By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Wren Decker won't be there next season when Nazareth is back at the ASICS Challenge.But the senior outside hitter was glad that she helped her team get there.Decker crushed 7 kills, including the match winner, as the Roadrunners rallied down the stretch of the second set and defeated York 25-17, 28-26 on Saturday to win the McAuley Preview Tournament.The winner of the Preview tournament automatically advances to next year’s ASICS Tournament, which is one of the top tournaments in the country. It was ...
Sandburg, Riverside-Brookfield rule invites; Barrington speeds past New Trier
Barrington setter Kyle Vasquez dumps one over the net during the the Broncos' win over New Trier Saturday at North Central College. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThis is the time of the season a team wants to hit its stride. Sandburg certainly is.The Eagles scored the final 3 points of the match and slipped past Downers Grove North, 18-25, 25-21, 25-23, to capture the championship of the Richards Tournament on Saturday in Oak Lawn.Junior rightside hitter David Vales, who is the son of the Eagles’ coach by ...
This time, Minooka, Lewis get the better of Marist to win Tiger Classic title
AJ Lewis had 17 kills to lead Minooka past Marist for the Tiger Classic championship. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Same teams. One week later. Different result. With his team trailing 14-9 in the third set, Minooka’s 6-foot-4 outside hitter AJ Lewis sparked a 5-0 run with 3 kills and a block as the Indians rallied for an 18-25, 26-24, 25-23 victory in the championship match of the 17th annual Tiger Classic at Wheaton Warrenville South. Lewis finished with 17 kills as Minooka reversed a 25-21, 25-21 loss suffered at the hands of Mar...
Lincoln-Way West, Barrington reach Gold; St. Rita dumps No. 5 seed Arch. McCarthy
Lincoln-Way West defeated Metea Valley and Downers Grove South on Friday to advance to the Gold bracket at the 17th Annual Tiger Classic. https://youtu.be/Q-S--Hv9_vI Lincoln-Way West saw what happened to two other tops seeds Thursday at the 17th Annual Tiger Classic at Wheaton Warrenville South.The Warriors made it a point Friday not to become one of the ignominiously vanquished. “I saw couple of the other seeded teams lost,” said Lincoln-Way West’s 6-foot-4 senior rightside hitter Louden Moran. “I guess that was a good goal for us … ...
Match of the Week: Hard-working Murczek helps Richards turn back Shepard
Richards' Sarah Murczek, Lindsey Dryier, Alexa Curta, Jenna Weiland and Lauren Birmingham. From the time her uncle, former Marist standout and San Diego State assistant coach Ken Murczek, put a volleyball in her hands when she was a young girl, Richard’s 5-foot-10 outside hitter Sarah Murczek has been one of the hardest-working players in the Chicago area. “She's a special player,” said Richards coach Troy Grevengoed. “That kid has worked so hard to get where she has. She hasn't done that just by showing up. She does something ext...
Mercy? Sterling will have none of it against LaSalle-Peru
Sterling remained unbeaten Tuesday with its straight-set win over rival LaSalle-Peru. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comNo mercy.That’s what the Sterling girls volleyball team showed Tuesday against LaSalle-Peru.No. 2-ranked Sterling defeated its Northern Illinois Big Twelve Conference rival, 25-14, 25-17, in Sterling.The Borum sisters accounted for 25 kills in the win. The victory keeps Sterling (19-0, 4-0) undefeated. The Cavaliers (13-3, 2-2) fell two games behind the Golden Warriors at the midway point of the confe...
Marian Catholic doesn’t stop believing, beats Mother McAuley at Rich East
Marian Catholic rallied from a 9-point deficit in the first set to defeat Mother McAuley and win the Rich East tournament.By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com"Don't Stop Believin.'"No, the Journey song was not played at Rich East High School on Saturday evening. But if it had been, it would have been the theme song of the Marian Catholic girls’ volleyball team.Down by 9 points midway through the opening set, the Spartans charged back, saved 4 set points and rallied for a 26-24, 25-18 victory over Mother McAuley to capture the championshi...
Upsets mark first day of Tiger Classic as L-W East, WW South fall in pool play
Naperville Central stunned No. 2 seed Lincoln-Way East Thursday at the Tiger Classic. https://youtu.be/64Bs8RT4ZnQ Second-seeded Lincoln-Way East went down twice. No. 7 seed Wheaton Warrenville South fell once. Unbeaten Marist survived a challenge from Glenbrook North with Marty Jepsen home sick. It was that kind of night Thursday at the 17th Annual Tiger Classic hosted by Wheaton Warrenville South. Naperville Central got the upset ball rolling when it stunned Lincoln-Way East, 25-17, 18-25, 25-21, in the first round of Pool B. ...
Murphysboro defeats Massac County, keeps conference hopes alive
Photos by Paul W. Brinker Five-time defending conference champion Murphysboro earned a share of the Southern Illinois River-to-River Ohio Division lead by defeating Massac County 25-20, 14-25, 25-22 at home Thursday.“It was a three-set thriller and the fans got their money’s worth as Murphysboro now evens the score and takes a share of the lead for its pursuit of its sixth straight conference title,” said Murphysboro coach Mike Layne.Murphysboro (13-6 overall and 5-1 in conference) was led by 5-foot-10 sophomore Kylee Kerrens, who had 12 k...
Oblazny returns, Stagg stymies Shepard; WW South stifles Geneva in DuKane debut
Junior middle hitter Kyler Nielsen and Wheaton Warrenville South had little trouble with visiting Geneva in both teams' DuKane Conference opener Tuesday in Wheaton.(photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comStagg is looking to hit its stride. With a healthy Jeff Oblazny back in the lineup, the Chargers hope to make some noise as the season progresses. They pulled away down the stretch of both sets to defeat Shepard, 25-17, 25-18, in the battle of Palos in a nonconference match-up Tuesday at Shepard. Obl...