Gene McNulty
College Report: Area grads earn All-American honors, then win national title
By Jeff Vorva
Staff writer
National champions and All-Americans.
Chicago Christian grad Zach Bulthuis, Marist alum Gene McNulty and former Lyons’ star Matt Slivinski were last week named All-American first-teamers by the National Volleyball Association/American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Then they proved they were deserving of the honor, helping Carthage College win an NCAA Division III men’s volleyball national championship. The Firebirds beat the Wentworth Institute of Technology, 25-22, 25-19, 25-11 in the semifinals on April 22 and Springfield College 25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 25-22 on April 23 to win the national championship in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
It’s the Firebirds’ second straight national title.
In the title game, Slivinksi had 18 kills and two aces, Bulthuis had nine kills and two block assists, and McNulty racked up 43 assists.
In the semis, Slivinksi had 13 kills. Bultheis had 11 kills while McNulty registered 33 assists.
Slivinski said he was dealing with an ankle injury before the match.
“The adrenalin kicked in and I was just able to excel,” he said. “It was an amazing and surreal experience to play in front of thousands of our fans.”
Ready for some football
The Saint Xavier football team held its annual intrasquad scrimmage on April 23 at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field on the school’s Chicago campus. The Cougars also announced their 2022 schedule.
Some notable games include the season-opener at NCAA Division II Indianapolis on Sept. 3. Their first home game is against St. Thomas (Fla.) on Sept. 10. The Homecoming game versus Roosevelt will kick off Mid-States Football Association Midwest League play on Oct. 1.
“We’re obviously going to be challenged right off the bat playing a really good Division II U-Indy team on the road in Week 1,” Cougars coach Mike Feminis said. “But I’m also excited to have six home games because it’s been quite a while since it has happened. Finding non-conference games has always been difficult for us but I’m looking forward to playing a new opponent like St. Thomas.
“I don’t know much about them except they went 9-2 last year and just missed the NAIA playoffs, but I’ve heard from coaches in that Florida league [Sun Conference] that they are really talented.”
Smyth times two
SXU baseball player Declan Smith won the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honor on April 19.
The prior week, the Evergreen Park High School graduate hit .556 in 18 at-bats with 10 RBI.
It was the second week in a row a member of the Smyth family won the honor. The previous week his cousin, Jimmy, earned it.
Heading to Germany
Orland Park’s Julia Ruzevich, who played soccer at Sandburg and Marist and recently concluded her college career at Division II Lindenwood, has signed to play for Eigner Angela Noerdlingen in the German Bundesliga First Division league.
Local News
Baseball Class 4A Sectionals | Third straight state title eludes history-making Nazareth
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After back-to-back Class 3A state titles in 2022 and 2023, Nazareth jumped to Class 4A this season and did not miss a beat. The Roadrunners cruised to 37 straight victories heading into their sectional championship matchup with Mount Carmel. The Caravan scored two late runs in a tight contest…
Mount Carmel dethrones unbeaten, two-time defending champ Nazareth for sectional title
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Mount Carmel came into its Class 4A sectional matchup against Nazareth viewed as the underdog. The favored Roadrunners did, after all, enter the game 37-0 and were gunning for a third consecutive state championship. The Caravan have respect for the Roadrunners, but they would never call themselves an underdog;…
Marist tops York for its fourth boys volleyball state title
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent What does it take to make a state champion? “We had guys that I’ve been hard on for nine months,” Marist boys volleyball coach Jordan Vidovic said. “All for a five-point stretch. “None of them ran away from the challenge.” How big were some of those five-point stretches? The…
Boys Volleyball State Finals | Hilltoppers prove to be thorn in Lions’ paw
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent After finishing state runner-up in 2023, Lyons knew it had the potential to be in position for another run at a state championship this season. The Lions did that, advancing to the state tournament for a second straight season. But they ran into an old foe in a rematch of…
Coyne Schofield continues to make hockey history
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Kendall Coyne Schofield has earned numerous significant accolades during her hockey career, including an Olympic gold medal and a pair of Olympic silver medals. The Sandburg graduate and Palos Heights native added to that collection by helping PWHL Minnesota win the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League championship on May…
Red Stars ready for Wrigley
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent After weeks of hype and anticipation, the Chicago Red Stars are finally ready to invade Wrigley Field. While the Red Stars may not draw the NWSL record of 34,130 spectators they were hoping for on June 8, they do have a shot to surpass the franchise record 23,951, which…
