The First Hardware Is Out!

Regional Finals... time to hand out some hardware! We covered three games on SportsTownChicago.com and saw three regional champion plaques handed out. The first one went to the Lions of Lyons Township. They defeated Reavis in two games at Argo High School. Special Thanks to the A.D. Mike Sommerfeld for his help and cooperation.

While that may sound like it was an easy day, Reavis jumped out early in the first game and let it be known that they weren't going down without a fight. They played their hearts out trying to pull off the upset but couldn't overcome the height differential. Reavis had a winning record on the season and can be proud of the fact that they played for a regional title today. Best of luck to all of them in the future!

Lyons has height. That's an understatement. Jocelyn Birks and Alexis Viliunas earned the nickname the "Gruesome Twosome" in honor of halloween and their tremendous presence at the net to block opponents. When they don't block their opponent, they force them to hit it long and out. It's not just a two player team. They are deep. This team finished 2nd in State last year and is on a mission to get back to that title game this year. As long as they can improve on their serve receive there is no reason this team can't contend for a state title. Best of luck to Lyons moving forward!

The second piece of hardware given out was at Marist High School and it went to the Redhawks of Marist. They pulled out an impressive win in two games. While Lyons only has one loss on the season compared to Marist's two losses, Marist beat Lyons earlier in the year. And those two losses are to two of the best programs in the entire nation in Cary-Grove and Assumption KY. Just as we thought Lyons had height, it was clear that Marist might have even more height. Lauren Zielinski stands a towering 6'4"! She has the ability to have power hits and soft tips to keep the defense guessing. Caroline Niedosphial might be one of the best Liberos in the entire nation. She was all over the court keeping Marist's passing game in control so that they could run their aggressive offense. For them to get downstate they'll need to make sure they clean up their net play. It's not that it's sloppy, but our seats were at the middle of the scorers table and we could see a few net violations that were not called. As the playoffs progress those will be called and they'll need to make sure they don't beat themselves with those type of mistakes. Best of luck to Marist in the rest of the playoffs!

Of course someone had to play Marist in order for them to win a Regional Championship. That lucky team was Andrew. Andrew, out of Tinley Park, was highly underrated. They came in at 20-10 on the year and clearly had enough talent to pull off an upset. Elizabeth Jendra, Crystal Price, and Maureen Carls all fought tooth and nail to try and extend their season. To start each game the Thunderbolts of Andrew played well to keep it close. They communicate on defense and were not afraid attack the net. It seemed like when Andrew attacked on offense, they were able to get some points and find the open part of the court. While this team has a bunch of Seniors, they'll have a good core returning and the success of this season will help them moving forward. Best of luck next season!

The nightcap of our day was at a familiar location: Chicago Christian in Palos Heights. The Knights haven't lost a 2A game since the State Finals last year. In fact the last time they lost a 2A game before that was in the State Semi-Finals the year before. Needless to say Chicago Christian has been dominating the 2A level for the past two season. While they won a regional championship tonight, it wasn't easy. They won in two games, 25-22 and 25-20 over Mount Assisi. The Knights are led by the Sisterhood of the Traveling Kamps. Madison Kamp helped lead the team through her poise on the court when the games got close. Maggie Kamp, Stacey Kamp, Becky DeRuiter, and Emily Lindemulder brought the thunder on offense. Celaine Haan was all over the court as the Libero. This team played well enough to win, but needs to clean up their game if they want to make it back downstate. If they can clean up their serve receive and passing, there is no reason to think they can't get back downstate. Best of luck to Chicago Christian during the rest of the playoffs!

