Donna Dulle led Mt. Pulaski to 1,127 wins, 23 sectional championships, 14 IHSA state tournament appearances and two state titles during her 39 years as head coach. (Photo courtesy of Decatur Herald-Review) Former Mt. Pulaski coach Donna Dulle directed the (Downs) Tr-Valley freshman and eighth grade teams last year. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comDOWNS – Considering Donna Dulle’s volleyball coaching success, many jobs would seem to be beneath someone of her stature.That explains why Josh Roop, Tri-Valley High School’s athletic dir...
Glenbard West smacks previously unbeaten Marist; Mustangs win two-horse race
Barrington's 6-10 sophomore Cole Hartke had 4 kills and 4 blocks in Barrington's loss to Downers Grove South in the championship match of the Richard Griesheim Invitational Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepb.comNo Dorsey, no problem.Playing without one of its top players, outside hitter Danny Dorsey, who was out ill all weekend, Glenbard West handed top-ranked Marist its first loss of the season with a dominating 25-20, 25-16 victory Saturday in the championship of the Smack Attack Tournament at Brother Ric...
St. Thomas More denies Augusta Southeastern its Cinderella finish
Freeport Aquin's Lucy Arndt had 15 kills to lead ther Bulldogs past Springfield Lutheran in the IHSA Class 1A third-place game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Class 1A By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – For one brief shining moment …Tiny Augusta Southeastern, drawing from the communities of Augusta (population: 900), Bowen (500), West Point (200), Plymouth (350), Colmar and Huntsville in the far west central county of Hancock, faced off against St. Thomas More, which draws from the city of Champaign (population: 87,636) and surroundi...
Here is the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Honorable Mention Team
Barrington's Amanda Cleary (above) and Augusta Southeastern freshman Amanda Stephens (on the home page) are among the players named to the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Girls All-State Honorable Mention Team. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Girls All-State Volleyball Team and those players selected as “Honorable Mention.” Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments o...
Brannigan moves on from error, leads Marist past Hinsdale Central in thriller
Hinsdale Central's Jakobi Lange (left) had a match-high 14 kills, but it was not enough as Marist defeated the Red Devils in three sets Tuesday in Hinsdale. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comLuke Brannigan got a second chance. This time, he put it away. Brannigan, a sophomore outside hitter, banged the match-winning kill as Marist scored the final 5 points and defeated Hinsdale Central, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, in a match between two of the state’s top teams Tuesday in Hinsdale. “It felt pretty good, but I als...
Montini rains on Pleasant Plains to claim 'inevitable' Class 2A championship
Pleasant Plains' Sienna Hadley (15) tries to beat the double block of Montini's Sienna Skarda (15) and Isabel Evenson (10) during Saturday's Class 2A championship game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Class 2ABy Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – Death, taxes (for all but most major U.S. corporations) and Montini winning the Class 2A championship Saturday at Redbird Arena.Inevitable.From the time the IHSA released the enrollment ranges for the various fall sports back in late summer, there was very little short of an act of the Almighty ...
Barrington awakens from slumber, rallies to beat Lockport at Andrew invite
Barrington defeated Lockport at the Andrew invite Saturday to improve to 12-0. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBarrington’s 6-1 junior setter/opposite Jenna Meitzler knows when it’s coming.“The first five points (of a match) are really big for us, because if we go down during the first five points, we just let them run the next 10,” she said.So, when Lockport jumped out to a 5-1 lead in Game 1 of the championship match Saturday at Andrew, it was no surprise to Meitzler and her teammates to find themselves down 15-5 before Barrington c...
Presenting the initial Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 15's Girls Club rankings
Lauren Coyne (far right) of Wheaton Warrenville South is one of the reasons Sports Performance 15 Elite should be one of the top 15's teams in the state this club season. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) The 2022 Windy City Power League seeding tournament starts next Saturday at a number of sites throughout the Chicago area and we’ll get our first look at many of the teams listed here, but for now, it’s mostly speculation as we present our first rankings of the season. The 15s are always the most difficult to predict for a variety of reasons....
St. Laurence gets its kicks behind pair of multisport athletes and two brother acts
Downers Grove South (far court) will join the field Saturday at Springfest hosted by Glenbard East and featuring Glenbard West and Plainfield North. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThe St. Laurence boys’ volleyball team is getting its kicks this season.Led by a couple of players who are used to using their feet in a sport, the host Vikings continued their nice start with a 25-18, 25-19 victory over Montini in a Chicago Catholic League Conference crossover matchup Thursday in Burbank. The hosts’ Thomas Suchec...
Wrobel sizzles, Metea Valley cooks; McAuley, Marist, W'Brook, WW South win
Plainfield North junior Lauren Jansen (11) hits past the block attempt of Benet's Anne Eschenbach (17) and Sam Buckley (11) during Monday's sectional semifinal at Oswego. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) At OswegoBy Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comBenet had tradition, desire and grit on its side Monday.What the Redwings didn’t have was Ella Wrobel.Wrobel was an unstoppable force, ripping 19 kills to go with 13 service points and a career-best 6 aces, leading second-seeded Plainfield North past third-seeded Benet, 25-14, 18-25, 25-18, at the Cl...