Maine West honored its nine seniors before Tuesday's game against visiting Maine East. The Warriors' 22-25, 25-26, 25-17 victory was the team's 24th of the season, tying the school record set in 1995. https://youtu.be/OVrNPGczPFc By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor1995. A year to remember.Windows 95 was released. The space shuttle “Atlantis” docked with the Russian Mir Space Station. The Dow Jones hit 5,117. Gas was $1.09 a gallon. And Michael Jordan hung up his baseball cleats and returned to the Chicago Bulls, eventually leading t...
Student tops master as Lexington upsets previously unbeaten El Paso-Gridley
Lexington players rush the court after they complete their victory over previously unbeaten El Paso-Gridley. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comEL PASO – Back when Kelli Aho was the star setter for Coach Andi Hardwick’s 2010 IHSA Class 1A championship team at Heyworth, the two could read each other’s minds.On Thursday, that was still true as the Aho-coached Lexington Lady Minutemen upset the previously unbeaten Hardwick-coached El Paso-Gridley Titans, 21-25, 25-17, 25-19.“It’s always fun seeing her,” said Aho, wh...
Benet turns up the pressure, rallies to beat Lyons for ninth Wheaton Classic title
Benet outside hitter Gabija Staniskis redirects a kill past a pair of Wheaton Warrenville South defenders during quarterfnal play Saturday at the Wheaton Classic. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBenet Academy’s girls were anxious to wrap up play Saturday at the Wheaton Classic with homecoming festivities ongoing at the school’s Lisle campus.But all that went out the window after the Redwings dropped the first set of the championship match to No. 1 seed Lyons Township.“After we lost the first set, we knew homeco...
Normal U-High bests St. Thomas More in showdown of 1A, 3A state powers
Sophomore outside hitter Levyn Snow (5) and the Normal U-High Pioneers, coming off a 3-2 performance at last weekend's Illprepvb.com Plainfield North Crimson Classic, rallied to defeat defending IHSA Class 1A champion St. Thomas More on Monday. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – The question of how far apart elite teams are in different classes got an answer on Monday when reigning IHSA Class 1A champion Champaign St. Thomas More traveled 58 miles to visit Class 3A’s No. 1-ranked Normal University Hi...
Setters take center stage at Glenbard East (Powell), Warren (Teresi) tournaments
Glenbard West's Danny Dorsey (16), Liam O'Neill (14) and Trevor Powell (17) put up an impenetrable wall at the net against Plainfield North in the semifinals of the Glenbard East Springfest tournament Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comGlenbard West coach Christine Giunta-Mayer has long known about senior setter Trevor Powell’s capabilities.Now the rest of the state is getting a glimpse of his talents.Two weeks after making his varsity debut, the 6-foot-6 Powell guided the Hilltoppers to the Springfest...
‘It’s a Miracle!’ Martensen returns two years after freak accident nearly claimed her life
Alleman head coach Morgan DeBruine, who is amazed Miracle Martensen (kneeeling, second from right) is even playing at all, now calls her one of the most versatile players on the team. Alleman's Miracle Martensen By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMiracle Martensen wasn’t always thrilled with her unique name.The Rock Island Alleman senior doesn’t personally know anyone else named Miracle.“It always kind of annoyed me when I was younger because my name was talked about so much,” Martensen said. “But now it’s cool that there is a meani...
No. 1 in Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com rankings, is SPVB 18 Elite No. 1 in nation?
SPVB 18 Elite defeated two of the top three finishers at the NIT Triple Crown tournament, including NIT champion Munciana 18 Samurai, to win the 22 Adidas Bluegrass Tournament in Louisville last weekend. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNo. 1 in the nation?SPVB 18 Elite stated its case emphatically at last weekend’s 22 Adidas Bluegrass Tournament in Louisville, crushing the teams that finished first and third at the Triple Crown NIT tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, thought by many to be the most prestigious tournament in the na...
There's turnover at the top of Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com boys rankings
Led by Liam O'Neill (14) and Trevor Powell (17), Glenbard West is back in familiar territory ... at the top of the boys volleyball rankings. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). Where were you on Thursday, March 24? That was the day Lincoln-Way East defeated Glenbard West in both teams’ second match of the season, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23. A lot has changed since then. Actually, nothing has changed for Glenbard West. Since that day, the Hilltoppers have won 16 consecutive matches, including a 25-20, 25-15 victory over Marist in the finals of last...
The Volleyball Institute/Illprepvb.com present the top 100 boys in the Class of 2022
Libero Paul Wyszynski of Glenbrook North and Sports Performance begins his fourth year as a starter for the defending IHSA champions. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Today, we rank the top 100 boys in the Class of 2022. Among those at the top of the list are Barrington’s 6-8 outside hitter and Ohio State recruit Jack O’Riordan, St. Ignatius’ 6-6 outside hitter Lucas Mack, who was second among all sophomores in kills last spring, and Loyola-Chicago recruit Ryan McElligott, a 6-5 setter/outside hitter from Mundelein.Also breaking the top 10 a...
Presenting the latest Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girls Club Rankings
Club Fusion 18 Silver went 9-0 to win the 18 American division at the recent Winter Volleyball Championships at McCormick Place and earn a bid to the USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Phoenix, Arizona. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorMaybe, it’s cold outside, but club volleyball is beginning to heat up.The initial Windy City Power League 18/17 Open Seeding Event wrapped up last weekend with only a few surprises, while SPVB 18 Elite flexed its muscle at the first Champions Cup event at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.This...