LINDSEY SKORUPAN

SCHOOL: Seneca Valley.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Lindsey Skorupan: Led the Raiders with 40 kills and 29 blocks in winning the Shaler tournament. Click photo for larger image.

WHO IS SHE? A 6-foot senior and one of the driving forces in the Raiders' rise to prominence in WPIAL volleyball.

THE PAST WEEK: Seneca Valley won the Shaler tournament Saturday. In eight matches, Skorupan had 40 kills, 29 blocks and only five errors. On Tuesday, Seneca Valley defeated No. 2-ranked Pine-Richland, 3-0.

RAIDERS RISING: Seneca Valley had never enjoyed much success in girls' volleyball until recently. The Raiders made it to the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals last season, and are the No. 1-ranked team this year. "All but one of our seniors plays Junior Olympic volleyball," said Skorupan, a first-team all-WPIAL selection a year ago. "So we've played a lot and I think we're a good, athletic team that has really come together this year. This is going to be our year,"

Skorupan also said another main reason for the volleyball success has been coach Heather Haff, who took over in 2002.

DAUGHTER OF AN NFL PLAYER: Skorupan's father, John, is a former standout linebacker at Penn State who played in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants from 1973-80. When asked what her father thinks of the Penn State team, she said, "Don't get him started on that."

FLASH AHEAD: Skorupan already has accepted a full scholarship to Kent State. "I had always dreamed of following in my dad's footsteps, going to a big school and getting a scholarship," Skorupan said. "But I really never thought I'd do it."

-- By Mike White

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E.J. McCORMICK

SCHOOL: Fox Chapel.

WHO IS HE?: A 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward for the Foxes' soccer team, which is No. 2 in the WPIAL Class AAA rankings.

THE PAST WEEK: Erin James McCormick registered four goals Monday in a 5-0 victory at Butler; three Saturday in a 4-0 triumph against Mt. Lebanon, now No. 7; and one a week ago to help defeat Gateway, 5-0.

Through Monday, he had a WPIAL-leading 13 goals and 47 career goals.

PAYBACK: Though it was a non-section match with no bearing on the standings, the victory Saturday against Mt. Lebanon was particularly satisfying for McCormick and his mates. They were eliminated by the Blue Devils, 1-0, in overtime in the PIAA quarterfinals last November. "We were looking at it as revenge. We were very excited," said McCormick.

FORWARD THINKING: Mark Perry has been the Fox Chapel boys' coach since 1991. "E.J. is as good as any forward we've had since I took over," Perry said.

FUTURE: McCormick, who has a 3.7 grade-point average and 1,190 SAT score, has not decided on a college.

-- By Rick Shrum