Timothy Christian, which is only in its second full year of fielding a varsity team, features seniors (from left) Ben Tameling, Josh Loerop, Andrew Sheehan, Jason Westra and Kyle Teune. Timothy Christian’s schedule hasn’t exactly prepared the Trojans for what they’ll see on the other side of the net when the IHSA tournament begins in two weeks.“Adequate competition,” is what Timothy Christian coach David Barker calls his team’s slate of conference opponents.So while Wednesday’s 25-18, 25-15 loss at Hinsdale Central – the first time Timoth...
Illprepvb.com ranks the 10 All-Time Best Illinois Boys High School Volleyball Teams, Nos. 6-10
Brother Rice's flirtation with perfection ended in the 2007 quarterfinals (Photo courtesy of Paul Ickes) The COVID-19 pandemic denied high school volleyball fans a 2020 boys’ season, but we can still celebrate some of the great teams of the past by naming the 10 All-Time Best Boys High School Volleyball Teams.The boys' first sanctioned state tournament was held in 1992. Richards dominated the landscape that season, not only becoming the first state champion in IHSA history, but also the first unbeaten state champion.There have been ot...
Illprepvb.com presents the 100 All-Time Best Illinois Girls Volleyball Players, Nos. 71-80
Jacksonville's Jaelyn Keene (2) had nearly 3,000 kills during her combined high school and college careers. (Photo courtesy of Illinois State University, cover photo courtesy of St. Louis University) Today, we continue our countdown of the 100 All-Times Best Illinois Girls Volleyball Players with Nos. 71-80. 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 has the caliber of the athletes who compete....
Normal West spills Champaign Central in battle of teams no longer on the bubble
Normal West, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by Illprepvb.com, won the eighth regional in school history Thursday with a 25-17, 25-18 victory over Champaign Central at the Bloomington Class 3A Regional at the Robert Frank Sports Complex. (Photos by Randy Sharer) By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comBLOOMINGTON – The Champaign Central volleyball team has improved significantly from the beginning of the season.The only problem for the Maroons in the Bloomington Class 3A Regional final Thursday was running into a Normal West squad that has impro...
It's last call for Fremd seniors, and has Brown County’s time finally arrived?
Brown County went 17-4 in the spring and hopes to duplicate, if not exceed, that success this fall behind (front row, from left) Gabby McGath, Cortni Law and Makenna Post; (middle row, from left) Brooke Garthaus, Justyce Hunter, Cyrah Dunlap and Lea Houston; and (back row, from left) Ashlee Markert, Klare Flynn, Katey Flynn and Gracie Hedden. Not pictured is Kaci McKeon. Illprepvb.com continues its look at the 2021 season with more previews, including those of (Mt. Sterling) Brown County, which is on a quest to make history this fall a...
Just how good is Normal U-High in 2021? Bloomington is ready and willing to testify
Maycie Welborn, a 6-foot-3 Morehead State recruit, led Normal U-High with 11 kills on 11 swings during a 25-9, 25-20 victory Wednesday at Bloomington. (Photo by Randy Sharer) https://twitter.com/Pg_Sharer/status/1372399811333328898 https://twitter.com/i/status/1372398201605603328 By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comBLOOMINGTON – With no state tournament to sort things out, we are free to speculate about how good teams such as Normal University High School are.Veteran talent evaluator Joe Sanders, in his 23rd-year as Bloomingt...
Northwestern recruit Averie Hernandez powers Normal West past visiting Danville
Normal West junior Averie Hernandez, a 6-foot-2 Northwestern recruit, swats one of her 12 kills in Thursday's 25-10, 25-13 home victory over Danville. Hernandez also had a block for the 3-2 Wildcats. Attempting to block Hernandez was Danville's Savanna Rudy (7). https://twitter.com/Pg_Sharer/status/1375281237275852803 By Randy SharerSpecial to Illprepvb.comNORMAL – In nine years as the Normal West High School volleyball coach, Kelsey Mueller has seen a few good players peak early in their careers.“(Averie Hernandez) is defin...
Hall has herself a ball as North tops Central in neighborhood rivalry
Kaitlyn Skowronski (7) was one of three Naperville Central players with 3 kills, but it wasn't enough Tuesday as the Redhawks fell to neighborhood rival Naperville North. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comEllie Hall turned the Naperville North gym into a house of horrors for Naperville Central on Tuesday.The 6-foot middle blocker seemed to be everywhere at once and the visiting Redhawks could never find a way out.Hall played like a girl on a mission, leading all players with 7 kills and 4 blocks to lead Nape...
Chicago Elite Volleyball Club continues to thrive despite pandemic, uncertainty
Chicago Christian and Chicago Elite Volleyball Club graduate Lia Moore (far right) is now playing at Michigan State. (Photo by Dave Ruggles) By Matt Le CrenSpecial to Illprepvb.comWith most youth sports on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, volleyball club coaches naturally wondered if their enrollment would go down this fall.That has not been the case at Chicago Elite.“We thought we’d be a little bit hurt in numbers just because what’s the point of playing club if there’s not going to be any tournaments,” said Chicago Elite boys di...
Lenny, Dail feel the heat to three-peat at Winter Volleyball Championships
Club 1 B18 Skronkstrong had a rough start to its weekend at the Winter Volleyball Championships Saturday in Indianapolis, going 0-3 in first round pool play. (Photos by Dave Ruggles) Jason Kougan (Lincoln-Way East) and his Ultimate B18 Gold teammates struggled to an 0-2 finish Saturday. Indianapolis, Indiana – Solomon Dail is feeling the heat.“(Coach Zach) Splitt is a very, very competitive person, and there’s a lot of pressure on me as a team captain because he really wants this three-peat,” said the 6-foot-5 Dail, a Sports Performanc...