature comforts of home. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt’s easy to forget that with more than 50,000 people from all parts of the country descending on Chicago to participate as a player, coach or spectator at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place, there were also ma...
Hope ramps up as season winds down for several nat’l tournament contestants
Illini Elite 15 Cardinal, which finished second at the JVA World Challenge in mid-April, has its sights set on winning a national championship in Orlando. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIllini Elite 15 Cardinal coach Kyle Caldwell is not ready for the club season to end.“I’m not ready,” he said. “This group is a lot of fun. They're good kids. They work hard. They’re everything you ask for in a team.”But end it must, either at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior 14s-17s National Championship at McCormick Place, June 28-July 6, or the 2023 AAU ...
Life on the outside agrees with Oswego’s talented 6-1 junior Sidney Hamaker
Oswego junior Sidney Hamaker (13), shown here at last weekend's West Aurora round-robin, had 12 kills Tuesday to lead the Panrthers past host Waubonsie Valley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThere are very few places – if any – on a volleyball court where Oswego’s 6-1 junior Sidney Hamaker doesn’t thrive.As a sophomore last year, Hamaker played middle hitter for her club’s top 18s team, which finished second at the AAU national championships in Orlando. But for the past two years, she’s played outsi...
Presenting the latest Illprepvb.com/1st Alliance VBC Boys High School Rankings
Glenbard West junior outside hitter Casey Maas (1) was named to the six-man all-tournament team at Glenbrook North last weekend. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe end is nigh.For some, it cannot come soon enough. For others, it’s only the beginning of a journey they will hope will consummate with a visit to Hoffman Estates on June 2-3.These are the last Illinois’ boys high school rankings of the regular season. As such, we’ve expanded the rankings to 25 (actually 27, including ties) teams. How it all shake...
Presenting the SPVB/Illprepvb.com top 100 (and then some) girls club players
Addison Horner (8), Abby VanderWal (on home page) and 1st Alliance 16 Gold are favored to bring hme a national championship from the USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNeed something to do for the next few weeks? The top girls club teams from Illinois will either fly east down the Eisenhower or southeast via Southwest to compete in the 2023 USAV Girls Junior 14s-17s National Championship at McCormick Place, June 28-July 6, or the 2023 AAU Girls Junior...