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 complete just the sixth unbeaten season (albeit an abbreviated one) for an Illinois boys' volleyball team when it defeated Lake Park, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19, Saturday at Glenbard West. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) After weeks and weeks of speculation (will we or won’t we?), we did.The 2021 boys’ volleyball season ended with an IHSA-sponsored tournament. And though, as always, it was far from perfect – sectional imbalance and “geographic representation” continue to be issues the IHSA refuses to address – somehow, the two best te...

1st Alliance 17 Silver takes over the top spot in the latest 17s rankings despite going 1-6 at the Triple Crown NIT in Kansas City, Missouri, last weekend. While the Illinois boys’ high school season enter the home stretch, the girls club season continues in earnest for the 17-and-under age groups.  Local clubs have been in action at the Triple Crown NIT in Kansas City, Missouri, May 29-31, and the 2021 adidas Windy City National Qualifier in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 14-16, among other events both local and out-of-state.Looming o...

A number of Illinois club teams will head to the 2021 SCVA Junior Boys Invitational at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, from May 21-23, to either improve their seeding position for nationals or to qualify. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) The boys’ club season is winding down – save for the 2021 Southern California Volleyball Association (SCVA) Junior Boys Invitational at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, from May 21-23, and the big one in Kansas City in late June.Twenty-six Illinois-based teams h...

SPVB 18 Lenny came up short in its bid to win a third consecutive 18 USA title at last weekend's Winter Volleyball Championship in Indianapolis. In two weekends, the boys from Aurora will go for their second consecutive USA crown at the 21 Dennis Lafata Boys Bid Classic in St. Louis. Indianapolis was not hospitable to a lot of teams from Illinois last weekend, but then again, like their sisters, the boys from the Land of Lincoln have been behind the eight ball compared to their brethren from outside Illinois where COVID-19 restrictions...

Chicago Bounce 16 Red will look a lot like last year's 15 Red team with eight players back from the team that finished third at the Dennis Lafata Boys Bid Classic last winter. Boys’ volleyball clubs throughout Illinois (and southeastern Wisconsin) got some bad news earlier this month when Palos Courts was forced to postpone the start of the 2020-21 Palos Point Series due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The news got even worse this week when Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzer announced he would be shutting down indoor youth sports beginning Friday, al...

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...

Pipeline 18-1 advanced to the championship match of the 18 USA division at the USAV Boys Junior National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri. The party is over … for at least a few weeks.A chaotic boys’ club volleyball season – which began last fall with tryouts, took a brief hiatus during an abbreviated boys’ high school season, and resumed with practice ahead of the USAV Boys Junior National Championships, all with the specter of COVID hanging over participants and spectators alike – is finally over.    Time to res...

ESVBC Elite 15U Ice (Eastside Volleyball Club, East Peoria) joins the rankings after winning the Midwest Challenge at Academy Volleyball Club in Indianapolis on January 30-31. This is the last installment of Illprepvb.com’s latest look at some of the top clubs in Illinois in their respective age groups.Like we said back in December, the 15s are always the most difficult to predict for a number of reasons. This season, that uncertainty was magnified partly because many 14s experienced a shortened competitive season in 2020, and in some...

Lions 15-1 showed a lot of determination Sunday to defeat Adversity G15 Adidas at UNO Volleyball Club and win the 15 Girls division of the GLR Girls Regional Qualifier. Lions 15-1 outside hitter Elizabeth Sessa tips the ball between Adversity G15 Adidas defenders Morgan Jones (20) and Josilyn Wadas (6). Photo by Dave Ruggles. The GLR Girls Regional Qualifier is in the books. There were a few surprises. There were also some predictable finishes.  What's next?The girls' high school season kicks off Saturday, interrupted briefly ...