Sports Performance 16 White dropped only one set during the entire tournament to win the 16 Spirit division at the 49th AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday. Orlando, Florida – There are exceptions to the “No sure thing” rule.For example, take the 18 Classic championship match at the 49th AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.There was no way that a Sports Performance team wasn’t going to walk away with a national title. The only question was whether i...

Sports Performance VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Year Katie Hurta led Nazareth to the school's first IHSA championship in a girls' sport November 12-13 at Redbird Arena. (Photos by Dave Ruggles). Katie Hurta of Nazareth By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comFive days.That’s how long it took Nazareth senior Katie Hurta to truly understand what she and her teammates had accomplished.The 2021 Sports Performance VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Year put down six of her team-high 15 kills during a third-set rally against Belvidere North i...

Barrington opened the 2022 season with a 22-25, 25-19, 25-12 victory at Stevenson. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorBarrington’s Jessica Horwath, a University of Arizona beach volleyball recruit, opted out of the indoor club season last winter and spring to work with Progression Beach Volleyball club in Darien, where she and her partner played in several big-time tournaments against taller, more mature opponents.So whatever happens on the court during this high school season is unlikely to fluster her … for example, dropping the first s...

Glenbard East's Trevor Real (6) smashed 10 kills Wednesday against visiting Benet, but the visitors prevailed in three sets. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.com As Benet’s resident artist, Drew Rogers was put in charge of designing T-shirts for the Redwings’ senior night.It was a way for the Maryville University-bound outside hitter to demonstrate that his creativity is not limited to the volleyball court.“I was like, ‘What’s our slogan for the year?’” Rogers said. “It’s got to be, ‘Ole.’”The Redwings began...

Pleasant Plains setter Hannah Smith (2) had 26 assists and eight blocks in a 14-25, 25-12, 25-23 Class 3A Clinton Super-sectional victory over Quincy Notre Dame. (Photos by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comCLINTON – Rarely do volleyball teams as good as Pleasant Plains get the opportunity to prove they can overcome a 21-15 deficit in the third set.So there was some doubt when Quincy Notre Dame built such an advantage in the Class 2A Clinton Supersectional on Friday.The Lady Cardinals, however, simply fed their top hitt...

Katie Schumacher-Cawley served as an assistant coach at Penn State for four seasons before being named head coach earlier this month. (Photos courtesy of Penn State athletics) Former Mother McAuley star and new Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comKatie Schumacher-Cawley called it a "dream come true.”The Chicago area native and two-time Penn State All-American landed one of the most prestigious positions in the nation when she was named the head coach of the Penn State women's volleyba...

Lemont improved to 16-8 overall and 7-0 in the South Suburban Conference with its win over Tinley Park on Tuesday. But the end game is a regional championship. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorChristine Zogata took over the boys’ volleyball program at Lemont six years ago with the idea of turning the team into a consistent winner, much as she has done with the girls’ program that has enjoyed several 30-win seasons and won a number of regional championships.Of course, it helps when some members of the boys’ team have sisters who play vo...

Jack O'Riordan (19) has led Barrington to a 12-0 record this spring and is a top attacker for his club team, Adversity 18 Adidas, which is ranked No. 3 nationally. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorCharlie Spry would probably be dialing up Brian Urlacher for hair grooming tips if not for Jack O’Riordan.Barrington is seeded No. 1 at this weekend’s 2022 Tiger Classic at Wheaton Warrenville South, but the Broncos teetered on the edge in their opening set Thursday against Metea Valley. The Mustangs broke out to a 19-1...

Unbeaten Belvidere North won the Jacobs Volleyball Invitational on Saturday, defeating Lake Forest, 25-16, 11-25, 25-10 in the championship match. Sometimes, no matter how good you are, you can’t do anything right. It was about then that Jayden Flynn decided that she had enough.“We did everything wrong in the second set,” said Flynn, Belvidere North’s feisty setter after watching her team bow 25-11 to Lake Forest in Game 2 of the championship match at the Jacobs Volleyball Invitational Saturday in Algonquin.“It seemed like as the set k...