Marist storms the court after defeating Benet Academy to win the 2024 Class 4A championship. Will we be seeing this sight again in 2025? (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprpvb.com EditorSt. Francis, DePaul College Prep and St. Laurence? You’re movin’ on up. You, too, Breese Mater Dei and IC Catholic Prep. Did you enjoy your time in “success-factor” purgatory, Joliet Catholic and Nazareth Academy? How about Normal West? Well, no more Mother McAuley and Marist for you. And Rochester? You got to be lovin’ you some 2....
A hot basketball recruit, Carmel frosh Liv Johnson can heat up volleyball courts, too
Carmel freshman Liv Johnson plays club basketball for All Iowa Attack and already has offers from Illlnois, Iowa, Marquette and DePaul, among others. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comCarmel freshman Liv Johnson knows how to make a good first impression. And a second.Carmel coach David Pazely first saw the 6-foot-1 middle hitter play last season.“I actually watched her play in a tournament in Milwaukee for her club team,” Pazely said. “She was in the middle of her eighth-grade year and she was playing right side and I was impressed b...
Here are 90 sophomores worth watching during the 2025 girls high school season
Wheaton Warrenville South's sophomore setter/rightside hitter Allie Coyne led the Tigers with 349 assists last fall. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor Today, we take our final look at some of the top high school players in Illinois with 90 who are among the best in the Class of 20...
These 100 high school players in the Class of ’27 do not take a backseat to anyone
Mia Lamberti helped (Bartonville) Limestone reach the IHSA Class 3A championship game opposite Mahomet-Seymour in 2024, (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorLast time out, we looked at 200 girls among the best in the graduating Class of 2026.Today, we present 100 players among the be...
Presenting 200 of the best H.S. players who take their final curtain calls this fall
St. Ignatius' Marin Thaxton (6), who helped lead the Wolfpack to the IHSA Class 3A semifinals two years ago but was sidelined most of last season by injury, was expected to be medically cleared to resume play last week. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorLast week, we looked at 200 gir...
Where are Illinois’ top boys volleyball recruits in the Class of ’25, ’26 headed?
(Updated April 24) Oswego junior setter/rightside hitter Greyson Covay (13) is committed to the University of Southern California. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) (Updated, 1:15 p.m., Thursday, April 24)Illprepvb.com is creating a list of the top Illinois boys volleyball players from the Classes of 2025 and 2026 who have committed to a college or university to continue their volleyball careers. If you are a coach, club director or parent and know of a player who should be on this list, please contact us at Illprepvb@gmail.com. Class of 2025 ...
Bergman, Leavitt top Sports Performance VBC/Illprepvb.com ’25 Hall of Fame Class
Stan Bergman, flanked by sons Alec and Aden and wife, Amy, has taken three different schools to Redbird Arena, winning IHSA championships with two of them. (Photo courtesy of the Champaign News-Gazette) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSeven years ago, Illprepvb.com was approached to collaborate on the creation of an Illinois High School Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame.Unfortunately, at the time, nothing ever came of that phone call. But we felt that the creation of a coaches’ Hall of Fame was long overdue. In July 2020, with inp...
Illprepvb.com revisits the four IHSA girls volleyball championship games from ’24
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) Editor’s note: Before we begin to preview the 2025 season, we thought we’d take a little stroll down memory lane to the final day of the 2024 season.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 toughn...
DePaul College Prep, St. Ignatius meet under the lights on Saturday, September 6
DePaul College Prep's Kalia Kroth will lead last year's IHSA Class 3A semifinalist against St. Ignatius under the lights at DePaul's football stadium on Saturday, September 6. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) DePaul College Prep is hosting the city’s first-ever outdoor volleyball match under the lights at the school's football stadium on Saturday, September 6, when the Rams host St. Ignatius. DePaul College Prep, led by 5-9 junior Kalia Kroth, is coming off a fourth-place finish at last year’s IHSA Class 3A tournament. St. Ignatius, ...
Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb present 200 girls high school players to watch in 2025
Eden Eyassu (8) is one of the reasons Joliet West figures to be among the top Class 4A teams in Illinois this fall. On the homepage is Mahomet-Seymour's Lily Bosworth, a 6-4 middle hitter and Michigan State recruit. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorFirst of all, congratulations to ...