Girls Volleyball: January 2012 Archives

West Aurora's Lauren Carlini was recently named one of the top 50 junior recruits in the nation.

Prepvolleyball.com recently released its list of the top 50 junior recruits in the country. The list includes several juniors from Illinois and others who are headed either to Big 10 schools or other major Midwest universities. The list was determined exclusively by a panel of college coaches.

Among the Top 50 Juniors (and the colleges to which they have committed) are these athletes from Illinois:

Lauren Carlini, 6-0 S/RS, West Aurora (Aurora, Illinois), Mizuno Sports Performance -- Wisconsin

Meghan McDowell, 6-1 S/MB, Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Illinois), Mizuno Sports Performance - Virginia

Cindy Zhou, 6-0 S, Libertyville (Illinois), Sky High -- Michigan

The athletes from outside Illinois who are committed to either Big 10 schools or other major Midwestern universities are:

Middles

Tori Blake, 6-2 MB, Midland (Michigan), MVA - Wisconsin

Abby Cole, 6-5 MB, Grand Haven (Michigan), MVA -- Michigan

Kira Larson, 6-3 MB, Fargo North (Fargo, North Dakota), Northwoods Black Ice - Nebraska

Setters

Ashley Evans, 6-1 S/MB, Lakota East (Liberty Township, Ohio), Cincy Classics -- Purdue

Kelly Hunter, 5-11 S/RS, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Nebraska), Nebraska Juniors -- Nebraska

Katie Schau, 5-9 S, Gull Lake (Richland, Michigan), DFFO - Minnesota

Outsides

Kayla Morin, 5-10 OH, Portage Northern (Portage, Michigan), DFFO - Northwestern

Kylie Randall, 6-2 OH, Magnolia (Texas), Asics Willowbrook - Ohio State

Chloe Reinig, 6-4 OH, South Lyon (Michigan), Michigan Elite - Michigan State

Amber Rolfzen, 6-3 OH, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Nebraska), Nebraska Juniors - Nebraska

Kadie Rolfzen, 6-3 OH, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Nebraska) , Nebraska Juniors - Nebraska

Michelle Strizak, 6-0 OH, Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati, Ohio), Team Z - Illinois

Sarah Wilhite, 5-11 OH, Eden Prairie (Minnesota), Northern Lights - Wisconsin

Prepvolleyball.com also released a list of the Next 35 juniors who were just outside the top 50. Those athletes included:

Ciara Capezio, 6-2 OH, Burlington (Wisconsin), Club Fusion - Minnesota

Simmone Collins, 5-11 MB, Pine Creek (Colorado Springs, Colorado), Colorado Juniors - Notre Dame

Jazzmine McDonald, 6-2 MB, Cathedral HS (Indianapolis), Vision Volleyball Club - Indiana

Katie Roustio, 6-1 OH, O'Fallon (Illinois), HP St. Louis -- Illinois

Katie Stadick, 6-2 MB, Watertown (Wisconsin), Milwaukee Sting -- Illinois

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The Illinois High School Volleyball Coaches Association will hold its Winter Coaches Clinic on Saturday, February 25. The clinic will be held at Harter Middle School, 1601 Esker Drive in Sugar Grove.

Speakers include: Bill Gleason of St Ambrose, 2011 NAIA Men's Finalist, Blocking-"Building a Wall;" and Pete Hanson of Ohio State, 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Champions, "Championship Drills From A Championship Coach."

Also, Pete Waite of the University of Wisconsin, "Get Into the Swing of Things;"
and Kevin Hambly, University of Illinois Women's Coach, 2011 NCAA Finalist and 2011 Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year, "Charting for Champions."

Register at http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=ihsvca.

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Former Cary-Grove star and current Indiana player Colleen Smith is fighting a rare autoimmune disease that sidelined her much of her freshman season and will keep her on the sidelines again next year, although the long-term prognosis is good.

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Geneva senior Ashley Santos is likely out for the season with a torn ACL in her right knee. The Marquette recruit suffered the injury Saturday at the McDonald's Shootout in a game against Lincoln-Way East.

Santos was averaging 15 points per game for the Vikings, who had rebounded from consecutive losses at the Benet/Naperville North Christmas tournament. She had eight points Monday before going down in the first half.

Santos' younger sister, sophomore Sidney, has suffered ACL tears at the beginning of each of the last two seasons.

Sky High 18 Black's Amelia Anderson is a big reason why the team is seeking a second consecutive national title.

How strong is the Great Lakes 18s Power League?

Entries include Sky High 18 Black, which will be seeking its second AAU Girls National Volleyball Championship this season after team members won a national title in Orlando, Fla. as 17-year-olds in 2011.

Last year. after beating Club Fusion 17 Black, 25-16, 25-20, in a challenge match, Sky High defeated OVA (Orlando Volleyball Academy) 17 Asics in the quarter final, 25-19, 16-25, 15-11, Northern Lights 171, 25-19, 25-22 in the semifinal, and Texas Advantage 17 Black, 25-15, 17-25, 15-10, in the championship. !

Back from that team are Sun-Times All-Area selections Amelia Anderson, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Crystal Lake Central committed to Indiana, and former Marian Central setter Abby Gilleland, who is headed to Ohio.

Other team members (and the schools they are headed to) are 6-1 opposite Sam Boesch (Wake Forest), 5-6 libero Sam Bohne (Jacksonville State), 5-6 libero Amy Dion (Maryland) and 6-1 outside hitter Melanie Jereb (Creighton).

Also, 6-1 outside Amanda Orchard (Pittsburgh), 6-foot middle blocker Ashley Rosch (Illinois State), 5-10 opposite Mary Striedl (Pittsburgh), and 6-2 middle blocker Daiva Wise (Toledo).

The 2012 Great Lakes Power League will feature 29 of the nation's top 250 seniors, according to PrepVolleyball.com.

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Folks know a good thing when they see it.

Sports Performance's annual President's Day tournament February 18-20 will feature 272 teams playing at three sites including the Great Lakes Center, Schaumburg Convention Center and Lake County Expo Center.

The tournament sold out in about three weeks.

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The Angels are building toward another run in 2012.

Two members of Joliet Catholic's highly successful 2011 sectional finalist girls volleyball team will be competing in the Great Lakes 18s Power League for Uno 17 Elite beginning this weekend - setter Mallory Mangun and outside hitter Morgan Reardon.

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Montini Catholic High School in Lombard is looking for girls basketball teams to add to the field of its 2012 Christmas tournament. Montini is expanding its eight-team field and has already added two teams. Teams looking for a Christmas tournament next year should contact Jason Nichols at (630) 627-6930 or jnichols@montini.org.