Plainfield South's Cougars found themselves on the wrong end of the score Thursday at Minooka. (photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comIt was “next man up” and Minooka didn't miss a beat. Playing in its first match since winning the Wheaton Warrenville South Tiger Classic last Saturday, the Indians found themselves without senior middle hitter Noah Easter.“Noah has whatever is going around,” said Minooka coach Mike Kargle. “He was too sick to get out of bed.” Enter Jordan Boe. The sophomore stepped in at middle ...

Bolingbrook, which set a school record for wins this spring, has shown it can't be taken lightly in the IHSA tournament. (Photos by Dave Ruggles). Bolingbrook’s 6-foot-5 outside hitter Rico Wardlow played “about five or six sports” growing up, but … “I wasn't really good at any of them,” he said.That’s when his parents took him to a volleyball camp at Bolingbrook High School the summer before his freshman year.“I will never forget that day,” said Bolingbrook coach Molly DeSerf. “Rico came to camp as a freshman. His dad brought him. His dad...

Megan Williams and Newark, who rate as heavy favorites to repeat as IHSA Class 1A champions, are getting ready for the regular season at the UNO Summer League. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Newark's Madi Malone is expected to be at full strength when the regular season begins August 26. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Two girls’ volleyball programs that have experienced a lot of recent success were on the court together Wednesday at the UNO Volleyball Center in Joliet.  Although neither Minooka nor Newark were at full stre...

Hersey avenged two earlier losses to Barrington to win the Mid-Suburban League championship Wednesday in Arlington Heights. Junior outside hitter Ben Ridgway was the lone bright spot for Barrington Wednesday at Hersey. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Hersey setter Jakub Migus said his team was overthinking too much earlier in the season, particularly on defense.Now the Huskies can think of themselves as Mid-Suburban League champions.Migus had 22 assists, 2 kills and a block, junior outside hitter Tim Nugent had 9 kills, and No. 23 Hersey (27-7 o...

Lincoln-Way West broke a 1-1 tie in this season's series with rival Lincoln-Way East with its win Tuesday, but more importantly, the Warriors kept their Southwest Suburban Conference title hopes alive. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Lincoln-Way West libero Tyler Vedder. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Dargan dominated the middle. Running the game plan to perfection, Chris Dargan had 9 kills and 3 blocks and fellow middle hitter Shane Wegrzyn added 6 kills as host Lincoln-Way West moved a step closer to earning at least a sh...

Massac County and Montini are two teams dropping down from Class 3A to 2A for the 2019 and 2020 seasons thanks to the IHSA's new enrollment reclassification policy. School: BarringtonConference: Mid-Suburban WestHead coach: Michelle Jakubowski     Last season’s highlights: 24-12 overall, 9-1 in conference, defeated Buffalo Grove, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21, to win Mid-Suburban League championship, lost to Cary-Grove, 25-20, 25-16, in Class 4A regional semifinal.Top returnees: 5-11 senior middle blocker Noelle Daehler, 5-3 seni...

Louden Moran (far left) had 5 kills Monday to help Lincoln-Way West defeat Minooka. (photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com It’s only the second week of April, but Monday's match-up between No. 2 Minooka and No. 4 Lincoln-Way West could have implications for the end of May. The two teams figure to be the top seeds in the local sub-sectional as part of the Belleville East sectional.  A lot can happen between now and then, but at the moment, it's Lincoln-Way West with the upper hand as Ben Pluskota led a...

Lincoln-Way East and Sandburg, which met for the Velocity Summer League title Thursday, should be among the top teams in the south suburbs this fall. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThere were times at the end of last season that Lincoln-Way East had five sophomores on the floor.The Griffins took some lumps with the youth movement, finishing the season 18-19. It was their first losing record since 2009 and the first losing season for coach Kris Fiore. But if its performance during the summer is any indication, Lincoln-Way East won't ...

Whitney Young’s (left to right) Chelsea Thorpe, Jordan Quinones, Anya Korbut, Bianca Hernandez and Perry Lucas with head coach Keba Phipps. By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com As a two-time Olympian, Keba Phipps knows something about playing with the best and playing against the best. Now the head volleyball coach at Whitney Young, Phipps took her team to play the best in the state on Thursday when the Dolphins traveled to Marist. There, the host RedHawks continued to do what they have all season and cruised to a 25-19, 25...