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...
Hurta joins long list of distinguished players who reaped POY honors
Nazareth's Katie Hurta (9) joins a long and distinguished list of players who earned Player of the Year honors since the award was first presented in 1982. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor Did 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 tournament at Lantz Gymnasium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. New Trier East won that affair, defeating Rich East 15-10, 6...
Who's the best team in Plainfield? For one night only, give the nod to North
Plainfield North bounced back from a rough couple of weeks to upend Joliet West in Plainfield on Monday and all but end the visitors' chances of catching Plainfield East in the Southwest Prairie Conference chase. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAndrew Fedmasu said that his team’s goal is to be the best team in Plainfield.They certainly were Monday.Fedmasu drilled 9 kills to go along with 2 blocks, and fellow pin hitter Aidan Cupps added 8 kills and 2 blocks as Plainfield North handed Joliet West its second loss in the Southwest Prairi...
Montini putting the puzzle together, befuddles visiting Genoa-Kingston
York's Emelyn Stettin tries to work around the block of Glenbard West's Penelope Vilkama during the team's West Suburban Silver opener Tuesday in Glen Ellyn. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comDon't count out Montini.Led by a monster match from senior Jordan Heatherly, the defending IHSA Class 2A champions showed that despite a .500 record over their first 10 matches, they aren't done yet. Heatherly had 9 kills, 4 blocks, 17 assists and 14 digs as Montini never trailed and held off a furious rally in the sec...
Byas, Lincoln-Way East take early control of conference race by beating Lockport
Lincoln-Way East, which handed Glenbard West its only loss this spring, has won the conference title three times since the Southwest Suburban Conference went to a single division alignment in 2017. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comJared Byas missed most of last season with tendinitis. This season, the Lincoln-Way East outside hitter hopes to help lead his team on another state finals run.Meanwhile, Byas did his part to make sure the Griffins win another Southwest Suburban Conference championship. He contributed 4 kills and 3 ...
Work harder, get better — that's life in the Windy City Power League's nether regions
Mission 15 Elite has been without one of its top players throughout much of league play, but showed promise at the President's Day Classic in St. Louis recently. https://youtu.be/jLB6h8JQRAE By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorFew teams that compete in the Windy City Power League have a realistic shot at earning one of the league’s automatics bids to the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship. Goals become particularly incremental for those teams exiled to Bracket D or E.“We definitely had to change our priorities being i...
1,127 wins later, girls volleyball legend named new coach at (Downs) Tri-Valley
Donna Dulle led Mt. Pulaski to 1,127 wins, 23 sectional championships, 14 IHSA state tournament appearances and two state titles during her 39 years as head coach. (Photo courtesy of Decatur Herald-Review) Former Mt. Pulaski coach Donna Dulle directed the (Downs) Tr-Valley freshman and eighth grade teams last year. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comDOWNS – Considering Donna Dulle’s volleyball coaching success, many jobs would seem to be beneath someone of her stature.That explains why Josh Roop, Tri-Valley High School’s athletic dir...
Glenbard West smacks previously unbeaten Marist; Mustangs win two-horse race
Barrington's 6-10 sophomore Cole Hartke had 4 kills and 4 blocks in Barrington's loss to Downers Grove South in the championship match of the Richard Griesheim Invitational Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepb.comNo Dorsey, no problem.Playing without one of its top players, outside hitter Danny Dorsey, who was out ill all weekend, Glenbard West handed top-ranked Marist its first loss of the season with a dominating 25-20, 25-16 victory Saturday in the championship of the Smack Attack Tournament at Brother Ric...
St. Thomas More denies Augusta Southeastern its Cinderella finish
Freeport Aquin's Lucy Arndt had 15 kills to lead ther Bulldogs past Springfield Lutheran in the IHSA Class 1A third-place game. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Class 1A By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNORMAL – For one brief shining moment …Tiny Augusta Southeastern, drawing from the communities of Augusta (population: 900), Bowen (500), West Point (200), Plymouth (350), Colmar and Huntsville in the far west central county of Hancock, faced off against St. Thomas More, which draws from the city of Champaign (population: 87,636) and surroundi...
Here is the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Honorable Mention Team
Barrington's Amanda Cleary (above) and Augusta Southeastern freshman Amanda Stephens (on the home page) are among the players named to the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Girls All-State Honorable Mention Team. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Today, we are pleased to announce the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com 2021 Girls All-State Volleyball Team and those players selected as “Honorable Mention.” Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to the all-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments o...