Trevor Wardlow (2) is a big reason Bolingbrook is off to a 10-1 start this season including the championship of last weekend's tournament at West Aurora. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorToday, we announce the second Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week for the 2025 boys high school season.Each week during the season,we will be naming a “Player of the Week.” Coaches throughout Illinois are invited to nominate a player for their outstanding performance on and off the court. Niles North's Gino Hamo...
Oak Park-River Forest spreads the love, muscles past error-prone Lyons Township
Oak Park-River Forest features (front row, from left) Henry Hulling, Gus Leman and David Diakite, and (back row, from left) Jimmie Chrusfield III, Wesley Kochendorfer, Henry Ohlhoff and Matthew Proskey. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorOak Park-River Forest believes in spreading the love.“Our offense has just been clicking on all cylinders all season,” said Oak Park-River Forest coach Justin Cousins. “Even if we don't get a good pass, we’re putting balls away and we don’t even have our best attacker from last season (Jimmy Chrusfield, w...
Joliet Central’s Novak, Wheaton North’s Syswerda share Player of the Week honors
Wheaton North junior outside hitter had 12 kills in the Falcons' victory over Stevenson in the championship game at Joliet West. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorToday, we announce the first Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week for the 2025 boys high school season.Each week during the season,we will be naming a “Player of the Week.” Coaches throughout Illinois are invited to nominate a player for their outstanding performance on and off the court.This week, Joliet Central 5-9 junior setter Logan ...
No ‘Me, me, me’ for Crusaders, who edge Sandburg for Barrington/Vernon Hills title
Brother Rice defeated Sandburg for its third Barrington/Vernon Hills Invitational championship, breaking a tie with Loyola Academy and Barrington, who each had won the turnament twice in its nine-year history. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBrother Rice … where 'selfish' stays out of the gym.“Our core group keeps everything going all the time, but the guys who are coming in and playing certain roles …. everybody has been stepping up so far this year,” said Brother Rice coach Brandon McGinnis. “As a coach, it’s making my job hard, but ...
MVP Donnelly, Marist roll at own invite; Syswerda leads Wheaton No. at Joliet W.
Wheaton North's Ben Boyce (10) attempts to hit over the block of Stevenson's Jatin Murukiti (2) and Dulguun Ankhbayar (8) in the championship match at Joliet West. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/lTjiG1Pmi7A By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.com Defending IHSA champion Marist entered this season with 10 seniors. So the RedHawks know if they want to repeat, they will have to get big contributions from all of them. That's what they got on Saturday as libero Rorey Donnelly was named tournament MVP. Donnel...
Notre Dame keeps its emotions on an even keel in taking down Maine South
Note Dame features (from left) Carmen Meccia, Cormaic Greynolds, Alex Glowacz, Ben Armour, Sophocles Metinidis, Tommy Acierno and Jack McNamara. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNo high too high. No low too low.Notre Dame didn’t get too low after dropping the second set to visiting Maine South Thursday in Niles, because they certainly looked like a different team in the third set, taking an early 10-3 lead and never looking back in a 25-18, 22-25, 25-14 victory over the Hawks.Notre Dame coach Peter Maniscalco said it was just a matter ...
Sole survivor Ethan Garst helps young Fremd team tackle Elk Grove in opener
Fremd opened its 2025 season by defeating visiting Elk Grove, 25-19, 25-20, on Monday. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorCamden Seaver? Gone. Nate Caro? Gone. Brian Cochran? Gone. Sean Nolting and Jack Cioni? Also gone.“It’s a whole new crew,” said Fremd coach Tracy Harding.Well, not entirely new. Ethan Garst is back.Garst, a 6-2 outside hitter, is one of only four seniors on the Fremd roster this spring and the only starter back from last year’s team that finished 25-12 and reached the regional final at Conant before losing to the...
Hitting from here, there and everywhere, WW South’s Bratt lights up Downers South
Wheaton Warrenville South junior Simon Bratt (right) had 18 kills and 5 aces, and Mergen Purevsuren (left) added 6 kills and 5 digs in the Tigers' victory Monday at Downers Grove South. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comSimon Bratt is no longer a secret.Everyone is aware of what the Wheaton Warrenville South outside junior hitter can bring. What some may not know is where exactly he’s going to bring it from.The Tigers utilized Bratt in several different locations during Monday’s season opener with host Downers Grove South. He responded...
Swiatkowski comes alive in second set to help Benet Academy stop Hinsdale South
Benet Academy improved to 2-1 on the young season with a 27-25, 25-18 victory Thursday over visiting Hinsdale South. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBenet Academy’s Matthew Swiatkowski had a quiet first set Thursday against visiting Hinsdale South. But boy, did he explode in the second.Swiatkowski slammed 6 kills and added a block in the second set as Benet Academy defeated previously unbeaten Hinsdale South, 27-25, 25-18, Thursday in Lisle.Benet Academy escaped a tight first set, breaking a 25-25 tie on a kill and a block by 5-11 se...
Lake Park’s Carter Gibbons makes York pay for last season’s sectional spanking
Lake Park avenged a 2024 sectional semifinal loss to York on Wednesday behind (from left) Saif Akhtar, freshman setter Jake Ellenbecker, junior Ethan Schnabel, Michael Ogorzalek, junior Nolan Cocat, Carter Gibbons, Dylan Roszak and junior Anthony Bellavia. (Cover photo by Mike Cocat) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorCarter Gibbons remembers something he’d much rather forget.“Coming back, especially in their home gym, and beating them was nice to get a little revenge for last year,” Gibbons said.Prior to Wednesday, the last time Lake Pa...