This boys volleyball regional final matchup features the 6th-seeded Neuqua Valley Wildcats facing off against the Bolingbrook Raiders who come in as the number four seed. These two are familiar with each other as they faced off back in April, with Neuqua taking a 2-1 victory. The Wildcats seek another win against the host Raiders and a regional championship. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Bolingbrook takes the early advantage

The Raiders and the Wildcats trade point for point in the first set until Daniel Kaduthodil connects with Edison Ah-Yo for the kill to give the Raiders a 4-2 lead early in set one.

After a miscue from the Raiders, the Wildcats have possession until Kaduthodil puts it back over, keeping the scoring attack open for the Raider offense. Ah-Yo keeps the scoring going as he picks up a perfectly placed ace.

The Wildcats look for some momentum as the two engage in an intense rally before Dhruva Jasti connects with Blake Thompson for the kill, but the Wildcats still trail 10-6.

Thompson continues to give the Wildcats momentum as he can connect with back-to-back aces for the Wildcats, sparking a scoring run.

Wildcats comes alive in set one

The Raiders don’t appreciate all the scoring and look for a kill of their own; however, Chase Marston and Liam Mitchell are there for the block attempt.

Marston does not stop there, as the Raiders attempt another kill. It’s shut down before Jasti connects with Marston for another kill, giving the Wildcats a 16-15 lead, their first of the night.

Set point on the line as the Wildcats have taken a one point lead. The Raiders give it their all on an intense rally before Wildcat Vishwak Naramreddy puts it away with a kill, as the Wildcats take set one 25-23.

Set two is like the first as both team’s exchange points until Ah-Yo connects with a kill, giving the Raiders a 6-4 lead to start the second set

Raiders flip the script in set two

The Raider offense looks to stays in flow as Kaduthodil lands an ace. Kaduthodil looks to keep the momentum going off the serve, but Jasti connects with Thompson on the kill, but the Raiders hold a 9-8 lead in set two.

The Wildcats look to find some energy as they connect with Noah Cullen for another point. However, they still trail 15-13.

Neuqua looks to keep the momentum going, but Kaduthodil is there to set up Trevor Wardlow for the kill, sparking a scoring run for the Raiders, as they would go on to win the second set 25-22.

The final set is underway, and Marston starts it off with authority, with the first kill of the final set, setting the tone for the Wildcat offense in the third set.

Neuqua attempts to locate Martson for the kill, but it’s denied. However, Cullen is there for the put-back point.

Neuqua valley takes control to win boys volleyball regional

The Raiders look to get something going as the two engage in another intense rally, refusing to let up a point until the Raiders are met at the net by Marston and Mitchell as the Wildcats expand to a 15-11 lead.

Set and match point on the line for the Raiders they serve, but it comes up short. The Wildcats defeat the Bolingbrook Raiders 25-17, and Neuqua Valley wins its first boys volleyball regional championship since 2019. The Wildcats move on to the sectional semifinals on Saturday where they play the one seed,  the Glenbard West Hilltoppers’s at 1 pm.

For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.

Sports

6 Hrs Ago

St Monica’s Preparatory School secured back-to-back wins in the Republic Bank National Primary Schools Mini Polo League senior male division, which continued at Diego Martin Community Pool on May 24 and 25.

Against Patna Government Primary, Lamar Rogers scored seven in St Monica’s convincing 13-4 victory. Rogers had a fiery start by scoring four in the first quarter while Prince Williams netted twice. At the end of the second period, St Monica’s held a six-goal lead at 10-4.

At the resumption, St Monica’s dominated the attack and shut Patna out. A goal each from Ethan See Wai, Levi Dolsingh, Marcellus Myer and Rogers across the final two quarters propelled St Monica’s to a victorious 13-4, with Patna unable to secure a goal after the half-time break.

Scoring for Patna were Andre Mcully, Isaiah Claverie, and Addon and Antonio Petters.

The next day, St Monica’s delivered another dominant display by sinking Mantaray Combined Schools’ team 8-1. Mantaray scored in the opening period through Malachi Garcia and held their 1-0 advantage up to half-time.

But three goals from Dolsingh and one from See Wai in the third quarter saw St Monica’s take control. Rogers scored twice, and Dolsingh and Williams once, in the final session to grab a comeback win.

Dunross Preparatory also left it late to get past a persistent Mantaray squad 8-7 in a nail-biter. Both teams were locked in at 4-4 at the half. They kept battling by scoring one each in the third, entering the final session tied at five apiece.

However, two goals from Taylan Diaz and one from Bradley Alexander saw Dunross go one better than Mantaray’s Kellon Diaz, who two goals in the last quarter.

In the same senior male division, Diamond Vale Government defeated Patna 11-5. Patna showed fight as both teams entered the final period on five goals each. However, six goals from Diamond Vale and none from Patna affirmed the former a comfortable win.

Scoring for the winners were Immanuel Phillip (four), Johana Azizan Saw (three), Mujahid Joseph (three) and Jahaan Belfon (one) while Addon Peters (two), Antonio Peters (one), Andre Mcully (one) and Jamaul Roxborough (one) netted for Patna.

St Monica’s and Dunross also dominated the senior female division with the former topping a Combined team one 8-3, and the latter getting past the same joint team 14-7. But when St Monica’s met Dunross, they reigned supreme with a 9-3 result.

In the junior female, St Monica’s showed mettle with a 10-2 triumph over Dunross. The junior male saw St Monica’s cruise past Mantaray 14-7, while Dunross also beat Mantaray 14-10.

A transgender high school athlete shrugged off scattered protests and heated criticism from President Donald Trump to reach the finals of multiple events at California’s state championships on Friday.

AB Hernandez, 16, was the top qualifier for Saturday’s finals in the girls’ long jump and girls’ high jump at the California State Track & Field Championships in Clovis, outside of Fresno.

Hernandez’s participation at the meeting has been the subject of intense controversy, with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) scrambling to adjust competition rules this week as anger grew on all sides.

On Friday, a small plane circled the stadium pulling a banner that read: “No boys in girls sports!”

About a dozen protesters outside the venue sported T-shirts and signs reading “Save girls sports.”

On Tuesday, CIF officials announced that entry rules had been modified so that biological females were not excluded from competition due to the participation of trans athletes.

A day later, CIF issued another rule change — specifically targeting events in which Hernandez was qualified to compete — which mandates that any athlete who misses out on a podium finish behind a trans athlete would still receive a medal.

“If necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event,” the federation announced in a statement.

The last-minute rules changes came after days of controversy which have included Hernandez being targeted by Trump on social media. 

The US President, who did not mention Hernandez by name, threatened to withhold federal funding from California in future if she was allowed to compete in this week’s championships, which got under way on Friday with finals due on Saturday.

“As a female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump wrote.

“Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to…This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!”

Trump’s comment was followed by an announcement from the US Department of Justice that it had launched an investigation into whether California had violated Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding.

Local and state officials have also criticised Hernandez’s participation, calling for the teenager to be prevented from competing.

At a press conference on Thursday, Clovis mayor Diane Pearce called for CIF to block Hernandez’s participation following their rule amendments earlier in the week.

“Today, I call on CIF to do the right thing. Updates one and two were not enough, but the third time can be the charm,” Pearce said. 

“CIF still has a chance to make it right by removing biological males from girls’ sports.”

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© Agence France-Presse