Barrington's 6-10 sophomore outside hitter Cole Hartke (15) led Pipeline 17-1 to the championship match of the 2022 Dennis Lafata Boys Bid Classic. (Photo courtesy of Daily Herald) Today, we rank the top boys in the Class of 2024. The list is headed by the most impactful freshman from the 2021 high school season, Lockport's 5-foot-10 setter Evan Dziadkowiec, who led the Porters to their first-ever appearance in the IHSA quarterfinals and continued to flash his brilliance this winter at the reigns of Ultimate B16 Gold. Just behind...

Sky High Adidas 16 Elite is a combination of two 15s teams from a year ago and has found itself among the upper echelon of teams in the Windy City Power League 16/15 Open division. On the home page is Sky High Adidas 16 Elite setter Jenna Meitzler from Barrington. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBack and forth they go.1st Alliance 16 Gold and 1st Alliance 15 Gold found themselves in familiar territory Saturday during Windy City Power League play at the 1st Alliance facility in Woodridge – the championship match of Bracket A.Whether i...

Jakobi Lange had 6 kills and an ace, and Hinsdale Central regrouped after a lengthy interruption during the second set to storm past Maine South, 14-25, 25-21, 25-16, Tuesday in Hinsdale. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/7T3NSE2_xWM By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSometimes all it takes is something as innocuous as a service rotation error to turn a match around.After crushing Hinsdale Central 25-14 in the first set of the teams’ non-conference match Wednesday in Hinsdale, Maine South eased to an 8-6 lead in the second ...

Geography. Led by Matthew Molnar, Downers Grove South defeated Downers Grove North on Tuesday. Twenty-four hours later, Plainfield East surprises Lincoln-Way West. And tomorrow, another key geographic showdown when Glenbard West visits Lincoln-Way East. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comOne thing is apparent about the new Plainfield East boys volleyball head coach Jeff Wilkie.He trusts his players. That trust paid off in his coaching debut Wednesday. The Bengals held off a rally in the opener and...

Kamryn Chaney of 1st Alliance 17 Gold and Marist smashes a kill past the outstretched arms of two VC United 171 defenders during the final day of Windy City Power League seeding Saturday at 1st Alliance in Woodridge. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorWhat a week for 1st Alliance 17 Gold.First, the girls from the western suburbs earned an Open bid to the USAV Girls Junior National Championship by crushing the field at the 2022 Mizuno Northern Lights Qualifier last weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.Then Saturday, 17 Gold ...

Libero Sydnie Hernandez (Illini Elite VBC) helped lead Normal Community West to the IHSA Class 3A semifinals at Redbird Arena this fall. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, we rank the top 100 players in the Class of 2024. The list features some of the best young talent in the state of Illinois, led by 5-11 setter/rightside hitter Ellie White, who had more than 500 kills and 280 digs this fall to lead Mother McAuley to the IHSA Class 4A championship game.The list also includes some of the best power hitters in the state regardless of class, ...

Grace Egan, who was instrumental in Sterling's second consecutive IHSA Class 3A championship in 2019, toils for 1st Alliance 17 Gold during the club season. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Today, Illprepvb.com ranks the top 100 players in the Class of 2023.The list features more than a dozen players who have already committed to Division I schools, led by 6-3 outside hitter and Florida recruit Kira Hutson /(Team One VBC), who led Metea Valley to an IHSA Class 4A championship in the school’s first-ever appearance downstate.Also at the top of the lis...

Springfield Lutheran's Makenna Cox (14) is among the many players who we watched in 2021 and who will return to the high school hardcourts in the fall of 2022. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSure, the start of the 2022 fall girls’ volleyball season is months away, but it’s never too early to speculate about what or who we’ll be seeing on high school courts across Illinois.Today, Illprepvb.com looks at 250 or more reasons to watch girls high school volleyball next fall by taking a peek at some of the best playe...

Jessica Horwath, the leading attacker on Barrington's IHSA Class 4A semifinalist, is foregoing club volleyball this season to train for a possible college career in beach volleyball. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Jessica Horwath was invited to participate in the USA Volleyball National Beach Volleyball Team Development Program in late September in Gulf Shores, Alabama. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comAfter leading Barrington to third place at the IHSA Class 4A state finals in November, Jessica Horwath will be looking to lift the Fil...