HP Illinois 16 National had already punched its ticket to USAV nationals at the Mideast Quallifier in Indianapolis, but reaching the finals of the 16 USA division Sunday at McCormick Place was icing on the cake. On the home page, Fusion 17 Gino defeated UNO Girls 17 Elite to win the 17 Freedom division Sunday, but both teams will advance to nationals after earning bids in Chicago. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSome came to Chicago to get better. Others came to improve their seeding for nationals.Many, however, came just for the oppo...

York players gathered prior to their West Suburban Silver match with visiting Lyons on Tuesday, won by the Lions, 25-23, 25-20. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhat’s the difference between a good team and a great team?“Consistency,” said Lyons Township’s 6-6 junior outside hitter Luka Kostic. “We’ve really been focusing on consistency because early in the season we were having our ups and downs. We want to be a very good team at all times and not have ups and downs or loops or hills or anything like that.“Consistency … that’s the ma...

SPVB 18 Elite's Audrey Brcka (Wheaton North) overcomes the block of a pair of defenders during action at the 2023 SPVB Presidents Day Challenge. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorKitty Sandt was happy simply to be back on the court.Winning the 18/17 Girls division at the 2023 SPVB Presidents Day Challenge was a bonus.“We had a month off,” said Sandt, SPVB 18 Elite’s 5-11 setter and the tournament MVP. “I think we really improved since then because we've been really training hard. But it was nice to finally play so...

The Windy City Power League 16/15 Open division seeding event got underway Saturday. Two weeks ago, Mission 17 Elite (pictured) went 3-3 at the 18/17 Open division seeding event, finishing 21st overall and 12th among the 17s. https://youtu.be/4IfrKftYYYQ By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe 1st Alliance Volleyball Club training facility in Darien is just a hop, skip and jump for Bloomington-based Illini Elite Volleyball Club owner/director and Illini Elite 16 Cardinal coach Andy Erins.“What I like about this (location) is that I ...

1st Alliance 16 Gold's Jenna Kolosta (Lockport) skies over an Adversity defender in earlier Windy City Power League action. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/2dvSCVZf9Xo By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAdversity G16 Adidas coach Lucas Yanez believes that some club teams will eventually catch up to 1st Alliance VBC’s 16s and 15s at the Windy City Power League.But that someday was not Sunday.1st Alliance 16 Gold held off 1st Alliance 16 Silver, 24-26, 25-17, 15-9, Sunday at Connect44 in Lombard to finish 12-0 a...

Yuliia Shchepkina (Neuqua Valley) and her SPVB 18 Kahl teammates went 3-0 Saturday during pool play at the Champions Cup hosted by the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/ioVBnWsnKW0 By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhen Bria Lomax looks to her left, glances to her right or peeks behind her, she doesn’t see many familiar faces.“Yes, I am the sole survivor,” she said.Lomax, a 6-0 middle hitter, is the only returning player from the Sports Performance 18 Kahl roster that finished second ...

Bolingbrook junior middle hitter Jacqson LeSure (13) had 3 kills, but the Raiders fell to Plainfield East in a nonconference match Wednesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Plainfield East's Thomas Tagtmeyer By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comPlainfield East setter Thomas Tagtmeyer isn’t going to intimidate anyone with his height.The junior is listed at 5-foot-8, though he noted that he stands “5-9 in shoes.”That height might be merely average, but there was nothing average about his play Wednesday.Tagtmeyer did a masterful...

Benet's Kirsten Krammer tries to get around the block of Naperville North's Paige Lauterwasser during the championship match of the St. Charles East Scholastic Cup tournnament Saturday at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe bucket list just got a little shorter.Paige Lauterwasser’s four years on varsity included zero wins against Benet Academy and zero Scholastic Cup tournament championships … until Saturday, that is.Lauterwasser had 12 kills and a block to lead Na...

Stevenson's Ramiz Izzatov (14) slaps a kill past Lincoln-Way West's Connor Studer (9) and Will Pluskota (10) during the championship match of the Joliet West invite. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comComing off of its first loss of the season, Lincoln-Way West was looking to play more consistently. Connor squared made sure the Warriors did just that.Outside hitters Connor Studer and Connor Jaral combined for 26 kills and both earned all-tournament honors as Lincoln-Way West outlasted Stevenson, 25-16, 2...

Now that's how you celebrate a point! Mission 17 Elite libero Delaney Molloy (8) tests her vertical, much to the delight of her teammates. Mission 17 Elite went 3-0 on Saturday to move up to Bracket B and finished the weekend 4-2 during Windy City Power League 18/17 Open division play at the Energy Sports Complex in Niles. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAt this still-way-too-early stage of the girls’ club season, many teams remain in a “Getting to know you” stage.1st Alliance 18 Silver is no different. Only five players return from...