St. Viator moves up to Class 4A after finishing fourth in 3A last fall. School: Arcola Conference: Little Okaw ValleyHead coach: Jill HohlbauchLast season’s highlights: 6-20 overall, 2-6 in conference, lost 25-19, 25-10 to Bement in a Class 1A regional quarterfinal.Top returnees: 6-0 senior middle hitter Olivia Key, 5-5 senior setter Gabby Becerra, 6-o sophomore middle hitter Hallee Gauna.Coach’s quote: “With more experience under our belt this year, we are hoping to improve on our overall record from last year.” Did you know? Fifteen of...
Muisenga, Benet roll in Wheaton North tournament openers
Romeoville's (left to right) Mackenzie Blizniak, Lexi Zajda, Crystal Galaviz, Alayna Rooks and Corinne Doty. Rachel Muisenga is a setter. Rachel Muisenga is a middle blocker. Rachel Muisenga was an all-tournament selection at the National Junior Classic hosted by the Great Lakes Volleyball Center last spring and an all-Great Lakes 16 Super Open Power League choice.And oh, by the way, she’s going to Penn State … eventually. That’s not a bad resume for a 6-foot sophomore.Wednesday at the Blue & Gold Wheaton North Tournament, Muisenga p...
Sterling ‘golden’ against Joliet Catholic; Belleville Althoff passes Latin test
Defending state champion Belleville Althoff will face Sterling for the Class 3A state championship Saturday in Normal. By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com NORMAL – Sterling entered the season believing this was its year. Now the Golden Warriors are one win away. The trio of Borum sisters – Josilyn, Breelyn and Brooklyn -- banged 32 kills, and the Gould sisters – Gretchen and Grace – chipped in with 5 kills of their own as Sterling rallied down the stretch of the first set and went onto a 27-25, 25-20 victory over Joliet Ca...
Marist ends Downers Grove North’s magical run, repeats as Class 4A champion
Marist's 6-2 junior Camryn Hannah had 7 kills as Marist won back-to-back Class 4A state titles Saturday. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) NORMAL – Almost as much as it wanted a second consecutive Class 4A state championship for its volleyball team, the Marist fans wanted 5-foot-5 junior Tess Brennan. The diminutive defensive specialist didn’t disappoint. Inserted into the match to serve with Marist leading 22-11 in the second set, Brennan served out the match following consecutive hitting errors by Downers Grove North and a kill by 5-10 junior...
No. 2-ranked Sterling makes quick work of United Township
Sterling's Breelyn Borum, Lexi Rodriquez, Brooklyn Borum and Josilyn Borum. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comSterling sophomore Breelyn Borum had a direct answer when asked about her teams goal this season.“To win state,” Borum said of the Class 3A title. “We're really playing together as a team and making our connections.”That's something Sterling has been doing all season. The Golden Warriors remained undefeated with a 25-8, 25-20 victory over (East Moline) United Township in a nonconference match Tuesday at Sterling.The Borum sister...
Marist’s practice makes almost perfect; Downers North’s remarkable run continues
Marist will defend its state championship Saturday after beating conference rival Benet 25-18, 25-15 in a Class 4A semifinal Friday. NORMAL -- This was not the same Marist team that lost to Benet 22-25, 25-22, 25-19 in an East Suburban Catholic Conference match in Lisle on October 16. “We’ve been practicing really hard these past three weeks,” said Marist coach Jordan Vidovic. “The girls were really motivated to improve and clean some things up. Tonight showed the kind of work we put in.” Marist (38-3) overcame an early 8-5...
Pleasant Plains stuns St. Thomas More; Galena romps in Class 2A semifinals
Pleasant Plains defeated defending Class 2A state champion St. Thomas More Friday in a semifinal at Redbird Arena. NORMAL – Down 24-23 in Game 3 of its semifinal against defending Class 2 State champion St. Thomas More Friday at Redbird Arena, Pleasant Plains found a way. A tip kill by 5-foot-8 junior middle hitter Anna Kanilakan, a service ace from 5-7 junior libero MacKenzie Houser and a kill to an open corner by 5-10 senior Allie Edwards gave Pleasant Plains a thrilling 25-22, 15-25, 26-24 victory over St. Thomas More and sent the ...
Hartsburg-Emden bounces St. Teresa; Newark routs Grayville in Class 1A semis
Hartsburg-Emden meets the media after defeating Decatur St. Teresa Friday at Redbird Arena. NORMAL -- Moments like these don’t come often for schools like Hartsburg-Emden, which has an enrollment of 75 students. Of course, it helps when one of those students is 6-foot senior outside hitter and University of Memphis recruit Anna Hayes. Hayes had 17 kills while hitting just a shade under .300 as Hartsburg-Emden (36-4) defeated Decatur St. Teresa 25-17, 25-14 to advance to the IHSA Class 1A state championship match Saturday at 10:30 a...
Marist, Belleville Althoff seek to defend state titles this weekend at Redbird Arena
Belleville Althoff reached the state finals with a 25-18, 23-25, 25-16 supersectional victory over Mt. Zion. Durand coach Molly Kelsey was reminded last Friday what many fans of Illinois volleyball already knew – the most deserving teams don’t always get to Redbird Arena.Durand, which finished third in Class 1A in 2017 and returned every starter save one from that team, saw its 37-3 season end in a 25-23, 24-26, 25-20 supersectional loss to Newark last Friday at Westminster Christian. “I, like many others, believe that this was a state serie...
Marist, Marian Catholic to meet for the third time after winning at Eisenhower
Marist and Marian Catholic will meet for the third time this season in the finals of the Eisenhower Class 4A Sectional. By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com Marian Catholic girls’ volleyball coach Ryan Summers put it best. "We out-Temi-ed them," he said. Temitayo “Temi” Thomas-Ailara was amazing with 25 kills as the Spartans rallied for a 22-25, 25-16, 25-19 victory over Sandburg in the second semifinal of the Eisenhower Class 4A Sectional Monday in Blue Island. The victory set up a third meeting this season with Marist,...