Cissna Park sophomore Addison Lucht (9) turned some heads at Redbird Arena during the IHSA Class 2A tournament. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2023 Girls Honorable Mention All-State Volleyball Team. Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments on the court and in the classroom as high school student-athletes, not on any future potential or current recruitment status. These p...

Benet Academy junior outside hitter Audrey Asleson (7) had a team-high 17 kills in the IHSA Class 4A championship match Saturday at Redbird Arena. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL -- Icing on the cake. Cherry on top.“Just coming back from last year, we knew we had a target on our back,” said Mother McAuley’s 5-11 outside hitter Ellie White. “Our goal the entire season has been to get back down here. This is just icing on the cake. Cherry on top.“Nothing is given,” added the Michigan-bound senior. “As ...

Shay McMillen digs a ball under the watchful eyes of coach Lisa Ston during St. Francis' victory over Lincoln in the IHSA Class 3A championship game, (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – In a battle between evenly matched powers in Saturday’s IHSA Class 3A Championship match, the seesaw of momentum ultimately tipped in favor of the team that could send the volleyball back most often – St. Francis.The Spartans, ranked No. 1 by Illprepvb.com, built a 90-78 advantage in digs to edge No. 4 Lincoln, 23-25...

Seeded eighth to begin the 2023 AAU/JVA Chi-Town Boys Challenge, a late Suinday loss to the eventual tournament runner-up dropped SPVB B18 Elite into the Silver bracket on Monday. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe question you had to ask yourself while running from one end of McCormick Place’s South Hall to the other Monday was, “What did we do before they put wheels on luggage?”Monday was getaway day at the 2023 AAU/JVA Chi-Town Boys Challenge, and if you did manage to avoid tripping over a stray piece of luggage, chances are you w...

Lincoln's Alyssa Company slips a kill past St. Ignatius' Gabby Williams during the Railsplitters' Class 3A semifinal victory Friday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – The battle for supremacy between specialists and generalists in volleyball seemed to have been decided in the former group’s favor decades ago.Lincoln, however, continued to make a case in the Class 3A IHSA tournament semifinals at CEFCU Arena on Friday that multisport athletes have yet to surrender.With all-staters from other sports lend...

Willowbrook coach Irene Mason said that having fun is one of the keys to her team's postseason success. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – So what do you do when you’re making your first trip to the IHSA girls volleyball semifinals?“Rest is a part of it,” said coach Irene Mason, who is taking Willowbrook to a place no team from Villa Park has gone before. “I want to make sure their bodies are rested. There's a lot of sickness out there. I want to make sure their bodies and minds are healthy and relaxed and...

Willowbrook's Hannah Kenny (6) puts down a kill over the utstretched arms of Joliet West's Peyton Darguzis (18) and Brooke Schwall (12). (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Falling behind 10-4 to open the Class 4A supersectional Friday at Normal Community might have rattled many teams beyond repair, but not Mother McAuley.The reigning state champion Mighty Macs mounted a 12-2 comeback that catapulted them to a 25-19, 25-21 victory over upset-minded Normal West in front of a capacity crowd.“It was shaky...

Two days after Normal U-High lost to Metamora in the finals of the Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Fall Classic, the Pioneers (far court) turned the tables with a 15-25, 25-10, 25-10 victory Monday. (Files photo by Dave Ruggles). By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comRockford Christian sophomore Maddie Anspaugh was getting mad.No matter how many times she and her teammates swung, they could not break down Aurora Central Catholic’s stubborn defense.“At the beginning, I felt like I was struggling,” Anspaugh said. “I was in my own head,...

Oswego junior Mia Jorkovic had 7 kills and a pair of aces during the Panthers' 25-21, 25-19 regional win over Plainfield North on Thursday. ({hotos by Dave Ruggles) At ClintonCLINTON – The pre-match case against No. 6-seeded Deer Creek-Mackinaw knocking off top-seeded (Downs) Tri-Valley in Thursday’s Class 2A Clinton Regional final was substantial.The jury of fickle fate, however, deliberated less than an hour before declaring the unheralded Chiefs the winner, 25-22, 25-16.Evidently, it just didn’t matter that Deer Creek-Mackinaw had lost ...

Lockport's Haley Rak (3) soars to clear the block attempt by Joliet West's Peyton Darguzis (18) during the Tigers' sectional championship victory Wednesday at Oswego. Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comWith his team having an excellent first half of the season, Joliet West girls' volleyball coach Chris Lincoln had some prophetic words. "No coach is going to be upset at being 18-1," he said on September 26 following a close win over Minooka. "But we have to get every girl playing on the same level at the same tim...