Gabby Piazza (7) and Joliet West advanced to the championship match of the IHSA Class 4A sectional at Oswego by slipping past Lincoln-Way West, 26-24, 25-23. On the homepage is Joliet West's Ava Grevengoed (1). (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comST. CHARLES – Glenbard West middle hitter Breccan Scheck did more than just block Metea Valley’s best hitters.She broke them.Outside hitters Camille Morrison and Maddie Hopkins combined for 25 kills for third-seeded Metea Valley, but nearly all of that damage was done e...
Von Lehmden, Naperville Central complete sweep of Naperville North
Naperville North's Liz Rossi (15) equalled her jersey number in kills for the Huskies against rival Naperville Central on Wednesday, but the Redhawks prevailed on the scoreboard, 25-22, 25-23. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorMaybe the worm is starting to turn.“I think it was four years since we’ve beaten them,” said Naperville Central coach Brie Isaacson. “They're so good all the time and we have to play multiple times in a season. They're still good today, and it's always a good, exciting match, but certainly ...
Providence Catholic says ‘Good Knight’ to De La Salle to win GCAC White title
Providence Catholic, which won the Silver division at the Oak Lawn tournament earlier this season, will add another plaque to its collection after defeating De La Salle on Thursday to win the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference White Division. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comSay good Knight. Abbey Knight sure did.The sophomore outside hitter had a season-high 18 kills, and outside hitter Payton Mandac added 13 kills as Providence rallied for a 19-25, 25-22, 25-21 victory over De La Salle Thursday in New Lenox.With the win, the Celt...
How to mitigate one of the increasingly common injuries among volleyball athletes
Thr growth in popularity of girls volleyball, which has more than 460,000 participants in the United States alone, has also led to an increase in the number of specific injuries. Sometimes who is not able to compete in the IHSA girls’ volleyball tournament is as critical to a team’s success as who is. Injuries – ranging from tendonitis to stress fractures to ACL tears – has sidelined a number of Illinois’ best and brightest players during this year’s tournament. This article explores the causes of ACL injuries in girls’ volleyball, th...
Led by McAuley’s 135-match win streak, here are the top 20 in IHSA girls history
Montini Catholic won 35 consecutive matches during its dominating run to the IHSA Class 2A championshipo in 2021, and opened the 2022 season with a victory before seeing its 36-match win streak end. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). Editor’s note: Our thanks to Brian Smith through whose extensive research these numbers were updated and verified. He is currently working on a list of programs that have achieved 1,000 victories. According to Smith, one such program that joined that list this fall is Pleasant Plains, which began the 2023 season, its 50...
Mother McAuley puts it on auto-pilot while cruising past Lyons Township
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 ...
Ready to have some fun, Lena-Winslow bests Fulton to win Stillman Valley Classic
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...
Sometimes the ball just falls your way. Just ask Barrington junior Whitney Mall
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...
Get better? You could say that about ASICS Challenge champion Mother McAuley
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 ...
Video highlights of day one of the St. Charles East Scholastic Cup at Great Lakes
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...