Oswego's Anthony Ramirez (6) had 4 kills in the Panthers' regional semifinal win over Naperville North in a Downers Grove North regional semifinal Wednesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSometimes it takes more than a powerful outside hitter or a strong blocking middle making play after play to turn a match around.Sometimes it takes a 5-foot-6 defensive specialist.After his team dropped an error-plagued first set to Naperville North, Oswego 5-6 junior Connor Kehoe toed the service line to begin the second.B...
Reid, Baker power Fremd past Hersey for Mid-Suburban League supremacy
Fremd defeated Hersey, 25-22, 25-14, in Palatine to win the Mid-Suburban League championship. https://youtu.be/m0GbzFvY_WM By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorThe last time Fremd won the Mid-Suburban League championship, the Vikings advanced to the Class 4A semifinals in Normal.Just saying.Wake Forest recruit Rian Baker had 22 assists, 3 kills, 1 block and 2 aces, and 6-0 outside hitter Rylen Reid slammed 13 kills and added a pair of aces as Fremd, the queen of the West, defeated Hersey, the ruler of the East, 25-22, 25-14, in the Mi...
Alyssa Worden locks up an Upstate Eight Conference title for South Elgin
South Elgin, which recently won the Elgin tournament, collected more hardware Tuesday when it defeated West Chicago for the Upstate Eight Conference title. South Elgin junior Alyssa Worden recently committed to the University of Iowa. By Phil BrozynskiIllprepvb.com EditorSouth Elgin’s Alyssa Worden knew West Chicago had three pretty good reasons to win Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Conference winner-take-all match.“We traveled 30 minutes to get here and we knew they had a huge crowd, it was at their house and it was their senior night,” she sa...
Chasing MSL championship has become Barrington's 'state tournament'
Barrington's starting six feature only two seniors -- setters Felicia Guagliardo and Amelia Sigaev -- seen here flanking freshman Jenna Meitzler, junior Amanda Cleary, sophomore Campbell Paris and sophomore Jessica Horwath. Fremd's Rylen Reid, who had 19 kills in a 2019 third-place match against Marist, had 18 kills against Barrington on Tuesday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) There will be no state tournament this spring or at any time in the future for girls like Barrington’s 5-foot-9 setter Amelia Sigaev. So like many other seniors pl...
Marist adds a little variety to its attack, turns the tables on Glenbard West
Danny Dorsey (16, far right) returned to the Glenbard West lineup Thursday after siitting out last weekend's Northside Classic with an ankle injury and led the Hilltoppers with 7 kills, but it was Marist that won the rematch of the Smack Attack finale. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comVolleyball is all about making adjustments.Marist made them. The RedHawks, ranked No. 2 in the Michio Chicago VBA/Illprepvb.com Boys Rankings, avenged an earlier loss to top-ranked Glenbard West and came away with a 25-21, 25-23 v...
From here to there and back again: a recruiting nightmare with a happy ending
Amy Schwem (far right) and Lemont won the Silver division championship at the Wheaton Classic during her senior season. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Amy Schwem led Lemont to a 30-8 record and a regional championship as a senior. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comSometimes something seemingly very insignificant turns out to be a bit of foreshadowing.Such was the case for Amy Schwem, a four-year varsity setter at Lemont and a second-team Illprepvb.com all-state selection, during Senior Night festivities on Oct. 17, 2019. Her larger-than...
Stop No. 12? Good luck. O'Riordan named SPVB/Illprepvb's top player
Jack O'Riordan provided leadership and phenomenal numbers for a young and untested Barrington team that set a program record for wins. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comEverywhere Jack O’Riordan went this season, it seemed all eyes were on him.The Barrington outside hitter consistently drew multiple blockers, while in the stands every fan came to watch him play, some hoping to see him fail.At times, it was sort of like waiting for someone to steal the basketball from Michael Jordan. It didn’t happen often,...
Skowronski, Naperville Central start fast, roll past inexperienced Neuqua Valley
Kenzie Brower (14, left, middle) had 3 kills as Naperville Central began its pursuit of a DuPage Valley Conference title Thursday with a victory over Neuqua Valley. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comKaitlyn Skowronski and her Naperville Central teammates put a new twist on the familiar adage about how the key to success is not how you start, but how you finish.Strong starts by the Redhawks in both sets finished Neuqua Valley, which could never dig out of big early holes as Naperville Central rolled to a 25-16, ...
Downers South has one goal in mind: adding another plaque to the gym wall
Downers Grove South's 6-3 junior middle hitter Hugo Hu had 2 blocks and a kill Tuesday against visiting Hinsdale Central. (Photo by Dave Ruggles). There is a large wooden plaque hanging on the west side of the Downers Grove South gymnasium honoring the 2013 state championship boys’ volleyball team.That plaque is getting lonely, and if given the opportunity, Dominic Fallara and his teammates would like to change that.“We’re waiting to get the ‘go’ on state,” said Fallara, a 6-foot senior setter. “That’s what we’re pushing for. We’re here t...
Mother McAuley avoids Edwardsville's upset bid; Metea Valley tops Barrington
Barrington's 6-2 sophomore Berkely Ploder (10) tries to beat the block of Metea Valley's Jessica Williams (4) during the first set of Friday's second Class 4A semifinal. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – They're back.Sophomore Ellie White and senior Peyton Brokemond made sure Mother McAuley returned to a familiar place in the state title match as White whammed 23 kills and Brokemond bashed 18 to lead the Might Macs past Edwardsville, 27-29, 25-21, 25-16, in the opening IHSA Class 4A semifinal Friday at ...