Illini Elite 18 Cardinal setter Olivia Price (30) of Normal Communtiy, a Grand Canyon University recruit, is one of four players who return from last year's Illini Elite 17 Cardinal team that competed in the 17 Open division at the 50th annual AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando, Florida, last summer. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LL...

Two of the key compnents of a winning mindset is visualizing success and training your brain to focus on the positive. Winning is not just about luck or talent, it's also about having the right mindset. Having a winning mindset can help you achieve your goals and reach your full potential. Join us as we explore the psychology of winning and share some strategies to help you unleash the champion within.Visualize Success One of the key components of a winning mindset is the ability to visualize success. This means creating a clear mental i...

Bloomington Central Catholic's 6-1 freshman outside/rightside hitter Kampbell Niepagen (8), who led the Saints in kills this fall, will brinrg her powerful right arm to SPVB 15 Elite this season. (Photo by Randy Sharer) Notice: You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, re-post, or use the content of the Site for public or commercial purposes, including the text, images, audio, and video, without Illprepvb.com, LLC’s written permission. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorRemember last year when we talked about the college tran...

Ultimate B15 Gold, coached by Lincoln-Way East boys coach Kris Fiore (far right) and which features his son, Braeden (fourth from right), is one oif the top 15s team in Illinois and is the top seed in the 15 Club division at this weekend's 2023-2024 Great Lakes Regional Championships at the Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park. Lincoln-Way East boys coach Kris Fiore and his son, Braeden, a freshman setter at Lincoln-Way Central. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThere will come a time when father and son will go head-to-head.That’...

Hand-eye coordination is a skill that can be improved through drills, practice and dedication. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Hand-eye coordination is a crucial skill that is often overlooked. It is the ability to use our eyes to guide our hands in performing a specific task accurately and efficiently. From playing sports to everyday tasks like driving and typing, hand-eye coordination plays a significant role in our daily activities.Hand-eye coordination is a critical skill for volleyball players. It allows them to react quickly to the ball, accu...

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...

Norris City-Omaha-Enfield's Hayden Knight (13) and the Cardinals were ambushed in an IHSA Class 1A supersectional by Effingham St. Anthony, but Jaclyn Melton's crew should be back in the championship hunt in 2024. (File photo by SDave Ruggles). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBefore the girls’ club season begins in earnest, it’s time to peer into the crystal ball and foretell which girls’ high school volleyball teams could make a run at the former Redbird (now CEFCU) Arena in the fall of ‘24.But first, some thoughts to ponder:Now that ...

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...