The most surprising team of the night was the Mount Assisi Eagles. As head coach Karen Van Assen said their record was a deception 9-23 as they also spend a majority of their season playing against 3A and 4A teams. The Eagles were truly poised to pull off an upset. They led in both games after trailing by several points. They were able to stick to the game plan that their head coach drew up before the game. That was to serve aggressively and use the middle of the court. Their serves proved to cause many problems for Chicago Christian and when they attacked the middle of the court they usually got a point. In the end they fell up just short, but it was quite an impressive performance on the road. The entire team can hold their heads high knowing that they have what it takes to improve for next season. A hard schedule clearly prepares them for the playoffs and they will have a about half of their team returning. The game tonight should prove to them that they can compete with a team like Chicago Christian and if they stick with their coaches strategy, they can be successful in the win column next year. Best of luck to the Eagles next year!

While we saw some great volleyball today, we'll be covering the best team in the nation in Cary-Grove on Tuesday when the playoffs continue! Be sure to check back here for the latest updates as well as check SportsTownChicago.com to download the games that we have covered and to download all the interviews that we have been conducting throughout these playoffs!

Now that the first piece of hardware is out, it's time to raise the stakes.

See you at Sectionals

Alex LoCicero (A-Lo)

Saturday October 30th we will be covering the games at Argo, Marist and Chicago Christian!!!

It should be an exciting day of playoff volleyball! Be sure to tune in and listen live on SportsTownChicago.com

The teams we will be covering: Reavis, Andrew, Mount Assisi, Lyons, Marist, and Chicago Christian!

Check back here for the latest updates to find out where we'll be next or follow us on SportsTownChicago.com!

A-Lo

3A Isn't A Step Down In Competition Or Talent

To start with I want to congratulate the three teams that saw their season come to an end. First was the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. They were 13-20 coming into the game and while they may have lost, they are only losing four seniors from this team. That means that a lot of experience is coming back and that experience will translate to improved communication on the court. They gave tremendous effort to try and advance in the playoffs but happened to come up a bit short. Michaela Edgars will return for her senior season and she looks poised to help this team go a lot further next year. As this was only her second year ever playing the sport, you can imagine what another offseason will do for her skills. IMSA showed great sportsmanship and positive attitudes as they never hung their heads. I want to wish them all the best of luck in the future!

Next we had Riverside/Brookfield losing in the second match to Queen of Peace. The Bulldogs came out strong in the first game. They used their height advantage to help them at the net and make it a very competitive first set. I remember turning to Mighty Matt after the first set and mentioning how surprised I was that both of these teams would meet in the first round. As records can clearly be deceiving, especially in the playoffs. The second set wasn't so competitive, but it was not to the fault of the Bulldogs. Queen of Peace came out with 15 points in a row (holding serve the entire time) and part of it was a controversial call that was reversed to go in favor of the Pride of Queen of Peace. That play ended up changing the momentum and the Bulldogs were never able to recover. Riverside/Brookfield can hold their heads high as they never quit. They pulled off a few points at the end to show that they weren't going quietly. This was a young team that will have a bright future and I want to wish them the best of luck next season!

The last team that had their season come to an end before our eyes (that pun was for Dr. Pete and Mighty Matt) was Elmwood Park. They had a bittersweet night. They won the first match of the night against IMSA but then fell in the last match of the night to the host team St. Francis. Elmwood Park came into the night at 8-23 and were the clear underdog in the building. Coach Maggie White was confident that her team was going to put forth their best effort and boy was she right! The Tigers were diving all over the court in both matches trying to extend their season. They can be proud to know that they won a playoff game and send their seniors out with that accomplishment. With only four juniors on the team, this playoff win was huge for their program. It gives the returning players confidence and shows the sophomores that they have the ability to win playoff games. Best of luck to the Tigers in the future!

