Lincoln-Way West's Logan Clarida (20) tries to drive the ball past Glenbrook North's Paul Wyszynski (10) and Grant Kosla (16) during Saturday's championship match of the Tiger Classic at Wheaton Warrenville South. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSomewhere, Grego Mendel, the father of modern genetics, is smiling. “It’s a funny story,” said Glenbrook North’s 5-8 Paul Wyszynski. “I got my vertical to 39 inches with only genetics. I eventually got it up to 43, 44 inches, and then I started working out and I haven...
SPVB 18 Elite, Kahl come up short in AAU title bids; Top Flight 18 Elite takes fifth
SPVB 18 Kahl was all smiles Friday at the AAU Girls National Volleyball Championships in Orlando on Friday, but those smiles turned upside-down after Kahl lost in the 18 Premier championship match to FarOut 18 Black. Orlando, Florida -- Things could have gone better for Sports Performance VBC at the 49th AAU Girls National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday.Sports Performance 18 Elite advanced to the championship match of the 18 Open division, while SPVB 18 Kahl reached the title bout in the 18 Premier division.Both t...
(Almost) everything you need to know about the 2022 girls' season from M-Z
Montini completed a near-perfect 2021 season with a Class 2A championship , but graduation took a heavy toll on the Broncos, claiming four starters from Trish Samolinski's crew. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe real fun begins tomorrow, so today Illprepvb.com takes a look at some of the teams and players who will be gracing gymnasiums throughout Illinois this fall with their athleticism, cohesiveness and determination.Due to the number of teams responding to our request for information and the amount of info...
Lemont's goal? Put a plaque on the wall. Meanwhile, Tinley Park seeks elusive 'W'
Lemont improved to 16-8 overall and 7-0 in the South Suburban Conference with its win over Tinley Park on Tuesday. But the end game is a regional championship. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorChristine Zogata took over the boys’ volleyball program at Lemont six years ago with the idea of turning the team into a consistent winner, much as she has done with the girls’ program that has enjoyed several 30-win seasons and won a number of regional championships.Of course, it helps when some members of the boys’ team have sisters who play vo...
Barrington's O'Riordan is a rock for the (younger) ages on the Broncos' roster
Jack O'Riordan (19) has led Barrington to a 12-0 record this spring and is a top attacker for his club team, Adversity 18 Adidas, which is ranked No. 3 nationally. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorCharlie Spry would probably be dialing up Brian Urlacher for hair grooming tips if not for Jack O’Riordan.Barrington is seeded No. 1 at this weekend’s 2022 Tiger Classic at Wheaton Warrenville South, but the Broncos teetered on the edge in their opening set Thursday against Metea Valley. The Mustangs broke out to a 19-1...
Stop No. 12? Good luck. O'Riordan named SPVB/Illprepvb's top player
Jack O'Riordan provided leadership and phenomenal numbers for a young and untested Barrington team that set a program record for wins. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comEverywhere Jack O’Riordan went this season, it seemed all eyes were on him.The Barrington outside hitter consistently drew multiple blockers, while in the stands every fan came to watch him play, some hoping to see him fail.At times, it was sort of like waiting for someone to steal the basketball from Michael Jordan. It didn’t happen often,...
Byas comes up big for Lincoln-Way East; Molnar seals Downers South's victory
Lincoln-Way East (near court) won the far south suburban sectional title for the sixth time in the past eight years Tuesday, turning back Marist (far court), 23-25, 25-22, 25-21. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comJared Byas made sure Lincoln-Way East was the team that was moving on. The Lincoln-Way East outside hitter had a match-high 18 kills and added 8 digs and 10 service points as the Griffins punched their ticket back to the IHSA quarterfinals with a thrilling, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, victory over Marist in ...
Staying in touch with sport he loves, lifelong friendships keep Febonio in the game
Mark Febonio (right), seen here conversing with fellow official Dave Harlan, has been officiating Illinois high school volleyball for 24 years. He says he will continue to officiate volleyball after his job takes him to California this summer. Editor's note: The IHSA tournament gets underway Monday, so we thought we'd begin by taking a look at one of the people who make the tournament possible. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMark Febonio didn’t get the chance to play high school volleyball while he was growing up in Massachusett...
'Don't make Jack mad,' said Wegh. So Barrington tops Buffalo Grove for MSL title
West winner Barrington repeated as Mid-Suburban League champion Thursday, outlasting East winner Buffalo Grove in Barrington. https://youtu.be/rZEqqiYHHdI By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBarrington’s junior setter Carsten Wegh only had one thing on his mind late in the third set of the Mid-Suburban League championship game Thursday.Maybe two things.“I was just trying not to mess up,” Wegh said. “I was trying to get a good ball. Jack (O’Riordan) was pretty fiery, so I was trying to not make him mad.”Trailing 22-20, West division ch...
Brannigan moves on from error, leads Marist past Hinsdale Central in thriller
Hinsdale Central's Jakobi Lange (left) had a match-high 14 kills, but it was not enough as Marist defeated the Red Devils in three sets Tuesday in Hinsdale. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comLuke Brannigan got a second chance. This time, he put it away. Brannigan, a sophomore outside hitter, banged the match-winning kill as Marist scored the final 5 points and defeated Hinsdale Central, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, in a match between two of the state’s top teams Tuesday in Hinsdale. “It felt pretty good, but I als...