(Week 6 ranking in parenthesis)
18s
1. SPVB 18 Elite (1)
Note: Hanna Lesiak of Lincoln-Way East and Taylor Landfair of Plainfield Central led SPVB 18 Elite to the 18 Open title of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center in Aurora. SPVB 18 Elite rallied from an 8-3 deficit in the third set to defeat Michio Chicago 18 National 25-21, 23-25, 15-13 in a semifinal.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
2. Uno Girls 18 Elite (2)
Note: Minus setter Sarah Nahas of Joliet Catholic and with outside hitter Holly Bonde and libero Taylor Baranski slowed by illness and injury, respectively, Uno Girls 18 Elite was stunned by Epic United 18 ROX in pool play at the Presidents’ Day Challenge.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. Michio Chicago 18 National on Court 1 at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
3. Michio Chicago 18 National (3)
Note: Coach Bryn Kehoe was pleased with her team’s third-place performance at the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center, saying its 25-21, 23-25, 15-13 semifinal loss to SPVB 18 Elite should be a confidence-builder.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. Uno Girls 18 Elite on Court 1 at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
4. Illini Elite 18 Cardinal (4)
Note: The girls from Bloomington continued their red-hot play by winning the Silver Bracket of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center, defeating Fusion 18 Black 25-11, 25-23, and Uno Girls 18 Elite, 23-25, 25-20, 16-14.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
5. (tie) Sky High Adidas 18 Black (5)
Note: Sky High Adidas 18 Black went 6-0 to win the 18 Club division at the Triple Crown Volleyball NIT in Salt Lake City, Utah, defeating Renovators 18 (Spokane, Washington) 25-22, 25-11 in the final.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. Sky High Adidas 16 Black on Court 3 at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
5. (tie) SPVB 18 Kahl (5)
Note: After losing to Uno Girls 18 Elite in the Silver Bracket semifinals, SPVB 18 Kahl bounced back with a 25-21, 16-25, 15-12 win over Fusion 18 Black in the Presidents’ Day Challenge hosted by the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
5. (tie) IL STLHP (Illinois St. Louis High Performance) 18 Elite (5)
Note: IL STLHP 18 Elite went 5-4, finished ninth in a field of 24 teams and won the Silver Bracket of the 18 Nike President’s Day Classic at the America Center in St. Louis, Missouri, by defeating Vision 18 Indy Elite 25-19, 25-20.
Next: Best of the Southeast 18s Qualifier February 23-25 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Other teams to watch: 1st Alliance 18 Silver, ESVBC (Eastside) Ninjas 18U, Fusion 18 Black, Fusion 18 Red, Club 1 18 Red, Ultimate G18 Gold, Chicago Elite 18 Elite, Adversity G18 Purple, SPVB 18 Blue, VC United 181 Elite, Rolling Thunder 18 Blue.
17s
1. Fusion 17 Red (1)
Note: Fusion 17 Red dropped just one match at the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Schaumburg Convention Center, but it was an untimely early-morning 25-21, 14-25, 19-17 loss to Illini Elite 17 Cardinal. However, Fusion 17 Red’s overall body of work, including its seven wins in the Presidents’ Day Challenge, keeps it atop the 17s rankings.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
2. Illini Elite 17 Cardinal (2)
Note: Illini Elite 17 Cardinal defeated No. 1-ranked Fusion 17 Red 25-21, 14-25, 19-17 to finish tied for third in the 17 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Schaumburg Convention Center. But Illini Elite also lost to a Dead Frog team which lost to Fusion, and finished 5-4 overall, keeping Fusion at No. 1.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold on Court 4 at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
3. Michio Chicago 17 National (3)
Note: Michio Chicago 17 National went 5-3 and finished seventh in the 17 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Schaumburg Convention Center, but its only in-state loss was a 25-20, 25-20 defeat at the hands of No. 2 Illini Elite 17 Cardinal.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. SPVB 18 White on Court 5 at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
4. Uno Girls 17 Elite (4)
Note: Uno Girls 17 Elite went 4-4 and tied for fifth in the 17 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Schaumburg Convention Center. One of its losses was a 25-20, 25-21 setback at the hands of No. 3 Michio Chicago 17 National.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. FaR Out 18 Gold on Court 5 at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
5. IL STLHP (Illinois St. Louis High Performance) 17 Elite (5)
Note: IL STLHP 17 Elite went 4-4 and finished 11th in a field of 24 teams after falling to Rockwood Thunder 17 Mizuno 25-22, 32-30 in the 18 Nike President’s Day Classic at the America Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Next: USAV 17s Crossroads Qualifier March 16-18 in Denver, Colorado.
