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Jeff Jendryk … from gangly 16-year-old to the pinnacle of men’s volleyball
Loyola's Jeff Jendryk of Wheaton took a circuitous route to becoming one of the country's top men's volleyball players Although his sisters Jessica and Jenna were neck-deep in volleyball while he was growing up, Jeff Jendryk had no interest in the sport. A gangly 6-foot-1 freshman when he walked into the door of St. Francis High School in Wheaton, he wanted to play basketball. Fast forward eight years later. The 6-foot-10 middle blocker is on his way to becoming Loyola University’s first four-time All-American in volleyball, won a na...
Sandburg beats Sandburg (that’s no misprint) at Palos Courts; Lockport takes third
Sandburg Blue knew what to do Thursday at Palos Courts. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com As he has done the past few years, Sandburg volleyball coach David Vales entered two teams in the Palos Courts Summer League. His logic to how he divided them was simple. “I split our team down the middle,” he said. “I'm constantly going against tough teams in the sectional, and sometimes in the past I'd go all in on the summer league. But with 10 players back from last season’s team, how would I know how well they will play together ...
Fusion takes a bruisin’ but still leads 17s, Illini Elite 18 Cardinal moving up
Uno Girls 18 Elite sported new bright yellow T-shirts during Great Lakes Power League play last weekend. Top-ranked Fusion 17 Red went 0-4 last weekend in the Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division but still maintained its spot in the rankings. SPVB 18 Navy is in the spotlight this week. (Week 4 ranking in parenthesis) 18s 1. SPVB 18 Elite (1) Note: Sports Performance rallied from a 17-9 deficit to win Game 2 of its Gold crossover rematch with Uno Girls 18 Elite in Power League play on Sunday, but could not finish any o...
Second Set Aside, SPVB 18 Elite Rules National Jr. Classic
SPVB 18 Elite might want to consider skipping the second game of any best-of-three match and just moving on to the third. Monday in the semifinals of the National Junior Classic at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora, the girls from Sports Performance found themselves just a few points from championship elimination down 18-25, 13-18 to MN Select 17-1 (Maple Grove, Minnesota). “We tell ourselves all the time that we’d better not do it (fall behind in the second game),” SPVB 18 Elite middle hitter Sammi LaBolle said. “And we alway...
Barrington coasts as normalcy returns to the Tiger Classic
Benet’s swarming defense stymies Addison Trail
Benet’s offense was not particularly efficient Wednesday against visiting Addison Trail. But, oh, that defense. Benet put up 11 blocks and 5-foot-10 setter Tommy Kmieciak and 5-8 libero Sean Becker combined for 19 digs as the Redwings rallied from deficits of 19-17 in Game 1 and 20-18 in Game 2 to defeat the Trail Blazers 25-21, 25-21. Benet’s defense was especially attentive to Addison Trail’s 6-foot-5 setter Jacob Grygo, who has been putting up some mind-boggling numbers...
Glenbard West Punches Back And Punches Ticket To State
Lake Park threw the first punch, but Glenbard West threw the knockout blow. The three-time defending state champion Hilltoppers came back after absorbing a pounding in Game 1 to defeat Lake Park 18-25, 25-19, 25-18 and win the Addison Trail sectional Tuesday in Addison. Glenbard West (35-3) will now face Barrington (34-5) in an IHSA state quarterfinal Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Hoffman Estates. Barrington defeated Libertyville 27-25, 25-21 to win the Grant sectional. Lake Park bowed out at 31-6. But for the first 30 minutes of the mat...
Landfair, Niego and Murrihy headline first Illprepvb.com/Great Lakes 18s Power League All-League Team
Lions roar in Indy, top SPVB in finals
Lions 15-1's Rachel Muisenga from Benet and Maddie Malone from Newark. If you build it, they will come. “It” being the Central Zone Invitational at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, last weekend. “We heard this tournament had gotten a lot more competitive and this might be the time to see where we are against other competition at this age level,” Lions 15-1 coach Courtney Keefe said. “All the teams we played against, the girls were all very strong, talented athletes,” she added. Lions 15-1 not only competed a...