Normal University High sophomore Levyn Snow (5) helped her No. 2-state ranked team down No. 10 Rochester, 25-21, 25-17, on Thursday at Normal. Attempting to block were Rochester's Grace Jameson (11) and Charlotte Beatty (12). (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – In general, Rochester’s volleyball team knew where trouble was going to come from on Thursday.Knowing specifically where to place blockers and passers, however, against a team with as many weapons as Normal University High proved problematic as...
From ‘Oh, it’s just Westville,’ to ‘Oh, no! It’s Westville!’
The Westville Tigers started the season with a bang, winning their own tournament without dropping a set. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comThere is a lot of joy in Westville these days.More may be on the way if Ella Miller and her teammates have their way.The Tigers, 11-0 following Thursday's 25-14, 25-16 victory over Vermilion Valley foe Hoopeston, are off to the fastest start in program history and are creating a buzz around Westville, a town of 3,120 just south of Danville and close to the Indiana state line.“It’s really exciting ...
Slow-starting Benet finishes fast, beats Normal West to win Scholastic Cup
Lynney Tarnow (12) had 10 kills, 3 blocks and an ace in Benet Academy's victory in the championship match of the St. Charles East Scholastic Cup on Saturday at the Great lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSlow starts are enough to drive any coach mad.But it’s not how you start that matters, it’s how you finish. And Benet Academy finished with a bang.After falling behind 14-6 in the opening set of Saturday’s championship match of the St. Charles East Scholastic Cup tournament at t...
This ‘Sting’ really hurts: 1st Alliance 15 Gold falls just short in National title bid
1st Alliance 15 Gold reached the finals of the 15 National division at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place on Saturday before falling to MKE Sting 15 Gold. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorRiding high in April. Shot down in May.Something had to give when 1st Alliance 15 Gold and MKE Sting 15 Gold met in Saturday’s championship match of the 15 National division at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at McCormick Place.The teams had split two previous matches, with 1st Alliance 15 Gold wi...
Free-swinging Heyworth rattles Eureka in Heart of Illinois Conference stunner
Setter Allison deFreese (3) gave Eureka 27 assists and 11 digs at Heyworth on Tuesday during a 25-19, 23-25, 25-12 Heart of Illinois Conference loss. (Photo by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comHEYWORTH – It’s hard to say whether Heyworth’s free-swinging style caused Eureka to turn tentative or it was Eureka’s tentativeness that emboldened its host on Tuesday.Whatever the case – perhaps some of both – Heyworth knocked off Eureka, 25-19, 23-25, 25-12, behind senior Ava Riddle’s 28 assists, 14 digs and 2 aces.“I saw th...
St. Francis denies Nazareth to claim title No. 13; Joliet Catholic stops Taylorville for third
St. Francis outside hitter Anna Paquette tries to slip a kill past a pair of Nazareth defenders during the Spartans' victory in the Class 3A championship game Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Addy Horner wasn't afraid to step up with the match on the line.The sophomore setter/rightside hitter delivered a championship for St. Francis. Horner hammered the match-winning kill as the Spartans scored the final 3 points of the match and nudged Nazareth, 25-23, 25-23, in the Class 3A championsh...
Staniskis powers Benet past Naperville North; Mother McAuley turns back Marist
Benet Academy defeated Naperville North, 25-12, 25-17, to win its 10th sectional championship since 2008. At Plainfield NorthWednesday, it was Gabi’s turn.“You never know who it’s going to be,” Benet Academy coach Brad Baker said. “You never know who to gameplan for. It’s not like we have one person we go to all the time. We just go to whoever we have to.”Wednesday in the Plainfield North Class 4A Sectional championship match, that “whoever” was 6-1 outside hitter Gabija Staniskis.Staniskis had 14 kills, including 6 in the second set after...
Glenbard South seniors’ ‘all-or-nothing’ season now includes victory over Fremd
Glenbard South iproved to 16-3 overall with a 25-21, 25-16 victory Thursday over Fremd in Glen Ellyn. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThis is the year they’ve been pointing to since a boys’ volleyball team first took the court at Glenbard South in 2020.And, so far, they haven’t disappointed.Thursday, the Upstate Eight Conference-contending Raiders improved to 16-3 by knocking off Mid-Suburban West co-leader Fremd, 25-21, 25-16, in Glen Ellyn. “This is it,” said Glenbard South’s 5-10 setter Mike Hines. “This is it. We have ...
Presenting the 2022 Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Girls All-State Team
All that stood between Chillicothe IVC's Kenna Wollard and the top spot on the IHSA all-time career kill list was a COVID-shortened season in 2020. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2022 Girls 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 sta...
Benet, McAuley headed for 4A title game; Falduto keeps IC Catholic's hopes alive
St. Charles East's Kate Goudreau had 20 kills in the Saints' Class 4A semifinal against Mother McAuley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) NORMAL – The feeling never gets old.“That’s what you want to do,” said Benet Academy coach Brad Baker. “You want to come down here, win on Friday, and play for a championship. Only two teams get to play for it, and we’re one of them.”Benet Academy punched its ticket to the IHSA championship game at 8:30 p.m. Saturday by defeating Barrington, 25-21, 25-16, in the first Class 4A semifinal Friday at Redbird Arena.Ben...