And then we have the two teams that advance to face one another on Saturday! Queen of Peace and St. Francis. Before I break down each team, I want to congratulate each of them on a win. While they were supposed to win, they each won convincingly and did what they were supposed to do. That doesn't always happen in the playoffs, so props to both teams being prepared and focused on tonight's games. Both teams are polar opposites. Queen of Peace is an undersized, speedy, agile, and finesse team while St. Francis is a powerful, aggressive, and physical team. St. Francis brings the thunder and has two great front line players in Meg Vonderhaar and Daiva White. They will continue to attack the net and bring power hits to try and put Queen of Peace away. Queen of Peace knows that they are undersized and use it to their advantage. They hit to the open spot on the court and use that directional hitting to beat taller opponents. This match up will come down to which team can trust in their game plan the most and execute it. Throw the records and history out, the team that wants it more on Saturday will win. While we won't be able to cover this game, it should be a dandy to watch! We wish both of teams best of luck and hope to see one of them downstate!

Dr. Pete got another shirt!! This time from St. Francis so shout out to Theresa Katarzynski!!! And of course another mention and shout out to Daiva White for throwing Mighty Matt the eyeball! We now have an eye on the State Title and hope to see some familiar faces down there with us!

The teams we will see on Saturday will have a lot of pressure to bring their A game as we saw two very talented teams bring theirs tonight! We will be at Argo to see Lyons, one of the top teams in the nation! We'll follow that up by seeing the only team to beat them this year in Marist at Marist! It should be one great day of volleyball!

Aloha to Mighty Matt, and we'll see you for the prime time games in a week!

Remember to check out SportsTownChicago.com to download all the podcasts and to see video highlights from all of the games we cover!

A-Lo

Put Up Or Go Home

There is nothing like a playoff game! The crowd is excited, the teams are full of energy and anticipation, and the tension is so thick you can cut it with a feather! Wednesday night at Plainfield South was exactly like that.

In the first game Plainfield South jumped out to a quick start in the first set. Bolingbrook fought their way back to take the first two sets and live to see another opponent. During that first match both teams flew all over the court trying to will their teams to victory. Plainfield South may have lost the first game, but it was not due to a lack of effort or passion. They were doing all they could to extend their season, but in the end came up short. They are a young team with lots to look forward to. As hard as it is to take a playoff loss at home, they had tremendous sportsmanship and class to stick around and watch the second game! I want to wish them the best of luck next season as they will return the majority of their roster.

Bolingbrook brought the power in the first game as Ciara Hill was a force to be reckoned with. She was one of the best outside hitters we've seen this year. After the first game Dr. Pete and I wondered how having to play two playoff games in one night would effect the Raiders of Bolingbrook. As it turned out it had a noticeable impact. Bolingbrook fought tooth and nail in the second game against Waubonsie Valley but they clearly were a half a step slower than in the first game. They didn't lose because of a lack of effort or desire, but because they were running on fumes by the second set of the second game.

Meanwhile Waubonsie Valley used their height advantage to jump out on Bolingbrook early on in both sets. They were very poised on the court and showed great maturity as a team. They had to wait around to play this game and they did not let the wait interfere with their focus and discipline. In the playoffs it's easy to get over anxious and try and force hits that aren't there, but this team was patient and it paid off. They didn't put themselves in an opportunity to beat themselves and that was important. By getting the ball in play and forcing Bolingbrook to have to exert extra energy helped wear down their opponent. Since Waubonsie Valley was on fresh legs they had no problem outlasting their opponent.

The Bolingbrook Red Raiders are a very young team and showed some great poise out on the court tonight! More importantly they showed a lot of heart and a lot of desire. There is no doubt that this team is capable of great things next year. Waubonsie Valley gets to live to fight another day. They now get to wait around to find out who they play next, best of luck to the Warriors moving forward!

Tonight was a blast to call with Dr. Pete as we had a lot of fun coming up with some new and exciting calls. Mighty Matt Malich rejoins us tomorrow night as we are at Wheaton, St. Francis to call all the games at that location tomorrow night! As always this broadcast will be up for a free download on SportsTownChicago.com and tomorrow night we stream live starting at 5:45 PM.

If tonight was any indication, tomorrow will be quite intense!

A-Lo

It's Playoff Time!!!

