Sports Performance VBC 18 Elite outside hitter Haley Burgdorf from St. Charles North led all Illinois attackers this fall with 611 kills. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). Cover photo of Wild Bunch VBC players courtesy of Michelle Burzynski. Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor The girls’ club season will kick o...

Sky High Adidas B17-1 breaks the huddle after a few words of instruction from head coach Austin Thorsen during 17 Club division play at the 2024-25 Great Lakes Boys Regional Championships Sunday at the Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park. On the home page, Chicago Legends 17 Black breaks during its 25-19, 25-18 loss to Sky High in the semfiinals. https://youtu.be/5bjA3xhEde8 By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorHow do you overcome a bad start?Easy. With a great finish.Yeah, but how do you overcome two bad starts?Sky High Adidas B17...

Illprepvb.com presents its annual list of the top 100 boys club players in Illinois. The list is headed by Marist's Chistian Teresi, an Ohio State recruit. Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBetter late than never.The boys’ club season is well underway with the conclusion of THE Point Series 15-18's 2024 ...

Alayna Briggs (9) and Hartsburg-Emden will vie for their third consecutive trip to Redbird Arena in 2025. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorKeep thinking speculation.Every year, we at Illprepvb.com put together a list of the teams we believe can make some noise the following fall. IHSA Class 2A champion Breese Mater Dei and Class 4A champion Marist were among the 25 teams we spotlighted last year, and Class 1A champion (Hardin) Calhoun was listed among the teams to watch.The only team we totally missed was Cl...

Future 17-Elite was the top local finisher in the 17 Open division at last weekend's 2024 AAU/JVA Chi-town Boys Challenge at McCormick Place, outperforming its No. 8 seed heading into the tournament to place third. Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor“Not so fast. Not so fast!” – the Cowardly Lion in “The Wiza...

Benet Academy libero Aniya Warren is making her third consecutive appearance on the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girls High School All-State Team and is widely considered one of the best liberos in the nation. She will continue her academic and athletic career at Pudue University. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permiss...

Quincy Notre Dame setter Annie Eaton led the Raiders to 137 wins during her four-year career and ranks among the top five on the IHSA list of all-time career assist leaders. (Photos courtesy of Muddy River Sports). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAsk somebody who knows her, and they might tell you that despite her mind-numbing assist record set while at perennial Class 2A power Quincy Notre Dame, 5-8 setter Annie Eaton’s "best and prettiest” assist might not have even occurred on the volleyball court.Back in the spring of 2022,...

Bella Bullington had 16 kills to lead Marist to its first IHSA Class 4A championship since going back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – Someone along press row asked, “How do you explain it?”Sheer toughness, that’s how.“That’s an upset for the ages right there,” said Marist coach Jordan Vidovic. “No question about it. All toughness, right? You can have the biggest players, you can have a Division I roster, you can bring in transfers, you can do whatever you want, but you still g...

(Bartonville) Limestone's Ella Karmenzind (24) soars for one of her 6 kills in the IHSA Class 3A championship game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy Sharer            Special to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Down a set and trailing 19-11 in the second, Mahomet-Seymour seemed stuck between hopelessness and panic against (Bartonville) Limestone in the Class 3A state championship match at CEFCU Arena on Saturday.Appearances, however, were deceiving as the Bulldogs, No. 2 in the final Illprepvb.com state rankings, resuscitated themselves and their rauc...

DePaul College Prep sophomore Kalia Kroth (13) led the Rams past St. Laurence in the IHSA Class 3A supersectional Monday at Hinsdale South. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – Gone is Mother McAuley. Gone, too, are Galena and St. Francis.Three new IHSA champions will be crowned this weekend at Redbird (now CEFCU) Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.But the drama only begins there.Can Benet Academy, which has played second fiddle to Mother McAuley each of the previous two seasons, cap...