Olivia Stewart (8, far left), a 6-1 freshman from Metea Valley, will put her blocking skills to good use when she plays for SPVB 15 Elite this season. On the home page is 6-4 freshman Lynney Tarnow (12) of 1st Alliance 15 Gold by way of Benet Academy. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorToday, we turn our attention to the 15s as we end our look at some of the top club teams in Illinois. 630 Volleyball 15-1A Vincent Van Gogh this is not … yet. “This team is a blank canvas,” said 630 Volleyball girls program d...
Aquin's Arndt joins a list of 'Player of the Year' honorees that dates back to 1982
Ryann DeJarld, who played at Mother McSAuley and later at Notre Dame, was the last playerr honored as "Player of the Year" by the Chicago Sun-Times before it discontinued its coverage of all high school sports other than football and boys basketball in the spring of 2015. (Photo courtesy of the University of Notre Dame) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorDid you know that girls were not permitted to participate in interscholastic volleyball contests until 1973?Then during the 1974-75 school year, the IHSA sponsored its first volleyball t...
SPVB 18 Kahl, 18 Red eye Orlando; Xtreme 16U rocks, 15 Thunder rolls, 18 Theta wins
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 ...
VanderWal, Timothy oust Montini; Normal West, Joliet West prove West is best
Timothy Christian sophomore Abby VanderWal digs a ball under the watchful eye of freshman Bella Potempa (10) during Thursday's 25-20, 25-21 victory over Montini. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAn observer pointed out that former Riverside-Brookfield and Wisconsin star Dana Rettke once had 11 consecutive kills in a match.Timothy Christian’s 6-3 sophomore Abby VanderWal came up five short of matching Rettke on Thursday, but her streak was only interrupted because of an ace by freshman outside hitter Bella Potemp...
Lincoln-Way West’s Connor Studer has fun during Warriors’ victory at Plainfield North
Plainfield North dropped its season opener Monday to visiting Lincoln-Way West despite 8 kills from Aidan Cupps (14) and 17 assists, 2 kills and a block from setter PJ Vaughn (13). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorDon’t worry. Be happy.Lincoln-Way West’s Connor Studer said the key to winning volleyball games is having fun. The 5-10 outside hitter had plenty of that Monday at Plainfield North.Studer had 13 kills, including the final two of the match, to lead the Warriors to a 25-21, 25-19 victory over Plainfield North in the sea...
Tagtmeyer stands tall as Plainfield East makes short work of Bolingbrook
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...
Illprepvb.com peers into the crystal ball to divine the '23 girls high school season
IHSA Class 4A 2022 semifinalists Barrington (near court) and Benet Academy (far court) will field teams that are very capable of returning to CEFCU Arena in 2023. (Photo by Dave 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 Arena in the fall of ‘23.But first, some thoughts to ponder:Will Mother McAuley earn its 17th IHSA championship behind Michigan recruit El...
Presenting the 2022 Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Honorable Mention Team
Genoa-Kingston libero Hannah Langton became her school's season and career digs leader this fall. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2022 Girls All-State Volleyball Honorable Mention 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 status. These players excelled on t...
Barrington stops Macs, OPRF at Autumnfest; Naperville is best North at Central
Paige Lauterwasser had 16 kills to lead Naperville North to its second tournament title in two weeks Saturday at Blocktober Fest hosted by Plainfield Central and sponsored by Illprepvb.com. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) At Glenbard EastEmotional power outage?“I think there was a little hangover,” said Barrington junior setter/opposite Jenna Meitzler. “It (Barrington’s semifinal win) was a great high for us.”After beating top-seeded Mother McAuley, 25-20, 10-25, 25-20, in a Gold bracket semifinal, Barrington sputtered at the onset of both sets in ...
McAuley's chemistry produces IHSA title No. 16; Barrington claims third place
Benet freshman Lynney Tarnow slams a kill past Mother McAuley defenders Ellie White (8) and Ellery Rees (9). (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor NORMAL – No. 16?Mother McAuley had the formula.Junior outside hitter Ellie White had 20 kills, 9 digs and a block and the Mighty Macs shook off a long Benet run that forced a third game to claim its record 16th IHSA championship by beating the Redwings, 25-22, 17-25, 25-14, in the IHSA Class 4A championship match Saturday at Redbird Arena. The difference? Chem...