The first playoff games are tonight!!! We're going to be at Plainfield South High School tonight to cover the Plainfield South v. Bolingbrook game tonight followed by the winner of that game against Waubonsie Valley! It should be a great night as there is nothing like a playoff atmosphere and the chance at an upset. While seeding is all well and good, every game is a must win and there is always the possibility of a Cinderella story!

Catch the games live tonight on SportsTownChicago.com and they will be up as a free downloadable podcast tomorrow for those of you who can't listen live... or for you coaches that want to scout upcoming opponents.

Tomorrow we also have an interview with Tony Baranek of the SouthTown Star!! That interview will also be up as a downloadable podcast as he will talk about Marist, Mother McAuley, Chicago Christian and Lockport East and Lockport Central!!! He'll also give us his take on the hot topic of the "net" rule that is different in Club play and School play!

Tomorrow Night we'll be at Wheaton St. Francis covering those games!!

Stay tuned to find out where we'll be on Saturday! (Rumors are that we'll be out in Argo)

For all SportsTownChicago.com HS Volleyball Playoff Coverage stay tuned here or to SportsTownChicago.com!!! Remember Tonight 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM we'll have live calls from Dr. Pete, A-Lo, and Danny V

Let The Games Begin!

A-Lo

A special thank you to everyone who helped out and participated in our special IHSA Girls Volleyball Playoff Preview show!!!!

Thank you to Dr. Pete and Mighty Matt Malich for joining the show!

Danny V for helping run the show!

Special Thanks to Maureen Lynch of the Northwest Herald for joining us in studio!

And of course thank you to those who allowed us to interview them:

Joann Pyritz: Lyons Head Coach

Patty Langanis: Cary-Grove Head Coach

Brad Baker: Benet Academy Head Coach

Phil Brozynski: Sun-Times and YourSeason.com sportswriter

For those of you who missed this special show it is up on SportsTownChicago.com as a FREE podcast!

Stay tuned here to HSVChicago.blogspot.com to find out what games we'll be covering this postseason or check out SportsTownChicago.com for the latest up to the minutes updates.

A-Lo

To The Whistle Special Illinois HS Volleyball Playoff Preview Show!

Monday Morning 9:30-11:00 AM we are having a special Illinois High School Girls Volleyball Playoff Preview Show!!!

Danny V and I (A-Lo) have been calling play by play for many of these teams and decided to give them a special show to help showcase a sport that is underrepresented.

Head Coach Patty Langanis of Cary-Grove is calling in at 9:40 AM

Maureen Lynch, Sportswriter from the Northwest Herald will be in studio from 10 AM - 11AM

Head Coach J0ann Pyritz of Lyons Township will be interviewed

Head Coach Brad Baker of Benet Academy will be interviewed

Phil Brozynski of the Sun-Times and YourSeason.com will also be interviewed.

Joining Danny V and A-Lo will be Mighty Matt Malich, who does play by play with Dr. Pete!

It will be one exciting preview show! Be sure to tune in from 9:30 AM -11:00 AM Monday October 25th on SportsTownChicago.com

If you want to listen, but are unable to listen in live the entire show will be up as a FREE downloadable podcast on SportsTownChicago.com by Tuesday October 26th!

October 25th Playoff Special

We’re Talking Playoffs!!! That’s right! This Monday morning I (A-Lo) am dedicating my show to previewing and talking about the Illinois High School Girls Playoffs. The show is To The Whistle on SportsTownChicago.com from 9:30 AM- 11:00 AM. We will be interviewing local and national sportswriters, head volleyball coaches, and maybe even a player or two! Be sure to tune in Monday Morning for an event that will have you ready for the postseason!

Spirit Night At Moraine Valley

In our second-ever collegiate coverage of women's volleyball we were at Moraine Valley Community College as they took on Harper College. I want to thank everyone at Moraine Valley for their cooperation for allowing us to broadcast the game!

