Williamsville freshman Hannah Holiday (4) is flanked by (from left) Riley Holliday, Britni Walters and Brianna Walters, By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt take a lot of trust for a senior setter to continue to deliver the ball to a freshman who is playing her first season on their school's varsity volleyball team. Unless that trust has been developed over, say .. 13 or 14 years. Hannah Holiday, a 5-8 freshman outside hitter for Williamsville (4-1), has a unique relationship with her setter. Hannah’s setter happens to be ...

Timothy Christian led 23-21 in the second set Monday at York but could not close the game out, losing 25-23, 26-24. By Phl BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor York’sr Amalia Toliopoulos was rocking a smile that stretched from one end of Spring Road to the other.“We played amazing,” said the Dukes’ 5-9 junior setter. “We wanted to win. This was our first home game and obviously playing against an Olympian. We brought the hype.  We lost a lot of starters from last year and got a bunch of new people, but everyone played awesome.“Everyone played ...

Prior to this weel, Fremd's Victoria Belmonte had been unable to play volleyball due to three knee inuries suffered prior to her sophomore year. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorVictoria Belmonte was one of the top freshmen in the state when she made her varsity debut during the 2021 season, contributing 161 kills and 26 blocks for a 37-3 Fremd team that reached an IHSA Class 4A supersectional.But a serious knee injury prior to her sophomore year led Belmonte on an 18-month journey of frustration, rehabilitation ...

Downers Grove North's (from left) Kelly Crowley, Alyssa Walters, Emme Reid, Abby Gross, Jenny Buehler and Sarah Rutkowski. https://youtu.be/Ba3uZu1GTtg By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThings were looking mighty bleak for Downers Grove North in the third set of its match Tuesday at Naperville Central.By momentum is a fickle mistress.No sooner had Naperville Central extended an 11-9 lead to 18-13 than momentum turned its back on the hosts.“When one of our outside hitters, Adriana (Marsicano), came in to serve, she got us on a run,”...

Carly Whitaker (left) and the Morton Potters plan to get stronger as the season wears on and make another run at Redbird Arenal, (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe 2024 girls high school volleyball season got underway last week with the start of practice/tryouts, and Illprepvb.com continues its annual series of previews of the teams, players and coaches whose ultimate goal is a trip to Redbird (now CEFCU) Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.So, here is (almost) everything you need to kno...

Setter Lauren O'Brien (9) led No. 10-ranked Bloomington Central Catholic to a 25-12, 25-21 victory over No. 3 Williamsville on Tuesday in Bloomington. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comBLOOMINGTON – The Williamsville High School volleyball team had the will, but not the height to avoid a 25-12, 25-21 loss at Bloomington Central Catholic on Tuesday.The showdown between Class 2A powers saw the visiting Bullets come in ranked No. 3 by Illprepvb.com compared to the host Saints at No. 10.Central Catholic – with 6...

Barrington won its fourth consecutive championship at Jacobs, defeating Crystal Lake Central, 25-22, 25-21, in the final. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAddie Brookbank wasn’t going to be the one to let the streak end.“We’ve won this every year I’ve been here,” said Barrington’s 6-0 senior outside hitter.And what happens when Barrington wins the Jacobs tournament?“Good things happen when we win this,” said Barrington coach Michelle Mayer-Jakubowski.Brookbank supplied 7 kills and an ace and Whitney Mall provided 9 kills and an ace as B...

Lexington High School outside hitter Avery Poppe (8) had difficulty penetrating Tremont's block during a 25-12, 25-12 loss to the host Turks on Thursday. Tremont finished with 7 blocks. (On the home page) Tremont High School setter Lilly Klaus (21), who recently surpassed 1,000 career assists, had 25 assists and 8 digs in Thursday's 25-12, 25-12 victory over previously unbeaten Lexington at Tremont. (Photos by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comTREMONT – Playing shorthanded against Tremont High School’s strong-armed volley...

Wheaton Warrenville South coach Bill Schreier has the pieces. Now it's just a matter of putting them together. (Cover photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe 2024 girls high school volleyball season got underway last week with the start of practice/tryouts, and today Illprepvb.com concludes its annual series of previews of the teams, players and coaches whose ultimate goal is a trip to Redbird (now CEFCU) Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.So, here is (almost) everything you need to know about...

Willowbrook returns eight seniors from last year's team that finished third in Class 4A, incluiding Louisville recruit Hannah Kenny (6). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorEven Superman needed a little help from the Justice League from time to time.Willowbrook’s 5-7 setter/rightside hitter Hannah Kenny had 11 kills, 17 assists, 12 digs, 6 aces and a block Wednesday against visiting Lyons Township.Somehow, it wasn’t enough.Lyons Township overcame deficits of 17-9 in the second set and 20-12 in the third to defeat Willowbrook, 25-27, 25...