The 2026 AAU Girls National Volleyball Championships opens Tuesday and local teams are looking to bring home some hardware from Orlando. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor The 2026 AAU Girls National Volleyball Championships kicks off Tuesday, June 16, in Orlando, Florida, and a few local teams hope to use their performance at last weekend’s Land of Lincoln tournament as a springboard to the medal stand in the Sunshine State. Two the local entries – SPVB 17 Elite and Illini Elite 17 Cardinal – both destined for the 17 Open di...
OPRF’s Jimmie Chrusfield is the Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week
Oak Park-River Forest's 6-2 junior Jimmie Chrusfield led the Huskies to their first IHSA championship game appearance since 1998 and their fourth second-place finish in program history. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor Oak Park-River Forest’s 6-2 junior outside hitter Jimmie “Trayce” Chrusfield hates losing, whether he’s playing for his high school team or as a member of the U.S. Men’s U19 National Team.Three weeks ago, Chrusfield was one of three Illinois high school players to make the U19 traveling tea...
Glenbard West turns back Oak Park-River Forest to claim IHSA championship No. 6
Oak Park-River Forest's Matthew Proskey (left) meets Glenbard West sophomore Jack Belda (18) at the net during play Saturday in the IHSA championship match at Bolingbrook. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorOtis Yahn does not have the complete set, but now he has the one that matters most.Yahn, Glenbard West’s 6-4 middle blocker and the team’s elder statesman, earned a bronze medal as a sophomore when the Hilltoppers finished third in the IHSA tournament in 2024, and collected a silver medal as a junior last spri...
Glenbard West, Libertyville, OPRF and Marist advance to IHSA boys semifinals
Junior setter Drew Fiedler (8) will seek to lead Marist to its third consecutive IHSA championship Saturday in Bolingbrook after the RedHawks defeated Lane Tech, 25-22, 25-19, in a quarterfinal Friday in Bolingbrook. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor “O…P…R…”“O…P…R…” “O…P…R…” “O…P…R…” “O…P…R…” Five times, the Oak Park-River Forest fans tried to count down the final point of the Huskies’ IHSA quarterfinal match against Lake Park Friday in Bolingbrook after their team had taken a 24-15 lead in...
Marist looks to go back-to-back-to-back, but Glenbard West, others want their say
Junior outside htter Tommy Clifford (20_ and his Glenbard West teammates are chasing the program's sixth IHSA boys' championship this weekend in Bolingbrook. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorGlenbard West and Marist have a lot in common this weekend.They’re both chasing Wheaton Warrenville South.Wheaton Warrenville South owns the IHSA record for most boys volleyball titles with seven. Glenbard West and Marist both have five. Marist has won the last two. Glenbard West is seeking its first since the 2023 season.Mar...
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Chrusfield, OPRF ace Brother Rice test; Glenbard West extends state streak to 12
Bolingbrook's Dom Pietruszewski (5) looks for someone to set during the sectional championship match Tuesday at Hinsdale South. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Jimmie Chrusfield is quite a talent. Already an outside hitter on the U.S. Men's U19 National Team, the Oak Park-River Forest junior had one thing he hadn't experienced. A trip to the IHSA state finals. But Tuesday, he helped to make sure that the drought would end.Chrusfield had 11 kills, a block and 3 aces, including the ...
Father knows best in Lincoln-Way debate; Bolingbrook, Glenbard West moving on
Joey Vellenga (11) and Lincoln-Way Central fell to Lincoln-Way East, 25-21, 24-26, 25-23, in an IHSA sectional semifinal Saturday in Frankort. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.comLincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore put it best. “I was going no matter what,” Fiore said of traveling to O'Fallon for the sectional title match at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday. “I just didn't know if I'd be going as a dad or a coach.”He is going as a coach.Lincoln-Way East captured a scintillating 25-21, 24-26, 25-23 victory over distri...
Stepanich, York live to play another day; Bratt’s leadership pivotal for WW South
Wheaton Warrenville South overcame the loss of outside hitter Marko Polovina 9 points into the match to defeat St. Charles North, 17-25, 27-25, 25-15, in the regional championship match Thursday in Warrenville. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Hunter Stepanich has had quite the high school career.The York senior played for a volleyball state title as a sophomore, a Class 8A football championship as a junior and led the Dukes on an improbable run to the Class 4A semifinals in basketball this winter. ...
Top-seeded Oak Park-River Forest avoids ‘trap,’ defeats No. 17 Hinsdale Central
Jimmie Chrusfield (6) and Argo sectional No.1 seed Oak Park-River Forest defeated No. 17 seed Hinsdale Central Tuesday in a regional semifinal at Hinsdale Central. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor What is a trap game? That’s when a heavily favored, superior team gets unexpectedly upset by a supposedly weaker opponent. This happens because the better team unknowingly “looks ahead,” leaving them unfocused and vulnerable.Oak Park-River Forest, the No. 1 seed in the Argo sectional, could have succumbed to su...