Both teams were incredibly excited to play last night as the regular season was winding down. Moraine Valley was coming off a rough tournament in Wisconsin as they went 1-5 over the weekend. Those were their first losses of the season as they had won their first 25 games. We were wondering if the team had hit a wall, especially after dropping the first set, but they recovered to win the game in four sets. They played with a lot of heart and a lot of energy.

On the other side of the court Harper College was having a great year of their own as they were 26-14 entering the night. They came out with a few new offensive attacks in the front court and they proved to pay off. Instead of constant aggressive attacks, they varied it up with many soft tips. That change of pace was a major reason they won the first set. And while they may have lost the game, they fought tooth and nail to try and force a fifth set. It was clear from watching the Hawks play that they will have success in the postseason.

As always it was a great time calling the game with Dr. Pete and Mighty Matt and we look forward to seeing these two teams in the near future!

A-Lo

Digg For The Cure

I want to start off by thanking everyone at Judson University for their warm hospitality and cooperation! It was Digg for the Cure night for the Judson University Eagles as they played a friendly non-conference match against University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Both teams aren't even from the same class, one is D II the other is D III. But last night none of that mattered as the proceeds from the game went to help fund the fight against breast cancer. Both teams wore pink uniforms to show their support and Judson University sold pink t-shirts and hats to help raise money for breast cancer research and even all of us at SportsTownChicago.com wore pink shirts to show our support! After all, real men wear pink!

As for the game itself it was a great atmosphere! The student section was supportive throughout all four sets! While Judson University dropped another game to go to 2-16 overall, they have a lot to look forward to. A young team, only two seniors, means that they'll have a lot of experience coming back next year! It will also be coach Pearce's third year as head coach, and that's when results start to show for head coaches. The Eagles should hold their head high as they were able to win the first set agaist the D II Rangers. They also played the next three sets tough and demonstrated that they are very close to seeing results in the win column!

As for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers, they are a very talented and youthful team. It was good of them to travel down to Elgin to play a friendly match for breast cancer! Addie Kramer was a force from the right side as the southpaw was able to nail her spike every time she got a good set. Adrienne Uthe and Cayla Flood also had great poise for freshmen, a sign that this team will be even better the next few seasons.

Earlier in the day we did a special DinnerTime Live from the Judson University Cafeteria. It was a great time talking about the seasons of both teams, but more importantly we got to hype up Digg for the Cure night with the fans! During that special hour of broadcasting, we got to see the closeness the students have with one another at Judson. The soccer team had just finished a game and were eating with the rest of the students while still wearing their uniforms. The volleyball team was eating when the cafeteria opened and were able to talk with the students before they had to get over to the gym. That close atmosphere made it fun for us and we appreciate them letting us into that environment!

Thank You Again For the Wonderful Day At Judson University!

Alex LoCicero (A-Lo)

Competition Night In Lisle!

Let me start off this post by thanking everyone at Benet Academy in Lisle for their warm hospitality and cooperation these past two days! On Monday Afternoon we held a lunchroom live special and had lots of excitement and participation from the students. It's always great to interview coaches and the players, but when we get a chance to interact with the entire student body we get a great sense of what the school is all about. Benet Academy is about community and togetherness. The volleyball team came up to be interviewed as an entire group. As intimidating as it was to Dr. Pete, Danny V, and Myself, we realized that these girls were great friends off the court. As the were up interviewing the students were tuning into what the players were saying and reacting accordingly. We then challenged the students to show up and go all out in support of their team with the best decked out fan being declared the super-fan and winning a t-shirt! I originally offered to put their picture on the sportstownchicago.com website, but Dr. Pete upped the offer to a free t-shirt! As if that wasn't enough Courtney Cross from ICB-TV filmed the winning students as I am proud to say that five students showed up with BENET painted on their chests.

