Barrington was in quarantine for two weeks due to the pandemic, then played three times in 24 hours minus any practice, 6-7 junior Jack O'Riordan, two starting junior middle hitters and a freshman outside hitter in a squeaker Saturday against Schaumburg. https://youtu.be/hcbZ6LM3Lss It was a recipe for disaster.Two weeks without touching a ball while in quarantine. Arguably your best player in Las Vegas playing in a club tournament. Three conference games in less than 24 hours, including back-to-back matches on Saturday with one mat...
LaCoco, De La Salle's defense bring Montini's unblemished season to a stunning end
Montini could not protect big leads in both sets and dropped its first match of the season Monday to De La Salle. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comIsabella LaCoco is back.That’s a good thing for De La Salle. For Montini, though, it proved to be a problem.LaCoco missed De La Salle’s home loss to Montini last week with a back injury, but the Western Illinois-bound senior setter was in fine form Monday and made Montini feel the pain.LaCoco, who also worked on the right side while splitting setting duties with Daniela Scalise, had a team-...
Helping teens get through loss, isolation and fear begins at home, expert says
Teenagers are experiencing more stress than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's important for parents to encourage their children to share their feelings, support them, work through the difficulties together while also caring for themselves. Maria Rago, Ph.D., is a psychologist and president of Rago & Associates Counseling Services. By all accounts, 13-year-old London Bruns of Ridgefield, Washington, was a happy teenager. Her parents described her as a sweet and sensitive daughter with a kind heart and incredible artistic...
Illprepvb.com presents the 100 All-Time Best Illinois Girls Volleyball Players, Nos. 81-90
St. Francis setter Michelle Kocher led the Spartans to two IHSA championships and a runner-up finish, then guided Texas to the NCAA Final four twice. (Above photo courtesy of Texas Athletics, cover photo courtesy of Northwestern Athletics) Today, we continue our countdown of the 100 All-Times Best Illinois Girls Volleyball Players with Nos. 81-90. Volleyball has come a long way since the IHSA began sponsoring a state tournament series in 1974. You might be hard-pressed to recognize the game. Not only have the rules changed, but so ha...
Illprepvb.com presents the 20 All-Time Best Illinois Girls Volleyball Teams, Nos. 1-5
The 2016 Mother McAuley volleyball team won the IHSA Class 4A championship, the school's second under Jen DeJarld and the school's 15th overall, and was named the No. 1 team in the nation. (Photo courtesy of Mother McAuley) There have been many great teams throughout the history of IHSA girls’ high school volleyball – undefeated champions, once-beaten champions, and some teams that did not win a state championship despite their pedigree. Today, Illprepvb.com continues its countdown of the 20 All-Time Best Illinois Girls High Scho...
Staying in touch with sport he loves, lifelong friendships keep Febonio in the game
Mark Febonio (right), seen here conversing with fellow official Dave Harlan, has been officiating Illinois high school volleyball for 24 years. He says he will continue to officiate volleyball after his job takes him to California this summer. Editor's note: The IHSA tournament gets underway Monday, so we thought we'd begin by taking a look at one of the people who make the tournament possible. By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comMark Febonio didn’t get the chance to play high school volleyball while he was growing up in Massachusett...
Belvidere North outslugs Normal West; Nazareth beats Joliet Catholic … again
Nazareth's Lauren Salata flicks a kill down the line in Friday's Class 3A semifinal victory over Joliet Catholic. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – When a volleyball team such as Belvidere North has more weapons, it behooves setters like Jayden Flynn to use them.The senior did just that, notching 24 assists as four of her hitters had 6 or more kills in a 25-18, 25-17 victory over Normal West in a Class 3A state tournament semifinal at Redbird Arena on Friday.Ranked No. 1 in 3A by Illprepvb.com, Belvide...
McGrath's 'special season' begins with Loyola's Crimson Classic championship
Loyola's Mia McGrath was named MVP of the 2021 Crimson Classic hosted by Plainfield North and Plainfield Central and sponsored by Illprepvb.com after leading the Ramblers to the championship of the 32-team tournament Saturday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) What a difference 24 hours make.“If you consider our first match on Friday to our last match today, it's amazing the growth that happened,” said Loyola coach Mallory Thelander.As long as her team doesn’t grow too much and can’t fit into its Crimson Classic championship T-shirts.The Ramblers...
IHSA approves one-time exemption for high school and club volleyball participation
Boys and girls volleyball players will be able to participate in high school and club volleyball at the same time during the 2020-21 this school year following a ruling by the IHSA Board of Directors on Monday. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) A month after tabling a decision on whether to allow students to participate in club and travel sports while simultaneously competing for their high school teams during the spring and summer seasons, the IHSA Board of Directors gave the go-ahead Monday.IHSA By-law 3.100, which governs independent team parti...
Glenbard West rallies, surprises Montini for Wheaton North Blue & Gold title
Montini defeated Benet in the semifinals, but could not build on a first-set victory and lost to Glenbard West in the championship match of the Wheaton North Blue & Gold Invitational. By Randy WhalenSpecial to Illprepvb.comGlenbard West surprised most everyone except itself. The Hilltoppers won a pair of three-set thrillers Saturday, surviving Wheaton North in the semifinals then rallying past Montini, 17-25, 25-23, 25-23, in the title match of the Wheaton North 36th Annual Blue & Gold Girls Volleyball Tournament.The victory av...