Providence fell to red-hot Mother McAuley in a game featuring the Warfield cousins competing against each other for the first time. First cousins Juliana (left) and Lexi Warfield. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comJuliana may have won the battle, but Lexi won the war of the Warfields. For the first time, first cousins Lexi Warfield (Mother McAuley) and Juliana Warfield (Providence Catholic) squared off against each other on the volleyball court. Juliana, a 5-foot-6 sophomore outside hitter, finished with a match-high 10 kills. Playi...
Transitioning from high school to club presents 18s with challenge at Velocity
Jack Yurkanin and Ultimate B18 Gold are using the Asics Boys Summer Challenge to get ready for nationals beginning June 30 in Dallas. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) This weekend’s Asics Boys Summer Challenge at Velocity Athletic Center in Mokena is serving as the final tune-up for several teams that have qualified for the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships, June 30-July 7, in Dallas, Texas. Among them is Ultimate B18 Gold, which finished second in the country as 17s last year and has its eyes on the big prize next week with a rost...
Evanston foiled by Moy, No. 21 Niles West in CSL South opener for both teams
https://youtu.be/_-In8IlF1IM Niles West coach Drew Roche did not have another setter on his roster when Kyle Moy walked into the gymnasium on the first day of practice in 2017. “When he came in his freshman year, we were running a 5-1,” Roche said. “We all thought, ‘OK, you’re the varsity setter by default.’ But he proved he belonged at the varsity level from the get-go.”Two years later, Moy has proven that he not only belongs, he is one of the best setters in Illinois.Wednesday in Evanston, Moy dished out 25 assists to lead No. 21 Ni...
630 Volleyball’s mission: win national championships, prepare players for college
Serve City 16 National will fly the Serve City flag at USAVs this summer, but will be playing under the 630 Volleyball banner during the 2019-20 season. Former Glenbard East player, college assistant and USA Men's Junior National Team technical coordinator Alex Hurlburt. Alex Hurlburt knew his body could not withstand the rigors of playing competitive volleyball after he played his final match for Glenbard East in 2010.“I was fairly tall and fairly athletic, but not skilled in any way,” he said. “After I made it through that last match m...
Cyclones kick up a storm at Navy Pier, win Asics Junior National 17s, 18s championships
Cyclones 17 Black Adidas defeated Epic United 17 Elite ROX to win the 17s age division title of the Asics Junior National Volleyball Championships Sunday at Navy Pier. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThere was a fog hanging over Navy Pier early Sunday morning. By 3:00 p.m. or so, it had turned into a cyclone. The Cyclones 17 Black Adidas volleyball team, that is. After finishing second in their age group in the same tournament the past three years, the Cyclones completed their mission this year, defeating Epic United 17 RO...
Newark ready to defend 1A title, West Aurora faces challenge in SPC & more
With minimal losses to graduation and players like Madi Malone and Mattie Chapman returning from last year's 40-2 Class 1A champion, Newark is a heavy favorite to repeat in 2019. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) School: Addison Trail Conference: West Suburban GoldHead coach: Dan StylerLast season’s highlights: 17-19 overall, 4-2 in conference (third place), fifth place (of 16 teams) at Metea Valley/Oswego tournament, third place (of eight teams) at Willowbrook tournament, lost to Glenbard North, 25-23, 25-22, in a Class 4A regional s...
Bulthuis, Chicago Christian soldier onward, but Timothy earns the win at night’s end
Six-foot-6 middle hitter Zach Bulthuis (No. 79, shown here playing with Ultimate B18 Gold), is enjoying this high school season with his Chicago Christian teammates. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Chicago Christian's Zach Bulthuis will continue his playing career at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comZach Bulthuis had a big smile.He had every reason to. An outside hitter on the Ultimate B18 Gold team, Bulthuis never got to officially experience playing for his high school team...
No. 1-ranked Glenbard West rolls to championship at Glenbard East’s Springfest
Glenbard West rolled past Neuqua Valley to win Springfest on Saturday at Glenbard East. Despite the graduation of 6-foot-7 outside hitter Stone Metz and 6-10 middle hitter JT Ardell from last year’s third-place IHSA finisher, Glenbard West’s Ryan Swartz said this is probably the deepest team he has been a part of. So is the 6-2 senior outside hitter afraid of losing his job? “No,” Swartz said. “Not yet.” No. 1-ranked Glenbard West (9-0) showed off its depth at Saturday’s Springfest boys’ volleyball tournament at Glenbard East, running a...
Who is this week’s Illprepvb.com ‘Player of the Week?’
Each week during the season, Illprepvb.com will name a "Player of the Week" selected from nominations provided by Illinois volleyball coaches. Coaches can nominate their players by providing a 100-150 word summary of their achievement and a large quality headshot and sending it to illprepvb@gmail.com by noon on Sunday of the week for which they wish to nominate a player.This week’s “Player of the Week” is Barrington’s 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter Peyton Tilly, who led the West Division champion Fillies to their 12th Mid-Suburban League ch...
A step up in class will challenge St. Thomas More, new coach
Alabama recruit Allie Trame is the only senior who will take the floor this fall for St. Thomas More, which was bumped up to Class 3A by the IHSA's "success factor." (Photo by Dave Ruggles) St. Thomas More's Allie Trame pounded down 17 kills in the 2018 Class 3A third-place match. New coach. New class. Pretty much the same cast. Founded in the fall of 2000 with an enrollment of 18 students, (Champaign) St. Thomas More has recently established itself as a powerhouse in Illinois high school girls’ volleyball. In 2017, the Sabres ...