No. 1-ranked Marist rallied after dropping the first set Wednesday to visiting St. Francis. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comAs both the defending Illinois Class 4A state champion and defending national champion, it's easy to say that the Marist girls volleyball team is versatile.But after the RedHawks were trounced Wednesday in the opening set of their home matchup with Wheaton St. Francis, that versatility really showed.After starting the match at libero, Maddie Arundel switched to her usual position at outside hitter. That was the...
Barrington wins MSL title after mounting improbable Game 1 rally
Barrington won its 12th Mid-Suburban League championship and first since 2013 by defeating Buffalo Grove 25-22, 23-25, 25-21 after trailing 9-0 in the first set Wednesday. Coaches consider timeouts precious commodities, to be used judiciously and often to prevent a lead from slipping away. Or not. Barrington coach Michelle Jakubowski burned two timeouts in the first 8 points of the opening set of the Mid-Suburban League Girls Volleyball Championship match Wednesday at Buffalo Grove. She took her first timeout after the Bison sco...
Kane County 18 Gold as good as … well, gold
KC Johnsen has been coaching volleyball for a long time, but he might never have had a group as resilient as this season’s Kane County 18 Gold team.Minus one of the two seniors on the team and with a roster featuring two sophomores and five juniors, Kane County 18 Gold won the 18 Open division at the 2018 Asics National Jr. Volleyball Championships June 15-19 at Navy Pier.“I’m really proud of this group of kids and how resilient they were,” said Johnsen, who founded Kane County Juniors 20 years ago and coached at Geneva for 13 years. “They ...
Angels are back in the 3A fold; Winnebago banking on experience
After spending two seasons in Class 4A, Joliet Catholic Academy ranks among the favorites to win the 3A title in 2018. Illprepvb.com continues its coverage of the 2018 Illinois girls high school season with another set of team previews. School: Deerfield Conference: Central Suburban NorthHead coach: Blake Orlov (second year) Last season’s highlights: 10-23 overall, 2-8 in conference, lost 25-10, 25-14 to Maine West in a Class 4A regional quarterfinal.Top returnees: 6-1 middle hitter Annie Tompkins, 5-9 outside/rightside hitter ...
Where are Illprepvb.com’s top boys recruits going?
What schools have some of the top recruits in Illinois committed to? Class of 2018 J.T. Ardell, 6-10, MH, Glenbard West, Sports Performance, PepperdineErick Avila, 6-0, L/DS, Morton East, Ultimate VBC, Loras CollegeDanny Barlas, 6-1, OH, Andrew, Ultimate VBC, Loras CollegeMatthew Binkus, 6-4, MH, Plainfield East, Club 1, Milwaukee School of EngineeringMark Brooks, 6-3, OH, Marian Catholic, Ultimate VBC, CarthageTony Brooks, 5-11, OH, Belleville West, St. Louis High Performance, FontbonneJoe Claffy, 6-3,...
Illprepvb.com’s teams to watch in 2019
Peering into the Illprepvb.com crystal ball …Can Glenbard West return to the top of the Illinois high school boys volleyball world after seeing its streak of three consecutive state titles end in a semifinal loss to Neuqua Valley?Will junior-heavy Lincoln-Way West make another run through the southern portion of the bracket behind Ben Pluskota and David Flores?Can Barrington put together a fifth consecutive 30-win campaign?Or will another team emerge as the 2019 season progresses? A lot can happen between now and next March, but here is a look
Fusion 17 Red comes oh so close; Illini Elite 17 Cardinal takes 3rd in Orlando
The “Magnificent Seven” came up a few points shy of claiming a national championship in the 17 Premier division of the AAU Boys and Girls Junior National Championships Sunday in Orlando, Florida. Batavia-based Fusion 17 Red, nicknamed the “Magnificent Seven” by the club’s coaches, won its first 12 matches before falling to Palm Beach (Florida) Juniors 16 Elite 25-22, 20-25, 15-12 in the 17 Premier championship match. “It was a great match,” Fusion 17 Red coach Joe Davidson said of the final. “(Palm Beach) is really, really g...
Normal West, Edwardsville, Bloomington go to great lengths to improve
Edwardsville's Storm Suhre, Alexa Harris, Maddie Isringhausen and Corrine Timmerman. The St. Charles East Scholastic Cup at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora is a homecoming of sorts for Normal Community West coach Kelsey Mueller, who grew up in the far western suburbs and played her high school volleyball at Kaneland. “My parents are retired and still live in Elburn, but they come to a lot of our games,” said Mueller, who was Kelsey Drendel when she played for the Knights. “They come down to Normal all the time. “I think...
Benet roars past Leon, turns back Naperville North to win Scholastic Cup
Benet's Valentina Tabares, Ally Van Eekeren, Hattie Monson, Kyla Kenney and Rachel Muisenga. Bloomington bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to nationally-ranked Leon to place fifth. Despite being the No. 1 overall seed, Benet’s path to the championship of the St. Charles East Scholastic Cup Saturday at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora was no walk in the park.First, Benet had to overcome Leon (Tallahassee, Florida), ranked No. 32 in the nation by Prepvolleyball.com – some 41 spots higher than the Redwings – in the semifin...
