Powerhouse Normal U-High ready to home in on success, get back to Redbird

University High hopes an explosive offense can earn the team a trip to Redbird Arena, which is just seventh-tenths of a mile south of the school off Main Street in Normal. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Home buyers often look for places that are “move-in ready.”Likewise, volleyball fans of Class 3A state powerhouse University High School in Normal hope to watch an offense that won’t need renovation during or after its August 22 season-opener at Bloomington.“Our top strengths will be our setting and our offense,” says Mike ...

1st Alliance 17 Gold is No. 1 in nation; 16 Gold, Sky High 17 place second at USAVs

1st Alliance 17 Gold huddles on its way to winning the 17 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana – The Gold bracket of the 17 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship was a breeze for No. 1 seed 1st Alliance 17 Gold.Getting there? Well, that was a different story. After finishing second in its initial pool and losing to AZ REV 17 Premier (Phoenix, Arizona) 17-25, 25-19, 15-13, in its first match of a Round 2, three-team pool Sunday, 1st Al...

Hinsdale Central pockets three of a kind, defeats Whitney Young in two

After losing three straight, Hinsdale Central won its third match in as many days Thursday by defeating Whitney Young in Hinsdale. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThree seems to be Hinsdale Central’s magic number so far this season – for better or worse.The Red Devils won their first three matches before losing three in a row.Now they’re back on track after winning their third game in as many days on Thursday.Outside hitters Erika Kalman and Ellie Henneman pounded 9 kills apiece and junior rightside Elizabeth Sessa landed 8 to lead t...

1st Alliance 15 Gold falls short in USAV title bid; HP Illinois is 11th in Freedom

1st Alliance 15 Gold finished fifth in the 15 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Indianapolis this week, falling to the eventual national champions in a Gold bracket quarterfinal. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – Somebody should have told 1st Alliance 15 Gold that the shortest distance between two points in a straight line.Instead, 1st Alliance took a roundabout route to the championship bracket of the 15 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at the Indianapolis Convention Center this wee...

New look, same goal, same start for Montini; Benet youngsters get their feet wet

Montini is still figuring things out after losing four Division I seniors from last year's IHSA championship team, said captain Jordan Weatherly (16). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAll good things must come to an end.Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. UCLA basketball’s 88-game winning streak. Cal Ripken’s streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. UConn women's basketball 145-game regular-season conference winning streak.And Montini’s 36-match volleyball win streak. Ironically, it ended right where it began.York ended the defendi...

Lee-Caracci, with a little help from her friends, leads Lyons past Willowbrook

Willowbrook suffered its first loss of the 2022 season Wednesaday at the hands of visiting Lyons Township, 25-20, 12-25, 25-22. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe graduation of Tia Kostic and Adriana Vassek – who together accounted for more than 500 kills – from last year’s sectional semifinalist Lyons team put the burden of being “that” girl squarely on the shoulders of returning outside hitter Kamryn Lee-Caracci.So far, Lee-Caracci has shown that, boy, she can carry that weight a long time.Wednesday in Villa Park, Lee-Caracci slamm...

Metamora turns a few heads despite loss to Marist; young U-High seeks to improve

Kitty Sandt and Nazareth bounced back from a 25-21, 25-13 loss to Maine South with a 25-18, 25-18 victory over Providence Catholic to reach the Bronze bracket Saturday at the Plainfield North Crimson Classic. (File photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorMetamora deserved a better fate Friday.The Redbirds, who return three starters from the team that opened last season with 27 consecutive victories and advanced to a Class 3A supersectional, found themselves on the other side of the net Friday against No. 2 seed Mar...

Presenting the final Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Boys Club Rankings of '21-22

630 Volleyball 17-1's 10th place finish in Orlando last week was easily the highest by any Illinois entry in the 17 Open division. (Photo courtesy of AAU) Thursday’s wrap-up of the 2022 USAV Boys Junior National Championship at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, signaled the end of the 2021-22 boys’ club season.Led Nathan Finck (O'Fallon) and the Massey brothers -- 6-4 freshman Riley and 5-11 junior Trent (St. Louis DeSmet), Boys BSVBC 14-1 (Blue Steel, O'Fallon, Illinois) finished in second place in the 17 USA div...

Here are the final Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girls 18s Club Rankings

SPVB 18 Kahl enjoyed a light moment during the 49th AAU GIrls Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida, last weekend. Some will soon be off to college to continue their playing careers. Others to focus on academics. Many have played their final competitive game of volleyball and will concentrate on pursuing careers in law, medicine, education or engineering, or perhaps the most noble and selfless profession of them all.The Class of 2022 provided us with unforgettable moments – both exhilarating and heartbreaking – an...

Lofty ranking no burden for No. 1 Normal U-High in victory at Bloomington

Normal U-High, the No. 1 team in Illprepvb.com's preseason Class 3A rankings, opened the 2022 season Monday by defeating Bloomington in straight sets. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comBLOOMINGTON – When Bloomington High School scored its first point on Monday, Purple Raider fans showered Class 3A’s No. 1-ranked visitor, Normal University High, with the obligatory chant of, “overrated.”After the Pioneers shrugged off that opinion to win, 25-14, 25-17, Joe Sanders, coaching his 25th season-opener for Bloomington, wasn’t sure what a rea...