SPVB 16 Elite's Greyson Covay (24) slips a kill past a pair of Predators 18U Boys Legacy (Kitchener, California) defenders while Adam Hartung (57) and Benjamin Brown (23) look on. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/mUr4NvUXil4 By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhile most Illinois boys’ club teams have disbanded until mid-June to prepare for the spring high school season, a few die-hard souls gathered prior to going their separate ways for the 2024 SPVB Presidents Day Challenge at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora.H...

Setter Sarah Musial i(5) s one of only a few returning players for 2022 IHSA Class 4A semifinalist St. Charles East. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor The Illinios girls high school volleyball season begins in earnest in just a few days, and today 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. Here is nearly everything you need to know about m...

1st Alliance 16 Gold reached the championship match of the 16 Open division at the USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place on Thursday, but suffered a heartbreaking 27-25, 25-23 loss to sixth-seeded Arizona Storm 16 Thunder (Phoenix, Arizona). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comA journey that started last November ended Thursday before a packed crowd on a highlighted court at McCormick Place. There, the 1st Alliance 16 Gold volleyball team lived up to its billing as the top-ranked team in the country and advanced...

Wheaon Warrenville South made it four in a row to start the young season, defeating visiting Lyons Township, 25-11, 25-21, on Thursday. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorYou never want to take any opponent lightly, but even with three earlier games on the schedule, Wheaton Warrenville South’s Simon Bratt admitted that Thursday’s visit by Lyons Township was the game the Tigers had been pointing to all week.“This entire week, as a team, we were looking forward to this,” Bratt said. “They (Lyons Township) were really good last year. I w...

SPVB 18 White dropped only two sets while going 9-0 and winning the 18 Club division at last weekend's JVA World Challenge in Louisville, Kentucky. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorIt’s time to catch up with the girls’ club teams from Illinois or that feature several players from Illinois.To date, 11 teams in the 18s age group, ten 17s teams and six 16s have punched their tickets to the 2023 USAV Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Columbus, Ohio, on April 28-30, and the 2023 USAV Girls Junior 14s-17s National Championship at ...

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...

Plainfield East's Kendall Killins (2) had 11 kills in the Bengals' victory Thursday at Plainfield North. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comPlainfield East coach Jeff Wilkie left nothing to chance going into Thursday’s regular season finale against host Plainfield North.“We’ve been preparing for this all week, watching film,” Wilkie said. “I found a whole lot of crowd noise on a YouTube video and played it in our gym one day, just because of how loud it was in our gym last year when they were at our house.“I...

One of the best liberos in the country, Benet Academy's Aniya Warren was named the MVP of every tournament in which the Redwings competed this season. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2023 Girls First, Second and Third All-State Volleyball Teams. 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 pote...

York's Luke Shorter is one of several players back from last year's team hoping to make a run at the school's first IHSA quarterfinal appearance since 1999. (File photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorHow long has it been?There is not a single player on the York roster this season who was born the last time the Dukes appeared in an IHSA boys’ quarterfinal. There is a greater possibility that their parents were still in college, or perhaps in some cases, had not even met yet.The year was 1999. Behind Tim Geigner, Rich S...