Area Sports Roundup | New coaches named at Richards and Stagg
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent A few area high school coaching vacancies have been filled, including those for Richards boys basketball and Stagg football. Jamal Thompson takes over at Richards for Kyle Rathbun. Thompson has experience coaching at Seton, Leo and St. Rita. Jacob O’Connor will lead Stagg football, where he takes the reins…
Dems ‘win ugly’ on budget vote
Spread the love. By Rich Miller . Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch gave added meaning to the phrase “winning ugly” during the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 29. I’ve never seen anything like it, so let’s take a look. House members were told to be in their seats by noon Tuesday after the Senate…
Memorial service honors longtime Independence art teacher
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Palos School District 128 honored the life of one of its beloved educators with a Memorial Service. The service at Independence Jr. High School, 6610 W. Highland Dr., Palos Heights, May 24 honored the legacy of longtime art teacher, Mike Maholland, of Hickory Hills, who passed away on February 18.…
Oak Lawn Chamber to sponsor Restaurant Week
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong More than a dozen restaurants have signed up to take part in the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Restaurant Week in June. “This is a new endeavor for us,” said Anne Fritz, chamber executive director. “This will be our unofficial kick off to summer.” Fritz said the chamber’s marketing…
Neighbors
Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Halfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party. Tracy, who’d held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in…
Pritzker signs bill creating new Department of Early Childhood
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday creating a new cabinet-level state agency dedicated to early childhood education and development. The new Department of Early Childhood, which will become operational in July 2026, will take over programs currently housed across three state agencies, including funding for preschool…
Speaker Welch rebuffs lawsuit from would-be staff union as ‘forum shopping’
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is urging a Cook County judge to dismiss a lawsuit members of his staff filed against him last month seeking to force recognition of their union. In a new filing Monday, attorneys for Welch argued the Illinois Legislative Staff Association has no…
Advocates say SCOTUS ruling paves way for law ensuring abusers have guns confiscated
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com After the U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld a federal law that bars those under domestic violence-related restraining orders from owning guns, victim advocates say Illinois lawmakers should pass a measure to ensure firearms are actually confiscated in those situations. The legislation has been stalled for more than…
Communities, commission push Pritzker admin for more prison plan details
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Jimmy Soto spent more than 42 years wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities. In 2020, he was moved to the “F-House” at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, a condemned unit, not because he was being punished, but because it was where the facility was housing individuals…
Elections board urged to dismiss complaint that Bailey illegally coordinated in 2022 campaign
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor. Proft, a one-time gubernatorial candidate himself, is behind an…
State highway shootings decline as critics sue over ‘dragnet surveillance’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois State Police say an automated license plate reader program has helped the agency identify witnesses or suspects in 82 percent of highway shooting cases this year, including all eight that resulted in a death. But as the state looks to further expand its network of more than…
Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Halfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party. Tracy, who’d held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in…
As Illinois session ends, lawmakers’ attempt to reinstate wetland protections fails
by JENNIFER BAMBERG Investigate Midwest jennifer.bamberg@investigatemidwest.org In 2006, 19-year-old Jessica Whinston inherited 20 acres of land that her grandparents once farmed in Quincy, Illinois. The land had sat dormant since the 1980s and was overgrown, but Whinston and her husband Bradley worked to turn it into a productive farm. The couple were eventually able to…
Elections board dismisses illegal campaign coordination complaint, declines to clarify law
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – State elections officials on Tuesday indicated they were unlikely to step in to clarify what constitutes illegal campaign coordination after voting to dismiss a complaint alleging such coordination in the 2022 campaign for governor. At their monthly meeting in Chicago, Illinois State Board of Elections members…