1st Alliance 15 Gold toppled previously unbeaten 1st Alliance 16 Gold Sunday on the first day of Windy City Power League play. 1st Alliance 16 Gold rolled through the field during the 16/15 Open seeding portion of the Windy City Power League, going 10-0 and winning nine of 10 matches in straight sets, including a 25-19, 26-24 victory over 1st Alliance 15 Gold on January 9.Not surprising, considering that 1st Alliance 16 Gold featured seven players from the Lions 15-1 team that finished fifth in the 15 Open division at the 2021 USAV Girls Ju...

Montini is still figuring things out after losing four Division I seniors from last year's IHSA championship team, said captain Jordan Weatherly (16). By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorAll good things must come to an end.Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. UCLA basketball’s 88-game winning streak. Cal Ripken’s streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. UConn women's basketball 145-game regular-season conference winning streak.And Montini’s 36-match volleyball win streak. Ironically, it ended right where it began.York ended the defendi...

Former Mother McAuley star Kayla Caffey played a big role in leading Nebraska to the NCAA championship match opposite Big Ten foe Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Nebraska athletics) Nebraska middle blocker Kayla Caffey By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comFormer Mother McAuley star Kayla Caffey’s road to the NCAA championship match was full of twists and turns.And she may not be done yet.Caffey played a pivotal role in leading Nebraska to the championship match against Wisconsin, played before a crowd of 18,755 at Nationwide Arena on De...

Logan Grevengoed (10) led Chicago Cjhristian to a third-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A finals this fall at Redbird Arena. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) Delanie, Troy and Logan Grevengoed in 2019. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comTroy Grevengoed has a bond with all his children … all six of them, including five daughters. But he has a special bond with his oldest daughter, Logan.Troy Grevengoed, the longtime boys’ and girls’ volleyball coach at Richards High School in Oak Lawn, gave up the girls’ position this past fall to wa...

Rockwood Thunder 16 Navy features a pair of Illinois products -- Edwardsville's outside hitter Sydney Davis (back row, second from left) and Quincy Notre Dame's Emma Hoing (back row, third from left). On the cover page is Edwardsville's Gabby Saye, who plays for Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite. By PJ BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe Windy City Power League does not get underway until January 8, but that does not mean the girls’ competitive club volleyball scene involving players from Illinois has been completely dormant.The Gateway League, which ...

Andrew's Riley Kloss (11) tries to beat the block of a pair of Metea Valley defenders during Friday's supersectional at Plainfield North. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comKira Hutson had been in pressure situations before.So the Metea Valley star didn’t stress out when the Mustangs were staring two set points in the face during the opening game of Friday’s Class 4A Plainfield North Supersectional.Hutson came up with two huge kills and block, and 30 minutes later, Metea Valley had knocked Andrew out of the state...

Kitty Sandt (6) and Nazareth, the only team to defeat Plainfield Central this season, dropped its East Suburban Catholic Conference opener Tuesday to Benet in LaGrange Park. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comPlainfield Central kept its winning streak going.The Wildcats pulled out a very competitive match down the stretch and toppled Sandburg, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, Tuesday in Orland Park.  The Wildcats (7-1) won their sixth straight. Their only loss was to eventual runner-up Nazareth in pool play of t...

Campbell Paris (25) and her Barrington teammates should vie for a state title in 2022, but can 2021 Class 4A champion Metea Valley overcome some severe graduation losses? (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorI am often asked these questions:Which teams come through in the fall of ‘22?Considering how graduation will take a substantial toll on at least three teams that won IHSA championships in 2021, who are the likeliest candidates to replace St. Thomas More, Montini and Nazareth at the top of their respective class...

Montini's Jordan Haverly falls to one knee after her team defeated Pleasant Plains to win the IHSA Class 2A championship. (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 “Special Mention.” Coaches across Illinois were invited to nominate players to theall-state team. Team members were selected based upon their accomplishments on the court and in the classroom as high school student-athletes, not on any future potential or ...