JAMEL NICHOLAS

SCHOOL: Pine-Richland.

WHO IS SHE? A 5-foot-6 senior and one of the best girls' volleyball players in the state.

THIS WEEK: Nicholas had 11 kills and 14 assists in a 3-0 victory against Bethel Park in the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals Tuesday at North Hills. Pine-Richland plays in the semifinals tonight against Greensburg Salem.

DEALING WITH STRESS: Nicholas played only one match as a junior because of a stress fracture in her foot. She had been a varsity starter since her freshman year and was all-state as a ninth-grader.

"Missing last year motivates me," Nicholas said. "I hated not playing. It was probably the worst experience I have gone through. To be off four months and having to just watch your team play, it really hurt."

Pine-Richland is the No. 1 seed for the WPIAL playoffs. The Rams made it to the semifinals last year without Nicholas.

"If we play our game and we all come ready to play, we should do very well," Nicholas said.

SHE'S A HIT: Until this season, Nicholas had always played setter for Pine-Richland. Now she plays setter and outside hitter.

"[Outside hitter] is different, but I like it," Nicholas said. "Emily Regan is an outstanding setter, so she needs to be on the court playing. So in order to compensate for that, I was moved to outside hitter."

COACH'S COMMENTS: "I think when you come and watch her play for the first time, you might be shocked [at her talents]," Pine-Richland coach Emily Gerega said. "But if you come and watch all the matches, she plays like that all the time.

"The thing about her is her competitiveness is off the charts. I've never seen a player so motivated from within, and that has an effect on the rest of the team. I think that's her strength."

IRISH EYES: Nicholas accepted a scholarship to Notre Dame before her junior year. The Fighting Irish are 20-1 this season and ranked No. 5 in the country. Although Nicholas made a verbal commitment to Notre Dame before her junior year, she has never thought about another school.

"Usually in the volleyball world, once you're committed, you're done," Nicholas said. "People don't really change their minds in volleyball."

-- By Mike White

SCOTT VAN KOOTEN

SCHOOL: Central Catholic.

WHO IS HE?: A junior and one of the top cross country runners in the state.

THE PAST WEEK: Van Kooten breezed to the WPIAL Class AAA boys' championship last Thursday at Cooper's Lake Campground near Slippery Rock, He covered the 3.1-mile course in 16 minutes, 10 seconds, 20 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Max Brown of North Allegheny. Both will compete in the PIAA championships Saturday at White Field in Hershey.

CAREER: Last season was Van Kooten's initial foray into cross country. He finished fourth in the WPIAL championships, behind three seniors, at 16:38. Van Kooten did not finish in the top 20, and thus earn a medal, at the PIAA meet.

His strategy is simple: "I like to go out and set the pace. I feel I can hold a strong pace through the whole race."

BEST FEET FORWARD: Swimming was Van Kooten's athletic passion when he was a freshman at Central Catholic. That changed during the winter when Tim McVeagh, the track and cross country coach, asked to speak with him.

"I teach ninth-grade art appreciation," McVeagh said. "I usually poll all my kids. I'll ask, 'Who's the fastest kid on the football team or the soccer team?' Scott's name came up and I asked if he'd come out for track."

At the first practice, Van Kooten showed distance-runner tendencies and ended up competing in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter events. Van Kooten liked track and decided to go out for cross country as a sophomore.

OTHER SPORTS: Though he is no longer with the Vikings' varsity, Van Kooten continues to swim. He is a member of the Pine-Richland club team, with which he works out but doesn't compete.

Van Kooten is still a distance runner in track, and finished second in the WPIAL in the 3,200 as a sophomore.

DISTANCE RIDER, TOO: Van Kooten lives in Economy, Beaver County, which is part of the Ambridge School District. He car pools to Oakland every day.

So did his sister, Jamie, who attended Oakland Catholic. She swam there and at the Air Force Academy, from which she recently graduated.

-- By Rick Shrum