Former Durham Riverside volleyball player Megan Hodge, now at Penn State, has been named the Big Ten women's volleyball player of the year and freshman of the year.

She is the first freshman to win the league's player of the year honor in her sport.

Hodge led Penn State and the Big Ten with 4.80 kills per game and 5.55 points per game. She recorded 10 or more kills in 27 matches. She had 15 or more kills in 17 games and 20 or more kills six times.

COUGARS COMMIT: Apex volleyball senior Elizabeth West has committed to Elon and junior Kaylie Gibson has committed to North Carolina.

West was a two time all-conference player as an outside hitter. Gibson was the 2006 Tri-Eight player of the year as a setter.

Earlier in the year, Cougars senior Nikki Sweet committed to N.C. State.

LEE COUNTY SHOWTIME: Southern Lee and Lee County put on a boys basketball show last week when Southern Lee took a 111-92 nonconference win.

"Both teams were pressing full court, and it was a fast-paced game," Southern Lee coach Chris Cherry said.

"We had 100 points with four minutes left. We should have had about 130 points, but we missed a lot of free throws."

Southern Lee sophomore Akeem Richmond scored 34 points in front of a sellout crowd of more than 2,400.

SHOWTIME TONIGHT: Millbrook will be at home tonight for a boys basketball game against New Hanover, which is ranked among the best teams in the country.

New Hanover is led by 7-foot junior Ty Walker, who is getting lots of ACC recruiting attention, and 6-foot point guard James Beatty.

Millbrook is 5-1, including a 54-53 loss to Apex.

NEAL PICKED FOR GAME: Bunn defensive end Kerry Neal has been selected to play in the East Meets West High School All-American Football Game.

The inaugural event will be played at 3 p.m. Jan. 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Neal (6-3, 234 pounds) had 132 tackles, including 17 sacks for Bunn this season. He has committed to Notre Dame.

BOWLING: Bowling isn't recognized as a sport by the NCHSAA, but Athens Drive, Broughton, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Green Hope, Leesville Road, Middle Creek and Millbrook have club-level teams.

Local bowling centers are donating time to the teams to participate.

Bowling is the fastest growing high school sports in the country, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

A&M COACHES: When Southeast Raleigh track star Gabby Mayo committed to Texas A&M on Monday, she picked one of the best coaching staffs in the country.

Texas A&M coach Pat Henry left Louisiana State in 2004 after winning 27 national championships in men's and women's competition in 17 years.

Mayo's position coach at A&M will be Vince Anderson, who has trained 32 All-American athletes in various sprint and hurdle races.

AYCOCK WINS: Pikeville Aycock won the 15th annual Pierce-Davis Memorial wrestling tournament at SouthWest Edgecombe last week.

Aycock topped second-place Eastern Wayne, 177.5 to 144.5.

Quinton Godley, a 171-pounder at South Central Pitt, was named most outstanding wrestler.

HALL OF FAMER DIES: Walter S. Rogers, a member of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, died on Nov. 28.

Rogers, 87, a graduate of East Carolina and Wake Forest, was the commander of a PT boat during World War II.

He was a teacher and coach at Roxboro School and at Charles L. Coon High in Wilson County.

He was principal of Roxboro High School and later became an associate superintendent.

GAME NEEDED: SouthWest Edgecombe needs a home football game for the first playing date in the 2007 season.

Contact Raymond Cobb at (252) 827-5655.

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