Junior outside hitter Sydney Buchanan had 6 kills in Mother McAuley's win Wednesday at Lyons Township. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comCoasting down the road means different things to different people, depending on what car you’re driving.Mother McAuley usually drives a Maserati, while most of its opponents are tooling along in midsize sedans.Little wonder, then, that Mother McAuley star Ellie White saw a pedestrian performance in what most other people thought was high quality win Wednesday.“Tonight was ...

Fulton finished second at Saturday's Stillman Valley Fall Classic, reahcing the championship match before losing to Lena-Winslow. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorTake it from somebody who’s been there, Lena-Winslow has what it takes to be playing on an early November morning at Redbird Arena in Normal.And chances are they’ll be having fun doing it.“I can say now that now that we’re not in Class 1A, but we’re their biggest fans,” said (Freeport) Aquin coach Robyn Stovall, who guided her team to back-to-back appearances at Redbird Arena...

Barrington's 6-2 junior outside hitter Whitney Mall had 8 kills and 3 blocks in the Fillies' 25-14, 25-19 victory Monday at Wheaton Warrenville South. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThere are times when you can only shrug your shoulders.“I'm so flabbergasted,” said Barrington’s 6-2 junior outside hitter Whitney Mall. “How did that even go over?”Mall’s kill attempt late in the second set was blocked at the net by a pair of defenders, but she had the presence of mind to push the ball back over net off on...

Mother McAuley junior Abigail Willilams slams a kill past a Divine Savior Holy Angels defender during Saturday's semifinal. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorMother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld’s goal for her team this weekend at the ASICS Challenge was two-fold: get better and advance to the final four.“Where we go from there (the final four), I wasn't sure,” she said. “We've been working on a defense and blocking. I think we’re a pretty strong team offensively, but defensively, we needed to be better.“I ...

Oswego lost to St. Charles North, 25-21, 18-25, 15-10, at the St. Charles East Scholastic Cup at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center on Friday and will play for the Silver championship on Saturday. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/WTKYURn4A_8 Live results and bracket information can be found here: https://results.advancedeventsystems.com/event/U3RfX0NoYXJsZXNfRWFzdF9TY2hvbGFzdGljX0N1cA2/home?_gl=11eddrhg_gaMTQ4MTI1MDcyMC4xNjM2NDYyNzcw_ga_PQ25JN9PJ8*MTY5NTMxNzgxNC4yNzMuMS4xNjk1MzE3OTM1LjAuMC4w&_ga=2.24165...

Normal West's Ellie Rink (9) notched 9 kills against Normal University High, but it wasn't enough as Jozey Bossingham (20) and Isabella McKinney (right) helped the Pioneers win, 25-20, 27-25, en route to the Intercity Tournament title at Normal West on Monday. (Photo by Randy Sharer)  By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Normal University High produced points from sources both expected and unexpected on Monday to down Normal West en route to winning the 44th annual Bloomington-Normal Intercity Tournament at Normal West.“It’s...

Lemont, which had perhaps its best chance to make its first-ever appearance in the IHSA finals since the program was established, was sidelined not by another team, but by the failure and vindictiveness of adults. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorOK, I admit it. I was part of the “Don't trust anyone over 30” generation.Jack Weinberg, a student activist at the University of California-Berkeley during the turbulent 1960s who is credited with authoring the phrase, made a few more converts this week.Tuesday, the Illinois High Schoo...

Keira O'Donnell had 18 kills, but it wasn't ewnough as Lemont lost to red-hot Lincoln-Way West in New Lenox on Wednesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comSince beginning varsity play in 2009, the Lincoln-Way West girls’ volleyball team has won exactly one regional title.That came in a Class 3A regional on their home floor in 2013 with a 23-25, 25-20, 25-22 victory over Illiana Christian. A decade later, the Warriors are putting themselves squarely in the conversation to compete for another regional championsh...

Junior outside hitter Bella Bullington (2) had 12 kills in the championship match and was named MVP of the Mizuno Crimson Classic hosted by Plainfield North and sponsored by Sports Performance VBC and Illprepvb.com. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Relentless.“Something that's so special about this group is that we’re all so mentally tough,” said Marist’s 6-1 junior outside hitter Bella Bullington in a rare quiet moment late Saturday afternoon at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora. “We’ll get in those ruts, but it doesn't feel panicky....

Veteran coach Donna Dulle (in blue shirt) speaks to her Downs Tri-Valley volleyball team during a 25-11, 25-19 season-opening victory over visiting Bloomington Central Catholic on Thursday. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comDOWNS – Most volleyball teams coached by the legendary Donna Dulle are like picky restaurant guests … they send almost everything back.Such was the case again Thursday when Tri-Valley, ranked No. 6 in Class 2A by Illprepvb.com, returned more than enough of Bloomington Central Catholic’s ...