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...
Oswego sticks to the game plan and Allen delivers in win over Plainfield North
Ben Rosenow had 5 kills and 3 aces in Oswego's win over Plainfield North on Thursday in Oswego. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorOswego had a three-pronged game plan following its tough 17-25, 25-18, 25-16 loss Tuesday to Plainfield East, the Panthers’ first in Southwest Prairie Conference play.Part I: Fix what was broken.“We worked on what we needed to work on in practice (Wednesday),” said Oswego’s 6-foot libero Alex Rosenow.Part II: Talk about how you respond following a loss, and stick to it.“We want to win c...
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...
Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year preparing for freshman year at Penn State
Nazareth graduate Katie Hurta changed her college plans in February and opted to play for former Mother McAuley great Katie Schumacher-Cawley at Penn State. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Katie Hurta helped to lead her Nazareth team past Belvidere North in the IHSA Class 3A championship match last November. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comIndiana’s loss is Pennsylvania’s gain.A year ago, Katie Hurta was preparing for her senior season at Nazareth. In the 12 months that followed, much has happened, including a decision by the 2021-22 Ga...
Plainfield East maps a 'trust'-worthy victory over visiting Lincoln-Way West
Geography. Led by Matthew Molnar, Downers Grove South defeated Downers Grove North on Tuesday. Twenty-four hours later, Plainfield East surprises Lincoln-Way West. And tomorrow, another key geographic showdown when Glenbard West visits Lincoln-Way East. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comOne thing is apparent about the new Plainfield East boys volleyball head coach Jeff Wilkie.He trusts his players. That trust paid off in his coaching debut Wednesday. The Bengals held off a rally in the opener and...
Chemistry fuels 1st Alliance 17 Gold; emotion is the potion for Sky High 17 Elite
Kamryn Chaney of 1st Alliance 17 Gold and Marist smashes a kill past the outstretched arms of two VC United 171 defenders during the final day of Windy City Power League seeding Saturday at 1st Alliance in Woodridge. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhat a week for 1st Alliance 17 Gold.First, the girls from the western suburbs earned an Open bid to the USAV Girls Junior National Championship by crushing the field at the 2022 Mizuno Northern Lights Qualifier last weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.Then Saturday, 17 Gold ...
No. 6 Mahomet-Seymour shorthanded during three-set loss to No. 1 U-High
Mahomet-Seymour setter Madalyn Gaede set the ball for teammate Sydney McKinney during Thursday's 25-12, 22-25, 25-16 loss at Normal University High. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Two state-ranked teams on a roll collided in the Normal University High Gym on Thursday and it was the host Pioneers who rocked on.Ranked No. 1 in Class 3A by Illprepvb.com, U-High won its 13th consecutive match with a 25-12, 22-25, 25-16 decision over No. 6 Mahomet-Seymour.After that Game 2 meltdown, Pioneer coach&...
Vander Wal, Warren head Illprepvb.com’s top-ranked players in the Class of 2025
Maureen Pokryfke (right) was second on West Aurora's varsity team in kills and blocks last fall and is currently playing for Fusion 15 Red. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we rank the top players in the Class of 2025. The list is headed by 6-3 outside hitter Abby Vander Wal (Timothy Christian), who has powered 1st Alliance 15 Gold to a 16-3 record in the Windy City Power League, and 5-8 Aniya Warren, who is carrying on the tradition of great liberos at Benet Academy. The list also includes two downstate Illinois freshmen who showca...
Fairfield's Robbins, Evansville United get warm welcome at SPVB Presidents Day
Kaylee Sharkey (80) and SPVB 18 Kahl stayed perfect in the 2022 SPVB Presidents Day Challenge at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center on Saturday by outlasting Xcel 18 Elite (Hendersonville, North Carolina), 21-25, 25-21, 25-20, 24-26, 15-11. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/FFy6ZN1HQ8o By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhen you grow up playing volleyball in Fairfield, Illinois, you really only have two choices if you plan to play club – St. Louis, Missouri, slightly more than 120 miles to the west, or Evansville, Indiana, sl...
Naperville North celebrates Urban's 500th win, beats WW South for victory No. 501
Six-foot-5 middle hitter Ava Bogan (7) and the Loyola Ramblers, who lost to Glenbrook South, 25-19, 25-23, in the semifinals of the New Trier tournament Saturday, turned the tables on the Titans Wednesday, defeating Glenbrook South, 25-23, 23-25, 26-24. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comNaperville North coach Jennifer Urban recorded her 500th career victory when the Huskies beat Rolling Meadows on Friday.The Huskies recognized the achievement with a brief announcement on Wednesday, then went out and got Ur...