(Week 7 ranking in parenthesis)
18s
1. SPVB 18 Elite (1)
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
2. Uno Girls 18 Elite (2)
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)
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)
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
5. (tie) Sky High Adidas 18 Black (5)
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)
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 went 9-0 in the 18 USA Division at the Beast of the Southeast 18s Qualifier last weekend to earn a bid to the USAV Junior National Championships. In the championship match, third-seeded IL STLHP 18 Elite defeated No. 1 seed Mintonette Sports m.81 16-25, 25-21, 16-14, the third consecutive three-set match won by the girls from the east side of the Mississippi.
Next: GW Bid Event in St. Louis March 10-11.
Other teams to watch: 1st Alliance 18 Silver, ESVBC (Eastside) Ninjas 18U, Ultimate G18 Gold, Club 1 18 Red, VC United 181 Elite, Fusion 18 Black, Fusion 18 Red, SPVB 18 Navy, Chicago Elite 18 Elite, Adversity G18 Purple, SPVB 18 Blue, Rolling Thunder 18 Blue.
17s
1. Fusion 17 Red (1)
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
2. Illini Elite 17 Cardinal (2)
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
3. Michio Chicago 17 National (3)
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)
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)
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, Celtic Force 17 Green, Chicago Elite 17 Black.
16s
1. 1st Alliance 16 Silver (1)
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 (2)
Note: SPVB 16 Elite bounced back from its 25-23, 25-19 loss to 1st Alliance 16 Silver in the championship match of the 16 Open division of the Presidents’ Day Challenge at the Rosemont Sports Dome by sweeping all three of its matches – including a 26-24, 27-25 win over SPVB 16 C-Fed and a 25-20, 23-25, 15-5 win over SPVB 15 Elite – Sunday in the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
3. Michio Chicago 16 National (3)
Note: Michio Chicago 16 National recovered from a 25-21, 23-25, 15-11 loss to Lions 15-1 in its Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division opener Sunday to beat WI Juniors 16-1s 28-26, 25-20 and Motion Volleyball 16 BLU 19-25, 25-15, 15-4 and retain its spot in Bracket A when league play resumes April 15.
Next: Mideast Qualifier March 23-25 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
4. Sky High Adidas 16 Black (4)
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. (tie) SPVB 16 C-Fed (5)
Note: SPVB 16 C-Fed surprised Iowa Rockets 16R – a team its lost to 25-23, 25-20 on February 11 – in both teams’ opener at the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division Sunday before dropping consecutive matches to SPVB 16 Elite (26-24, 27-25) and Lions 15-1 (25-23, 25-22). Nevertheless, SPVB 16 C-Fed is 9-6 in league play and will remain in Bracket A when league play resumes.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
5. (tie) lllini Elite 16 Cardinal (NR)
Note: Maybe it wasn’t pretty – especially its 19-25, 27-25, 15-13 win over FC Elite 15 Navy in both team’s’ opener – but Illini Elite 16 Cardinal went 3-0 Sunday to win Bracket B of the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division and advance to Bracket A when league play resumes April 15. All coach Andy Erins wants to see is improvement.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
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, IPV (Illinois Performance Volleyball) 16HP, D1 Elite G16 Black.
15s
1. Lions 15-1 (1)
Note: Yes, Lions 15-1 lost to SPVB 15 Elite – a team it had beaten twice previously – Sunday in the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division. But Lions 15-1 was probably still shaking the dust off after taking a two-week vacation from competition. The Western Springs crew, which did return Newark outside hitter Madi Malone, recovered to beat SPVB 16 C-Fed 25-23, 25-22 for third place in Bracket A.
Next: Mideast Qualifier March 23-25 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
2. SPVB 15 Elite (2)
Note: SPVB 15 Elite got its first win against Lions 15-1 in three tries, beating the girls from Western Springs 27-25, 25-23 on Sunday in a Bracket A semifinal of the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division despite the absence of 6-1 outside hitter Emily Wilson of Joliet Catholic, who was nursing an elbow injury.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wiscons
in Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
3. SPVB 15 C-Fed (3)
Note: SPVB 15 C-Fed toppled Wildcat Jrs. 15 Black 19-25, 25-18, 15-12 and 1st Alliance 16 Black 21-25, 25-16, 15-11 to reach the championship match of Bracket B of the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division Sunday. When league play resumes April 15, SPVB 15 C-Fed will move up to Bracket A.
Next: JVA Showcase March 2-4 at the Woodside Wisconsin Dells Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
4. Sky High Adidas 15 Black (4)
Note: After losing its opener to WVA (Wisconsin Volleyball Academy) 16 Black 25-21, 12-25, 15-12 in Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open play Sunday, Sky High Adidas 15 Black defeated CI Elite 16 Red and Cyclones 16 Black Adidas to finish fifth and avoid dropping down to Bracket D when league play resumes in April.
Next: 18 Nike Mideast Qualifier March 17-19 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
5. Fusion 15 Red (5)
Note: Fusion 15 Red ran into a little trouble Sunday in the Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division, losing to FaR Out 15 Black 25-19, 21-25, 15-12 and Epic United 16 Elite ROX 25-23, 25-23 to fall out of Bracket B. Coach David Soller calls his team a “work in progress.”
Next: Great Lakes Power League 16 Super Open division vs. FC Elite 16 Navy on Sunday, April 15, at 8:00 a.m. on Court 5 at the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
Other teams to watch: Wildcat Jrs. 15 Black, Lions 15 Red, Michio Chicago 15 National, Uno Girls 15 Elite, Ultimate G15 Gold, Pipeline 15 Nike, Illini Elite 15 Black, Chicago Elite 15 Elite, Lions Woodridge 15-1, ESVBC Cougars 15U.