Huntley, with four Division I recruits, is hoping to make a big splash in 2022. Rankings. Somebody’s got to do ‘em. So here we go. Another year, another best guess.Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld says her 2022 team is the strongest she’s had since the 2016 group that was declared national champion. But there’s no shortage of challengers, including Barrington, which returns nearly everybody from the team that finished third last fall.Elsewhere, Normal U-High and Illinois recruit Lily Barry claim the top spot in Class 3A, Pleasant Pla...

St. Thomas More's Mallory Monahan (6) figures to add a lot of punch to Illini Elite 17 Cardinal this club season. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) The 2022 Windy City Power League seeding tournament for 17’s and 18’s is still two weeks away when we’ll get our first look at many of the teams listed here, but a few have already started competition and others will scrimmage this weekend at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora.As has become the norm, the rankings feature a number of teams that have undergone major “facelifts.” There are also...

Downers Grove South (attacking) is among the teams hoping to advance to the IHSA quarterfinals June 18-19 at Glenbard West. The 2021 IHSA boys’ volleyball tournament will have some unfamiliar wrinkles.One noticeable change in the 2021 tournament is the number of teams competing – 186. That is significantly fewer than the 229 teams entered in the 2019 tournament. Why the sudden drop? Fewer Chicago Public Schools, many of which did not field teams at all this spring due to COVID-19.Secondly, the state finals will not be held at Hoffman Es...

Glenbrook North's Evan Uhlig smashed a kill against Lincoln-Way West during the Wheaton Warrenville South Tiger Classic championship match Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) The more things change, the more they stay the same?Not when it comes to the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Boys High School Rankings.There have been plenty of changes over the past two weeks. But that’s to be expected. Many teams are still finding their way, juggling lineups, searching for the right rotations, and waiting for players to return from injury or … wa...

630 Volleyball 17-1 sits atop the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Boys' 17s Club rankings after winning the 17 Open division at the JVA Showdown in Motown last weekend. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorTime to play catch-up with boys’ volleyball clubs.While the girls were wrapping up their high school season, boys club teams in Illinois were quietly going about their business at THE Point Series at the Wintrust Sports Center in Bedford Park and the Third Coast Invitational at the Wisconsin Center.Last weekend, several Illinois boys...

Plainfield East's Jace Milka (4) battles Bolingbrook's Tristan Benbow (7) and Andrew Sulima (9) during a match last week. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) A beats B, B beats C, C beats …. who? Marist moves up to the No. 1 spot in the first regular-season Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Boys High School Rankings following its win over Lincoln-Way East, which in turn defeated previously No. 1-ranked Glenbard West, which in turn can reclaim the top spot if Marist falters at Warren. Or should Marist stumble, will it be supplanted by 2021 surp...

Adversity G18 Adidas poses with their silver medals Sunday at the 2021 USAV Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Columbus, Ohio, Adversity nearly overcame.Nearly.After dropping the first set, 25-19, to Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Omaha, Nebraska), in the championship match of the 18 Open division at the 2021 USAV Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, Adversity rallied to take the second set, 25-19.The girls from Vernon Hills then eased to leads of 8-6 and 10-8 in the third set. But Premier went on a ...

Michio Chicago 18 National won the Girls 18 USA division at last weekend's Winter Volleyball Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis is in the books. And after traveling to compete in nearby states like Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana, where COVID-19 restrictions were not as severe, Illinois clubs now have the go-ahead to begin scheduling competition in-state.Meanwhile, the qualifier season continues this weekend with the Northern Lights Qualifier Friday through Sunday at the CHI-Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The qualifier o...

Wheaton Warrenville South and sophomore Rebecca Bellows (17) hope to get another shot at top-seeded Loyola at this week's Wheaton Classic. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Breese Mater Dei, Illprepvb.com’s No. 1 team in Class 2A, had its own way last weekend at the Crossroads Classic at Effingham. This weekend, it’s the big schools' turn.The annual Wheaton Classic begins Wednesday with pool play at Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North. And if all goes well, the championship match should wrap up sometime Saturday before midnight.Loyola, un...

Three years ago, St. Francis coach Mike Lynch won his 500th career game. Is this the year he wins his first IHSA championship? Game on. Last week, the IHSA board OK’d a state tournament series for boys’ volleyball in anticipation of the relaxing of Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines on June 11. Sectional assignments have already been announced, and seeding is scheduled for Wednesday, May 19. The state finals will take place Friday-Saturday, June 18-19, at a yet-to-be-disclosed location.“We are excited to be able to of...