Not only was the student support great, but the entire volleyball program was on hand while the Varsity took on Bishop Mac. It was competition night for coach Brad Baker and his squad. Unlike other nights, it was a chance for the starters to sit and the reserves and underclassmen to step up and show everyone their talents. Coach Baker started the tradition when he came to Benet Academy 4 years ago as a way to reward those that worked hard, sacrificed, and dedicated their time and effort to getting better each and everyday. The players that were out there for Benet Academy were more than talented enough to be starters and it was clear that they had earned the right to play.

On the other side of the court was Bishop Mac. A program that is the epitomy of competition. Head Coach April Bufford said before the game that while their record may not be the best, her Fightin' Irish were large in heart and character. On the court Bishop Mac was battling point for point with Benet trying to upset a Top 10 team on the road. Not an easy task to do, and it was compounded with one of the loudest gyms for high school volleyball. Game 1 didn't go as planned for Bishop Mac, but they didn't go away with out a fight. They fought back in Game 2 to put the pressure on the home team. While the Fightin' Irish lost the game, there are plenty of positives to take away from the game. They have a young team that started out slow, but as the game progressed they gained confidence in their ability and their timing seemed more in sync. As I Called commentary and analysis for the JV/Sophomore game I noticed that this same trend existed with the underclassmen. With some offseason repetitions and some time for this team to grow together, it isn't too hard to imagine them becoming a team above .500! More importantly they should know that they are very capable of knocking off a higher seed in the state playoffs if they play like they did in the second game.

While Bishop Mac has good reason to hold their heads high and look forward to the future, Benet Academy has good reason to have high expectations going into the post-season. Both programs were competitive while remaining classy and that makes it a lot of fun as a broadcaster!

Best of Luck to Both Programs!

A-Lo

If you would like sportstownchicago.com to cover your High School sporting event, contact us at SportsTownChicago.com, or BeOnAir.com, or you can even call us at 630 916-1700

We'll See You At Judson University Tomorrow Night!

(That's Right We Also Cover College Athletics!)

That's Why They Play The Game!

WOW! What a game at Naperville North High School tonight! The Huskies (15-13) entered their game against West Chicago (26-2) as the clear cut underdogs, but as the old cliche goes: that's why they play the game!

Keep in mind West Chicago had already won the DuPage Valley Conference (DVC) by going 12-0 in conference play before this match. In fact the Wildcats of West Chicago were unbeaten until they played in the Autumnfest tournament last weekend. Just because they had wrapped up their conference title, the first one in 31 years I might add, it didn't stop the team from playing their hearts out. This was one of those matches that sticks with you forever. It was about pure competition at its finest. The only thing West Chicago and Naperville North had to play for was respect and bragging rights. But that's what sport is all about!

Senior Captain Sarah Hasselhorst and Senior Libero Jessie Fiala led the Huskies to their biggest win of not only their season, but of their high school careers. Hasselhorst had missed the majority of the regular season (about 7 weeks in all) with broken fingers. Not the way she wanted to spend her Senior year, but with little to play for she stepped up in her second game back from the injury to provide some much needed leadership to a young Naperville North team. While Hasselhorst spent her time up front, it was Jessie Fiala spending most of the time digging an onslaught of spikes sent her way. Her play allowed Naperville North to withstand the aggressive and powerful attacks West Chicago had all night. Junior Ashley Crawford was also key in the victory as she had to return some of the best serves I've seen all season.

It wasn't as though Naperville North dominated this game. West Chicago played their hearts out and until the final point was scored, it felt like they were poised to make a comeback. Julia Conard and Kathy Fletcher played with a sense of urgency and did all they could to try and remain unbeaten in conference play. Emily Paschke and Andrea Skipor, the West Chicago Wall, were getting their hands on almost every block they went for. The only problem was that the ball was not bouncing their way. A clear sign that it was not their night. Even with breaks going against them, West Chicago remained poised and fought back to play a third game for the ages. They may have lost the match to Naperville North, but it's hard not to be impressed with their heart and determination.

