Schenley lost one of the most talented girls high school players in the nation in Markell Walker to graduation. The McDonald’s All-American is now attending UCLA and is a freshman guard on their women’s basketball team.

This opens the door for London McCoy and Shaunice Lightfoot standing at 5-8 and 5-9 respectively to do some damage for the Lady Spartans this year. They hope to match an excellent season in 2008-09 in which they tied a league-high 21 wins.

MICKITA WHITE of Westinghouse plays tough defense against Brashear’s ASHLEE ALBRIGHT.

by Antonio Gonzalez

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Penn State players scurried for scissors to cut down the nets, ran for volleyballs left behind and moved quickly to secure pieces of banners around the arena.

Everyone wanted a piece of history. They were the only ones who got it.

Penn State became the first team to win three straight volleyball titles Saturday night, overcoming a two-set deficit to beat Texas and extend its record winning streak to 102 straight games.

HISTORIC WIN—Penn State’s Arielle Wilson (7) hits over the defense of Texas’ Rachel Adams, left, and Juliann Faucette during the NCAA college volleyball national championship match Dec. 19, in Tampa, Fla.

Megan Hodge led the Nittany Lions (38-0) with 21 kills, including the final one that touched off a wild celebration at midcourt. Bench players threw towels in the air and streams of tears rolled down some players’ cheeks, all huddled together hoisting the title trophy.

The Allderdice Dragons held the second-best overall record in the City League last year, behind defending champ Perry.

This season, they hope to see things turn out differently after suffering a crushing 61-35 defeat in the City championship last year to the Commodores at the A.J. Palumbo Center.

However, both teams have something in common. They both lost two of the league’s most talented athletes to graduation. The Dragons lost their 6-6 center Will Clarke, who is now a freshman defensive end for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Perry also lost a deep post threat in New Pittsburgh Courier City League Player of the Year, 6-5 forward Vaughn Morgan, who was noted for his great leaping, shot blocking abilities and inside scoring.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Fittingly, Sam Ashaolu was standing on the court at a pregame shootaround, wearing his Duquesne University basketball sweats, when he received the best news of his life.

The former player who has inspired a college campus with his determination to graduate despite being the most seriously wounded of the five Duquesne basketball players shot in September 2006 was going to receive his college diploma Dec. 17.

AN INSPIRATION—Sam Ashaolu, one of five Duquesne University basketball players shot in September 2006, sits in the school gymnasium as the team goes through some drills during practice at the A.J. Palumbo Center Dec. 16.

Ashaolu nearly died of head wounds in the horrific shootings that followed a dance, rocking an urban campus that had just been chosen as one of the nation’s safest.

He needed multiple operations to save his life, endured seizures and recurring hospital stays and, months after his recovery was under way, was told he couldn’t play again because it was too risky to remove bullet fragments lodged in his brain.