Joliet West coach Al Mart is flanked by (from left) freshman libero Olivia Baxter, junior outside hitter Olivia Ryan, freshman outside hitter Ava Grevengoed and senior defensive specialist Brianne Doran, the lone senior on his roster. Bolingbrook's Lauren Shroba and Cydney Anderson. Bolingbrook’s Lauren Shroba had not seen her teammates in person in 10 days, even the one who occupies the bedroom next to hers.“We just stayed in our rooms the whole time,” she said. “It was really weird. I don't think I saw her for a whole week until the la...

Sam Buckley (middle row, third from left), who played rightside hitter for Benet last spring, is the lone returning starter for the Redwings this fall, and she will not be returning to the position she played as a junior. A minor bump in the road?Or a pothole the size of Pontiac?Benet has won four of the last nine Class 4A championships – 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019. It has won 13 consecutive regional championships, played in 12 sectional championships over the last 13 years (winning eight of them), and has won a state trophy seven times d...

Lincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore is spearheading a move to expand boys' volleyball in Illinois. Wanted: A few good volunteers to help grow boys’ volleyball in Illinois.Lincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore is serving as the lead Illinois representative for the First Point Volleyball Foundation, which was established in 2016 by the USA Men’s National Team head coach John Speraw and non-profit executive Wade Garard.The mission of the First Point Volleyball Foundation is to connect donors to the men’s volleyball programs that need them the ...

Lyons' 6-foot-8 middle blocker Sam Peters (17, far right) figures to be a force at the net for Lions' coach Brad Skendzel. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Illprepvb.com continues its look at the 2020 boys' high school volleyball season with another set of team previews. Illprepvb.com provides the best in boys volleyball coverage throughout the season anywhere in the state. School: AndrewConference: Southwest SuburbanHead coach: Troy Hari      Last season’s highlights: 12-13 overall, 2-6 in conference, lost to Marist, 25-...

Benet junior Kirsten Krammer (15) had 7 kills for the Redwings in Tuesday's loss to Marist. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). https://youtu.be/Dm6zAEBCUqI By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorElise Ward admitted that, for a moment, her mind flashed back to last spring.“I try not to think about that one,” said Marist’s junior rightside hitter. “It wasn't the best."Last spring, in the season finale for both teams, Benet rallied after dropping the first set to defeat Marist, 23-25, 25-11, 25-22. The Redwings finished 10-0 during the COVID-shorten...

Bolingbrook, which won the 24-team tournament at Joliet Junior College this summer, looks to build on the success of last spring's team which went 10-3 and posted wins over Joliet Catholic and Lockport. Today is the first day of practice and tryout for hundreds of high schools across Illinois, anticipating that we will have a full and interrupted season of girls volleyball in 2021.As we learned last week, masks will be mandatory at all volleyball events this fall -- practices, matches and tournaments -- but it seems like small price to pa...

Katlyn Sipes and her St. Francis teammates reached a Class 3A supersectional in 2019 before falling to eventual third=-place finisher Nazareth. (Photo courtesy of Daily Herald). Olivia Sipes is making quite a name for herself following in her older sister's footsteps. Katlyn Sipes cannot explain it.Unlike her sister Olivia, age 10, who followed Katlyn into volleyball after watching her older sister compete at the local and national level, youngest sister Beatrice, age 8, rejected volleyball for a sport dominated by men.“She plays ice hoc...

Wheaton Warrenville South's 6-2 freshman Lauren Coyne hits past the block of Barrington's Berkeley Ploder (10) and Megan Bergquist (1) while Jenna Meitzler (11) looks on during Monday's nonconference match in Wheaton. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Wheaton Warrenville South's Rebecca Bellows (17) and Barrington's Campbell Paris (25) meet at the net. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorHomecoming hangover?“I think about three-quarters of us were sleeping on the bus on the way here,” said Barrington sophomore setter/oppo...

Marist coach Jordan Vidovic, who won girls' and boys' state titles during the 2018-19 academic year, is hoping for some degree of normalcy in 2021. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Lockport boys' and girls' volleyball coach Nick Mraz. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThis high school sports year will be like no other, especially in volleyball.Because of the coronavirus, the girl's season was moved to the IHSA’s reconfigured “spring” season and the boys will play during the “summer.” This will create a non-stop bevy of high school volle...