Mother McAuley's Ellie White (on the home page) and Marist's Mary Clare Brusek (5, above) were two of just six players named to the all-tournament team at the Asics Challenge hosted by Mother McAuley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThere’s something about Marist.“They bring out our true selves,” said Mother McAuley’s Ellie White.Marist certainly brings out the best in White.The 5-foot-11 sophomore outside hitter pounded out 27 kills, including 12 in the third set, as the Mighty Macs defeated Marist, 25-15, 23-2...

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, ...

1st Alliance 15 Gold finished fifth in the 15 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Indianapolis this week, falling to the eventual national champions in a Gold bracket quarterfinal. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – Somebody should have told 1st Alliance 15 Gold that the shortest distance between two points in a straight line.Instead, 1st Alliance took a roundabout route to the championship bracket of the 15 Open division at the 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship at the Indianapolis Convention Center this wee...

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...

Normal U-High, the No. 1 team in Illprepvb.com's preseason Class 3A rankings, opened the 2022 season Monday by defeating Bloomington in straight sets. By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comBLOOMINGTON – When Bloomington High School scored its first point on Monday, Purple Raider fans showered Class 3A’s No. 1-ranked visitor, Normal University High, with the obligatory chant of, “overrated.”After the Pioneers shrugged off that opinion to win, 25-14, 25-17, Joe Sanders, coaching his 25th season-opener for Bloomington, wasn’t sure what a rea...