Glenbard West's Parker Moorhead had 11 kills, but it wasn't enough as Lincoln-Way East defeated the preseason No. 1 Hilltoppers, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, Thursday in Frankfort. (Archive photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/BXJExVvuOuU By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor277 days.That’s how much time has passed since Lincoln-Way East and Glenbard West met in the third-place game of the 2021 IHSA Boys Volleyball Tournament in Glen Ellyn last spring, a match in which the Hilltoppers spanked the Griffins, 25-14, 25-15.277 days.Water under...
Lincoln-Way East refuses to quit, erases second-set deficit against Plainfield North
Plainfield North (above) led 20-14 in the second set against visiting Lincoln-Way East Tuesday, but watched the visitors close on an 11-2 run to earn a 25-20, 25-22 sweep. https://youtu.be/T4kyIkF0JAc By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorTyler Walenga wasn’t worried.“I knew something was coming,” he said.Neither was Jared Byas.“No matter what, we’re not going to give up,” he said. “We just keep fighting.”Even coach Kris Fiore believed.“One of the greatest attributes of our kids is that you didn't see fear in their eyes at all,” he said...
Krzeczkowski gets angry, bounces back, ‘pounds’ it for steadily improving Benet
Metea Valley's Bartosz Chmielewski (6) had 6 kills against visiting Benet Academy on Wednesday, but the Redwings defeated the Mustangs, 25-17, 22-25, 25-18. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comBenet right side Dominic Krzeczkowski began Wednesday’s match against host Metea Valley with a blistering kill.An hour later, he ended it with another one.In between, well, the Redwings had to dig deep to put an end to Metea’s five-game winning streak. Krzeczkowski, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, led all players with 12 kills, but B...
Quinn Isaacson heads list of Illinois products recognized among college's best
Quinn Isaacson, a Plainfield North graduate who led Ball State to a 23-4 record and the NCAA national semifinals, was named the recpient of the Lloy Ball Award as the nation's best collegiate setter. (Photo courtesy of Off the Block). Quinn Isaacson is capping off a college career with a major college men’s volleyball honor.Off the Block (Offtheblockblog.com) announced Monday that a nationwide voting committee selected the Ball State setter as the recipient of the 2022 Lloy Ball Award.The Lloy Ball Award, which is named after the former ...
SPVB 18, 15 Elite, 18 Blue take home top honors at Presidents Day Challenge
SPVB 18 Elite outside hitter and Wisconsin recruit Ella Wrobel (Plainfield North) was named MVP of the 18/17 Open division at the SPVB Presidents Day Challenge. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/Nv4F9fYMlvw By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSports Performance’s 15 Elite team has taken the court 18 times this season – 24 if you count the six matches it played during a scrimmage early in the season – and only five times has the team on the other side of the net been in the same age bracket.So after dropping the second set o...
Adversity girls rebound from early loss to advance at Winter Volleyball Championship
Michio Chicago 18 National finished third in its pool on day one of the 2022 Girls Winter Volleyball Championship at McCormick Place. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAdversity G18 Adidas was up against it after its first match Saturday at the 2022 Girls Winter Volleyball Championship at McCormick Place.Adversity dropped its opener against Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold, 16-25, 25-22, 15-12, and needed to win its final two matches to remain in the hunt for one of the handful of Open bids available to the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Champi...
Marchis' passion, hard work and energy have Falcons soaring toward postseason
Wheraton North kill leader Will Trussell put 8 more in the column for the Falcons Tuesday against visiting Geneva. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). https://youtu.be/Uq5BTyA9R-w By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhenever the Wheaton North coaching staff wants to challenge their players to work harder, they don’t have to look far to find someone for those players to emulate.“We called them out,” said Wheaton North coach Justin Hineman. “We told them, ‘If you want to see what passion is, if you want to see what hard work is, if you want to see...
The Volleyball Institute/Illprepvb.com present the top 100 boys in the Class of 2023
Jakobi Lange, whose 229 kills as a sophomore last spring powered Hinsdale Central to a sectional final, heads The Volleyball Institute/Illprepvb.com list of the top 100 players in the Class of 2023. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we rank the top 100 boys in the Class of 2023.Among those at the top of the list are three members of 630 Volleyball 17-1 -- Hinsdale Central's 6-4 outside hitter Jakobi Lange, who led the Red Devils to the sectional final as a sophomore, setter Peter Zurawski of defending IHSA quarterfinalist Oak Park-River F...
Illprepvb.com looks at some of the teams coming to a gym near you in spring '22
Lincoln-Way East's Tyler Walenga (on the cover) is just one of a number of starters back for the Griffins, who reached the IHSA semifinals in 2021 before losing to Glenbrook North. Can they return in 2022 and enjoy a celebration like Glenbrook North did last year? (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com Editor Here is a look at some of the teams that will be vying for conference, regional and sectional championships, and, in some cases, IHSA quarterfinal berths and an eventual state championship in 2022 (in alphabetic...
Barrington is bloodied but unbowed; Marist 'kids' beat 'gassed' Lincoln-Way East
(Rockton) Hononegah (left) defeated Geneva to win the Oswego Invitational on Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/A5anPWFy8ok By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNobody is perfect, even when they’re perfect.Barrington took a punch to the gut Saturday in the championship match of the 6th Annual Barrington/Vernon Hills Invitational Saturday in Vernon Hills, dropping its first set of the young season in the second set of the championship match against the hosts.That meant Barrington rookie head coach Charlie Spry’s secret w...