University High hopes an explosive offense can earn the team a trip to Redbird Arena, which is just seventh-tenths of a mile south of the school off Main Street in Normal. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – Home buyers often look for places that are “move-in ready.”Likewise, volleyball fans of Class 3A state powerhouse University High School in Normal hope to watch an offense that won’t need renovation during or after its August 22 season-opener at Bloomington.“Our top strengths will be our setting and our offense,” says Mike ...
Veteran Gieseke helps young Plainfield Central put tough start in rear-view mirror
It was a mixed bag for the Southwest Prairie Conference Thursday with Plainfield East (above) losing at Lockport while Plainfield Central (video below) broke into the win column at home against Nazareth Academy. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) https://youtu.be/NX0pSY33w4A By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorPlainfield Central’s Logan Gieseke has been around the block a few times.The 6-foot-4 outside hitter was elevated to the varsity two games into his freshman year to play middle hitter. He was slated to start his sophomore year, but the se...
1st Alliance 17 Gold is No. 1 in nation; 16 Gold, Sky High 17 place second at USAVs
1st Alliance 17 Gold huddles on its way to winning the 17 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana – The Gold bracket of the 17 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship was a breeze for No. 1 seed 1st Alliance 17 Gold.Getting there? Well, that was a different story. After finishing second in its initial pool and losing to AZ REV 17 Premier (Phoenix, Arizona) 17-25, 25-19, 15-13, in its first match of a Round 2, three-team pool Sunday, 1st Al...
A return to 'normalcy' begs the inevitable, impossible question — who's No. 1?
Parker Moorhead (12) and the Glenbard West Hilltoppers open the 2022 season as the No. 1 team in the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Boys High School Rankings. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorNormalcy?What is that?All you must do to get some semblance of the discombobulation that was the 2021 boys high school season is look at the past records of some of the teams ranked in the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Preseason Top 25. Some played 39 matches (Glenbard West), others played as few as 16 (St. Ignatius...
Is one Sky High better than two? Which 1st Alliance team is first? It's still undecided
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...
Lee-Caracci, with a little help from her friends, leads Lyons past Willowbrook
Willowbrook suffered its first loss of the 2022 season Wednesaday at the hands of visiting Lyons Township, 25-20, 12-25, 25-22. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe graduation of Tia Kostic and Adriana Vassek – who together accounted for more than 500 kills – from last year’s sectional semifinalist Lyons team put the burden of being “that” girl squarely on the shoulders of returning outside hitter Kamryn Lee-Caracci.So far, Lee-Caracci has shown that, boy, she can carry that weight a long time.Wednesday in Villa Park, Lee-Caracci slamm...
Hinsdale Central exploits rotation error, rides momentum past Maine South
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 ...
Metamora turns a few heads despite loss to Marist; young U-High seeks to improve
Kitty Sandt and Nazareth bounced back from a 25-21, 25-13 loss to Maine South with a 25-18, 25-18 victory over Providence Catholic to reach the Bronze bracket Saturday at the Plainfield North Crimson Classic. (File photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorMetamora deserved a better fate Friday.The Redbirds, who return three starters from the team that opened last season with 27 consecutive victories and advanced to a Class 3A supersectional, found themselves on the other side of the net Friday against No. 2 seed Mar...
Oswego sticks to the game plan and Allen delivers in win over Plainfield North
Ben Rosenow had 5 kills and 3 aces in Oswego's win over Plainfield North on Thursday in Oswego. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorOswego had a three-pronged game plan following its tough 17-25, 25-18, 25-16 loss Tuesday to Plainfield East, the Panthers’ first in Southwest Prairie Conference play.Part I: Fix what was broken.“We worked on what we needed to work on in practice (Wednesday),” said Oswego’s 6-foot libero Alex Rosenow.Part II: Talk about how you respond following a loss, and stick to it.“We want to win c...
Nearly 80 girls from Illinois clubs named all-tournament at USAV, AAU nationals
Sports Perfromance 18 Kahl's Claire Simpson has some encouraging words for teammate and all-tournament selection Seiler Hruska (92) during the AAU tournament in Orlando. On the home page, Top Flight 17U Elite's Lauren Buxton of Pleasant Plains was an all-tournament selection in the 17 LIberty division at the USAV nationals in Indianapolis. Seventy-eight girls representing Illinois volleyball clubs were named to the all-tournament teams at the recently-concluded USAV and AAU national tournaments:2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship ...