Di Silvio returns to MSL volleyball scene

Rolling Meadows High School has hired a new girls volleyball coach.

But he is not new to the Mid-Suburban East.

Joe Di Silvio, who won 20 or more matches before stepping down at Elk Grove in 2009, will take over the Mustangs program this fall.

Di Silvio, who had an eight-year record of 156-134 with a regional title in 2005 at Elk Grove, left that post when he and his wife Denise were expecting their third child in nearly three years ago.

“Now that our youngest (Grace) is 2 years old and our other two children (Tyler and Coley) will be in school all day, I thought about getting back into coaching in the fall,” said Di Silvio.

Since stepping down, Di Silvio continued to coach the freshman boys volleyball team at Elk Grove.

“But I have been thinking about coaching girls again in the fall,” he said. “When I saw the opening at Rolling Meadows, I was very intrigued for a couple of reasons.

“I teach at Meadows in the fall semester and have been doing so for the past 11 years so I already have a connection to the school. Also, the Rolling Meadows volleyball program has had a great deal of success and has always remained competitive.”

So Di Silvio said he couldn’t resist the opportunity.

“To get back into coaching a varsity team at one of the schools I care for was a great opportunity,” said Di Silvio, who teaches driver’s education at Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows during the school year. “And one my wife and I felt I could not pass up.”

Di Silvio would like to build off the previous successes that have been set in place by former coach Janet Opels, who resigned for personal reasons.

“Through my experiences at Elk Grove I have come to learn a lot of what works and would like to bring that level of commitment, expectations and family atmosphere to Rolling Meadows,” he said. “I have heard great things about the girls and coaching staff at Meadows and look forward to getting started with this new adventure.”

The Mustangs went 19-14 and 6-4 in the MSL East last fall.

“We are extremely excited about Joe being our coach,” said Lisa DaRocha, Rolling Meadows assistant principal for physical education, health and driver’s ed. “He is a proven winner and will bring a strong program philosophy to Mustang volleyball.”

Women’s basketball

Rockhurst freshman Taylor Skala (St. Viator) has been named to the Great Lakes Valley Conference All-Defensive team.

The guard ranks second in the GLVC in steals at 2.52 per game.

Skala posted three or more steals in 10 games. She collected a season-high 10 steals against Quincy on Dec. 3 and finished with 8 steals at Illinois Springfield on Feb. 11.

Skala averaged 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 25 games.

The Hawks were one of the stingiest defensive teams in the conference. Rockhurst ranked second in field goal percentage defense (37.0 percent), third in steals (9.9 per game) and sixth in scoring defense (62.7 points per game).

Skala also excelled on the soccer field last fall.

She was voted the GLVC Freshman of the Year as she helped lead the Hawks to a 12-5-2 record and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. She ranked second in goals (13) and fourth in points (30) in the GLVC.

Ÿ DePaul freshman Megan Rogowski (Hersey) scored 8 points with 2 steals and 2 assists in a 69-54 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament in Hartford. Conn., on Sunday.

Ÿ Big Ten player of the year Samantha Prahalis of Ohio State made history in her team’s 57-48 win over Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten women’s tournament Friday.

Her 5 assists made her the conference’s all-time leader, surpassing the previous mark of 892 by Northwestern’s Nancy Kennelly (Maine West).

Kennelly played for Maine West’s undefeated 1988 Class AA state champion coached by Derril Kipp.

Athletic Trainers Symposium

The 2012 Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association Winter Meeting & Clinical Symposium is scheduled for March 14-17 at the Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel in Wheeling.

Wheeling village President Judy Abruscato will be signing a Proclamation for National Athletic Trainer’s Month on Friday, March 16, at 8:30 a.m. at the hotel.

Men’s basketball

Lewis senior guard Chris McClellan (Wheeling), who is averaging a team-best 15.9 points, was selected to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference second team.

He leads the Flyers with 68 3-pointers and has converted 46.3 percent (68-for-147) of his long-range attempts, which is good for seventh in the country.

He is also averaging a team-best 2.8 assists.

A third-team All-GLVC selection in 2010, McClellan has scored in double-figures in 24 out of Lewis’s 27 contests and has led the Flyers in scoring 11 times this season.

“There are a lot of good point guards in the GLVC, and I don’t think there’s any question that Chris should be mentioned within that group,” said Lewis coach Scott Trost. “He has worked tremendously hard at his game and it’s nice to see him recognized for his efforts.”

McClennan had 17 points in a 82-62 loss to Bellarmine in the Great Lakes Valley Conference quarterfinals at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield.

Lewis earned an at-large bid and will compete in the Division II tournament for the first time since 2008. The Flyers (17-11) take on defending national champion Bellarmine (25-3) again on Saturday at BU’s Knights Hall.

Women’s track

Grand Valley State senior Jocelyn Kuksa (Palatine) will be competing in the NCAA Division II indoor track and field championships.

Kuksa recently won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meet in the pole vault with a jump of 12-feet, 11½ inches, her fourth first-place finish in the event at a conference meet.

Kuksa also placed first her freshman year in the heptathlon at conference.

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