Eastside Volleyball Club 16U Thunder National (East Peoria) defeated Madtown 151 National (Stoughton, Wisconsin) to win the 16/15 Open division at the 2025 Mizuno SPVB Presidents Day Challenge Monday at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorEastside Volleyball Club 16U Thunder National was not going to let a little thing like being short-handed slow it down at the 2025 Mizuno SPVB Presidents Day Challenge over the weekend.“Coming into the weekend, we wanted to put our best foot forward,” said...
Whitaker, Ninjas won’t be sneaking up on anyone; SPVB 18 Red eyes new title streak
Kalyn Brookbank (10) and SPVB 16 C-Fed went 2-1 on day one of the 2025 Mizuno SPVB Presidents Day Challenge at the Great Lakes Volleyball Centerin Aurora. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorTwo years ago, Carly Whitaker fought her way back from an ACL tear to lead Morton to the semifinals of the IHSA Class 3A tournament and her Eastside Volleyball Club 17U Yeti team to a ninth-place finish in Orlando.Saturday, Whitaker & Co. made the trip east on I-74 and north on 1-55 from East Peoria to compete in the 20...
Kansas City, St. Louis, Crystal Lake – local clubs are hitting the road this weekend
Faith Jordan (53) and her SPVB 18 Elite teammates are among the players who will be competing at the Triple Crown NIT tournament this weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor550 club teams. 7,000 players. 550 college coaches.The Triple Crown NIT, arguably the Midwest’s premier Presidents Day weekend volleyball tournament, draws teams from across the United States – from California to the Carolinas, from the Gulf Coast to the plains of the Dakotas and everything in between.Sche...
No day off for Spadoni & Co., who beat Adversity at Presidents Day Challenge
SPVB B18 Elite won the 18/17 Boys division of the 2025 Mizuno SPVB Presidents Day Challenge on Sunday, defeating Adversity 18 Adidas, 25-21, 25-17. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNo days off.Sports Performance’s B18 Elite team wrapped up the pre-high school season portion of its schedule Sunday by defeating 630 Volleyball 18-1 and Adversity 18 Adidas to win the 18/17 Boys division of the 2025 Mizuno SPVB Presidents Day Challenge at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora.The first day of practice for the IHSA boys high school season is Monda...
Pipeline’s do-it-all Carter Gibbons is the Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb Player of the Week
Pipeline 18-1 middle hitter Carter Gibbons was recruited to set for his club team over the weekend due to an injury to the team's regular setter and led his team to a fifth-place finish at the 2025 2nd City Showdown. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorToday, we announce the fifth Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week for the 2025 Boys/Girls Club season.Each week during the club season,we will be naming a “Player of the Week.” Coaches/club directors throughout Illinois are invited to nominate a...
Get better, play clean, move up … that’s the goal at the Windy City Power League
Sky High Adidas 17 Elite went 2-1 Saturday in the Windy City Power League 17/18 Open division and will join Bracket D when play resumes Sunday. On the home page is UNO Girls 17 Elite, which went 3-0 in Pool F. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorEveryone has to start somewhere in the Windy City Power League. That’s what the seeding event is designed to do.The goal for teams that start at the bottom, however, is to not stay there.Among the teams on the move is UNO Girls 17 Elite, which won all three of its matches in Pool F of the 17/1...
Richards, Ciesielski and Bullington share Ultimate/Illprepvb weekly player honors
Bella Bullington led SPVB 18 Elite to the 18 Open championship of the 25 Central Zone Invitational in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor Today, we announce the fourth Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week for the 2025 Boys/Girls Club season. Each week during the club season,we will be naming a “Player of the Week.” Coaches/club directors throughout Illinois are invited to nominate a boys’ or girls’ player in the 15-18s age groups for their outstanding performance on th...
The focus is on learning, improving for Windy City Power League 18 Club entries
Belusa United 18 Cyclones has a tough act to follow after last year's edition won a national championship in the 18 Classic division of the AAU Girls Junior National Championships. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepb.com EditorBelusa United 18 Cyclones enjoyed a spectacular season in 2024, finishing 68-10 and defeating TPV 18 Renegade (Franklin, Tennessee), 25-18, 25-22, to win the 18 Classic division at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando, Florida. The Romeoville-based club graduated three key players off that team -- Ava Val...
1st Alliance 18 Gold’s Tamia Maddox is the Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb Player of the Week
Tamia Maddox and her 1st Alliance 18 Gold teammates won the 18 Open division at the 2025 Windy City Girls' 18s National Qualifier at the Schaumburg Convention Center for the second year in a row and will be heading to nationals in Salt Lake City in late April. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorToday, we announce the third Ultimate VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Week for the 2025 Boys/Girls Club season.Each week during the club season,we will be naming a “Player of the Week.” Coaches/club directors throu...
1st Alliance 18 Gold, Club Fusion 18-1 roll; Sky High stuns No. 4 Legacy at Windy City
Club Fusion 18-1 National's Elissa Furlan splits a pair of TPV 18-Paragon defenders as the defending 18 Liberty champions went 3-0 Saturday at the Schaumburg Convention Center. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorTwo Illinois teams came away with bids from last year’s Windy City Girls’ 18s National Qualifier at the Schaumburg Convention Center – 1st Alliance 18 Gold in the Open division and Club Fusion 18-1 National in the Liberty division.The names and faces have changed in the past 12 months, but through first-ro...