Coach Joe Nesbit and Belleville East are starting over after graduating five starters from 2017 and losing another starter to a knee injury. Stephanie KaegebeinBoys volleyball in Southern Illinois is growing. 2018 marks the 10th season of play for Belleville East, Belleville West, East St. Louis and Edwardsville, the latter reaching the state quarterfinals in 2011 and 2014. Programs at Belleville Althoff, O'Fallon and Granite City made their debut a few years earlier. Since then, Alton and Metro-East Lutheran have started pr...
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. Dakota’s 5-foot-11 sophomore outside hitter Tabytha Toelke is this week’s "Player of the Week." Toelke had 18 kills as Dakota (12-9 overall, 7-2 in the Northwest Upstate...
How many top seeds will survive sectional play?
No. 1 seed: Glenbard West (31-3)Favorite: Glenbard West (31-3)Darkhorse: Wheaton North (23-12)Led by 6-2 junior Ryan Swartz, 6-3 sophomore Ben Harrington and 6-6 Stone Metz, Glenbard West has rebounded from each of its three losses to go on a lengthy win streak. How long will its recent win streak last? Nick Martinski and Lake Park (28-5) are capable of ending the Hilltoppers’ season short of a fourth straight state championship, but the Lancers are vulnerable as evidenced by their recent loss to Neuqua Valley. Addison Trail (25-10) looked...
Babicz gone, but Barrington still has some pop
Celebrating regional titles, like this one in 2016, is becoming commonplace at Barrington. Illprepvb.com’s look at the 2018 Illinois high school boys’ volleyball season continues today with Barrington, Wheaton North, Addison Trail, Glenbard East and boys’ volleyball newcomer Tinley Park. Barrington Since 2000, Barrington has become one of the dominant programs in the northwest suburbs, winning eight regional titles and qualifying for the state quarterfinals twice, finishing second in 2005 and third in 2012. Last season, the Broncos ...
Bolingbrook building behind Mitchem; Murphysboro looks to extend run
Natalie Mitchem (back row, center) is the centerpiece of the Bolingbrook program. Illprepvb.com continues its coverage of the 2018 Illinois girls high school season with a second set of team previews. School: BolingbrookConference: Southwest Suburban RedHead coach: Molly DeSerfLast season’s highlights: 7-21 overall, lost to Plainfield East 17-25, 25-23, 25-21 in Class 4A regional quarterfinals.Top returnees: 6-2 senior outside hitter Natalie Mitchem (255 kills, 22 aces, 94 digs), 5-10 junior setter Sara Magdziarz (341 assists, 47 ...
Faster, higher, scarier … Folts has challenged them all
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Loyola, St. Patrick hope to be major players in 2018
Although attackers get most of the glory, coaches know the value of a strong defense. The 2018 Illinois high school boys’ volleyball season kicked off with the first day of practice Monday. Here’s a look at Loyola, St. Patrick, Stagg, Leyden, Montini and Mundelein. Loyola Academy Loyola will seek its seventh regional title in the last 10 years – and possibly more – behind a veteran crew led by three-year starter Jack Howard. Howard, a 6-foot-5 junior outside hitter and an all-Catholic League selection the past two years who play...
Can Marist contend in the rugged south suburbs?
The 2018 Illinois high school boys’ volleyball season kicked off with the first day of practice Monday. Here’s a look at Marist, Glenbrook North, Naperville North, St. Ignatius, Sandburg, Lyons and Neuqua Valley. Marist Marist perennially fields some of the top teams in the state. The RedHawks won state titles in 2002 and 2010 – stunning Wheaton Warrenville South 25-22, 25-23 to win its most recent title – and qualified for state on three other occasions. But the emergence of Lincoln-Way North (prior to its closing) and the presence of th
Conference Champs Again.
Conference champs again. Lincoln-Way East clinched a share of its eighth straight SouthWest Suburban Conference title with a scintillating 22-25, 25-19, 25-23 victory over District 210 rival Lincoln-Way West on Tuesday evening, May 15 in Frankfort. The league win is the 35th straight for the Griffins (31-3, 7-0), who finish up the conference schedule on Thursday at Sandburg. It's also their 69th win in the past 70 conference matches. Their only loss in that time was 25-18, 21-25, 25-19 to Lockport Township on...