Other teams to watch: Sky High Adidas 17 Black, 1st Alliance 17 Black, 1st Alliance 17 Silver, Illini Elite 17 Black, Rolling Thunder 17 Blue, Ascend 17 Purple, Northside Out Chicago 17U, 1st Alliance 17 White.
16s
1. 1st Alliance 16 Silver (4)
Note: Playing with the big boys in the Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open has paid dividends for 1st Alliance 16 Silver, which beat previously No. 1-ranked SPVB 16 Elite 25-23, 25-19 in the 16 Open division Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Rosemont Sports Dome.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. Fusion 17 Red on Court 4 at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
2. SPVB 16 Elite (1)
Note: SPVB 16 Elite, which had won 22 of 25 previous matches, lost to 1st Alliance 16 Silver 25-23, 25-19 in the championship match of the 16 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Rosemont Sports Dome.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. Motion Volleyball 16 BLU on Court 1 at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
3. Michio Chicago 16 National (4)
Note: Michi Chicago 16 Natio
nal went 5-3 and finished ninth of 32 teams at the 18 Nike President’s Day Classic at the America Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Two of its losses were three-setters.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. Lions 15-1 on Court 2 at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
4. Sky High Adidas 16 Black (3)
Note: Sky High Adidas 16 Black went 4-4 and finished 13th in the 16 Open division of the Triple Crown Volleyball NIT in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sky High defeated Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold 25-15, 25-15 in its final match of the tournament.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 18 Super Open division vs. Sky High Adidas 18 Black on Court 3 at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
5. SPVB 16 C-Fed (NR)
Note: SPVB 16 C-Fed went 6-2 in the 16 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Rosemont Sports Dome. One of its wins was a 25-19, 25-23 Gold Pool victory over Fusion 16 Red, a team it later lost to 25-18 in a one-set tiebreaker to determine which team would advance to the Gold Bracket.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. Iowa Rockets 16R on Court 1 at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
Dropped out: Illini Elite 16 Cardinal.
Other teams to watch: Fusion 16 Red, Cyclones 16 Black Adidas, Uno Girls 16 Elite, 1st Alliance 16 Black, 1st Alliance 16 Red, SPVB 16 Red, Club 1 16 Red, New WAVE 16 Tsunami, Rolling Thunder 16 Blue.
15s
1. Lions 15-1 (1)
Note: Lions 15-1 took the week off.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. Michio Chicago 16 National at 9:00 a.m. on Court 2 on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
2. SPVB 15 Elite (2)
Note: SPVB 15 Elite won six of seven matches including five that went to three sets, but its lone loss – a 25-23, 25-18 setback to eventual 15 Open champion Tri-State Elite 15 Blue out of Cincinnati, Ohio – prevented it from advancing to the semifinals of the Gold Bracket in the 15 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. WI Juniors 16-1 at 8:00 a.m. on Court 2 on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
3. SPVB 15 C-Fed (NR)
Note: SPVB 15 C-Fed went 6-2 in the 15 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge, winning its first six matches before losing 25-21, 25-20 to eventual champion Tri-State Elite 15 Blue out of Cincinnati, Ohio, in a Gold Bracket semifinal.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. Wildcat Jrs. 15 Black at 8:00 a.m. on Court 4 on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
4. Sky High Adidas 15 Black (4)
Note: Sky High Adidas 15 Black went 4-4 in the 15 Elite division of the Triple Crown Volleyball NIT in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sky High is 7-5 in Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open play, but three of those losses are to 16s teams and a fourth is to SPVB 15 Elite.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. WVA 16 Black at 9:00 a.m. on Court 5 on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
5. Fusion 15 Red (3)
Note: Fusion 15 Red went 6-2 in the 15 Premier division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge, splitting a pair of matches – a 25-19, 25-18 win and a 17-25, 25-23, 18-16 loss — with SPVB 15 Red to finish fourth.
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. FaR Out 15 Black at 8:00 a.m. on Court 3 on Sunday, February 25, at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
Dropped out: Wildcat Jrs. 15 Black.
Other teams to watch: Lions 15 Red, Michio Chicago 15 National, Uno Girls 15 Elite, Ultimate G15 Gold, Chicago Elite 15 Elite, SPVB 15 White, Lions Woodridge 15-1.