Marist is the No. 1 team in the 1st Allliance Volleyball Club/Illprepvb.com Boys Volleyball final regular-season rankings heading into the IHSA tournament. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) The postseason. A chance for redemption. Or an early start to summer. It all begins Monday. Here are the top 25 teams at the end of the regular season, and when and where you can find them as they begin the road to Hoffman Estates. (previous ranking in parentheses) 1. Marist 33-2 (1)Next: Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. vs. winner of Oak Lawn vs. Homewood-Flossmo...

(Photo by Dave Ruggles) Finally at full strength, New Trier put itself back into the IHSA tournament title picture by defeating Oak Park-River Forest at the Northside Classic. Meanwhile, preseason No. 1 Glenbard West, which a few weeks earlier easily handled Oak Park-River Forest, lost to the Huskies in the semifinals. Elsewhere, Minooka didn’t lose to anybody at Metea Valley, and Lake Forest and Neuqua Valley struggled with their two stars playing in the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. Hinsdale Central won the title at York, Leyden won its ...

(Photo by Dave Ruggles) Rumors of Lincoln-Way East’s demise were greatly exaggerated. The defending IHSA tournament champions, who got off to a slow start this season after losing 10 seniors from last year’s titlist, defeated District 210 rival Lincoln-Way West and Glenbard West to win its own invitational Saturday. Ball State recruit Wil McPhillips was named tournament MVP. Next up: the Northside Classic hosted by Glenbrook North and New Trier. Here are the top 25 teams heading into Week Seven. (previous ranking in parenthe...

Eric Epenesa and Edwardsville will host Southwestern Conference rival O'Fallon Tuesday. (photos by Dave Ruggles) Marty Jepsen and Marist repeated as Smack Attack champions, beating Glenbard West in the finals for the second time in two years. Meanwhile, Oak Park defeated Barrington to win the Richard Griesheim Invitational at Downers Grove South, and Palatine only dropped one set while winning its own invite. Next up: the Lincoln-Way East tournament. Here are the top 25 teams heading into Week Six. (previous ranking in parentheses...

Is anyone capable of taking down Glenbard West? That’s the question to ponder this weekend when many of the top teams in Illinois will converge on Downers Grove South and the Smack Attack hosted by Brother Rice, including Glenbard West, Lincoln-Way West and Marist at Brother Rice and Oak Park and New Trier at Downers South. Here are the top 25 teams heading into a pivotal Week Five. (previous ranking in parentheses) 1. Glenbard West 12-0 (1)Hosts league foe Oak Park on Monday, travels to Smack Attack this weekend. 2. Lincoln-Way ...

Niles West captured the title of its own 10-team invite Saturday. Glenbard West demonstrated its depth and dominance while winning Springfest at Glenbard East, Oak Park-River Forest rebounded from losses to Palatine and Marist to win the 24-team event at Warren, previously unranked Niles West handily won its own invite, and poll newcomer Hersey defeated Plainfield South to win at St. Charles East. The tournament schedule is light this week, but there are still some big individual showdowns with Lincoln-Way West hosting Minooka on Mon...

The Windy City Power League 18/17s Division and the Great Lakes Power League Division I are in the books, and Illinois girls club teams are now focusing on the Mideast Qualifier this weekend in Indianapolis and the JVA World Challenge in Louisville on April 7-9. Meanwhile, here are the latest 1st Alliance Volleyball Club/Illprepvb.com Girls Club Volleyball Rankings as of March 18. (Previous ranking in parenthesis) 1. SPVB 18 Elite (1) SPVB 18 Elite wrapped up the Great Lakes Power League Division I championship with a 25-16, 25-22,...