West Chicago has a lot of positive things going for them, and they deserve more respect than they are given. They have some of the hardest working players in the state and some very passionate and dedicated coaches. Meanwhile Naperville North also has a talented coaching staff and a very bright future. With their underclassmen performing very well this season, it's not hard to imagine them being in West Chicago's shoes in the very near future.

I thought I was ready for the postseason before this match, but afterwards I couldn't be more excited to see some top notch volleyball!

I only hope those games come half as close to the excitement that this game had!

Best of Luck to Naperville North and West Chicago moving forward!

A-Lo

P.S. See You At Benet Academy In Lisle, IL Tomorrow Night!!!

What Does It Take To Be # 1?

Besides that awful reference to a Nelly song, Cary-Grove has what it takes to be the number 1 team in the nation. Or as I like to say the fighting Cary Grants! The sensational net play by Kelly Lamberti and leadership by Colleen Smith is unrivaled at the high school level. I could go on about how talented and well-prepared this team is, but more impressive was the support they got from their fan base. There were cut-out cardboard heads of Kelly Lamberti in the crowd and the student section was going crazy the entire game. The entire Cary-Grove team took the time to high five the fans after their win.

Even before the game the team was interacting with their fans and getting them all worked up by throwing out t-shirts during the line-ups. If you don't think it was crazy, just ask Dr. Pete how loud he had to yell just to get a shirt from his new best friend!

This may have been the first game that Danny V and myself (A-Lo) got to call, but it was certainly not the first high school volleyball game either of us has attended.

We might have been spoiled by covering the best team in the nation, but right now I'm posing a challenge to Benet Academy, where we'll be broadcasting their volleyball game on Tuesday, October 19th. I want to know if their fans are as passionate as the fans in Cary-Grove!!! Don't just wear school colors and cheer, go all out and paint your faces and yell as loud as you can. Keep the cheers PG of course! And the best decked out fan will get a picture with the announcers and have it posted online!!

Best of Luck to Cary-Grove And We'll See You At Benet Academy In Lisle!
A-Lo

Cary Grove IS #1!!!

WOW what a game we saw last night. Yours Truly Dr. Pete, Mighty Matt Malich, Danny V and A-LO saw a truly dominant performance.

From the onset of the first game there was no dought that Cary Grove had the friendship and passion to lead them all to work together to be the best they can be. Matt phrased it best with "their communcation was key." To that I truly agree. Cary Grove yelled loudly enough and communicated enough that even I would be able to set up one of their Outside Hitters (back in my prime of course).

Speaking with coach after the game, Matt brought up a solid point with how all 5 hitters are used, which is not typically seen till the collegiate level but coach Langanis empahsized this teamwork from the onset of the season.

McHenry did all they could in order to survive but fell short in their attempt, but they put forth a valiant effort admist the storm that was the "great wall of Cary" which Matt coined.

I must say I do apprecaite the nicknames we come up with!

"Dr." Pete (even though I have my doctorate)
"Mighty" Matt Malich
A-Lo - Alex Locicero
"sisterhood of the traveling Kamps" - Chicago Chrsitian
"Great wall of Cary" - Cary-Grove

Looking forward to seeing both these teams down the road, and again if interseted in a career in broadcasting, go to beonair.com or call 630.916.1700

First one Welcome

Hey everyone Dr. Pete here and I want to welcome you to the new HS Volleyball blog brought to you by SportsTownChicago.com WICB and the beonair.com Network!

Tonight we get to cover the #1 team in the Rankings based on YourSeason.com - Cary Grove. It will be great to see this team in person as we have spoken with so many other teams, to see the top dawg will be a treat!

We do want to thank Dr. Mcgovern of Marian Central for allowing us to cover their game last night.
Check out SportsTownChicago for FREE downloadable podcasts!

If you are interested in a career in broadcasting check out beonair.com.