From staff reports
Catawba middle blocker Melissa Powers has been named Division II National Player of the Week for volleyball.
Powers paced Catawba to three wins, a tie for second in the SAC and a lofty ranking in the region.
Powers had 16 kills against UNC Pembroke, 28 against Tusculum and 13 against Mars Hill.
For the week, Powers had a .521 hitting percentage and averaged 5.7 kills and 2.9 digs per set.
Powers also earned the D-II National Player of the Week award in September, 2007, and is the only Catawba athlete to be win the national award.
n Catawba’s third-seeded volleyball team plays Lincoln Memorial today in the first round of the SAC tournament at Mars Hill.
n Catawba freshman setter Megan Courson was named SAC Volleyball Specialist of the Week.
Courson averaged 13 assists per set as the Indians. She chipped in with five kills, 20 digs, two aces and a pair of blocks.
n Pfeiffer swept Queens in a Conference Carolinas quarterfinal at Merner Gym on Wednesday.
n Prep basketball
NCHSAA deputy executive director Que Tucker said this week the Western Regional basketball tournament is likely to be moved away from Winston-Salem as early as this spring.
The tournament, which includes the West’s Final Four in each classification, has been held in Winston-Salem the last five years. Prior to that, it had a long run in Hickory.
The regional site is most likely to be shifted to Greensboro, with games being played at the Greensboro Coliseum and local colleges.
Tucker indicated an official announcement would be made soon.
There was no indication the NCHSAA wrestling tournament will leave Winston-Salem.
n College soccer
Catawba seniors Alyssa Schoenberg and Lainey Nichols were named to the Daktronics All-Southeast Region first team for women’s soccer.
Schoenberg, a defender, repeated. She helped Catawba post 10 shutouts.
Nichols was second team last season. The midfielder scored four goals, including two game-winners.
n Lenoir-Rhyne assistant Tom Gott has been elevated to head men’s coach. Gott replaces Adrian Blewitt, who will coach the women’s team.
n South Rowan tickets
Pre-sale tickets for South Rowan’s first-round playoff game at South point will be on sale at the school from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
Tickets cost $7.
Directions to South Point: Take I-85 South to Exit 27. Turn left off the ramp. Bear left on Highway 273 in Belmont and the school will appear on the right.
n A.L. Brown tickets
Tickets for A.L. Brown’s home playoff game with Lake Norman on Friday will be on sale at A.L. Brown Thursday and Friday from 11:30 until 1.
Presale price is $6. Tickets at the gate cost $7.
Gates open at 5:30 Friday. Metal detectors will be in use.
n Prep football
West Rowan is ranked 16th this week in the CarolinaPreps.com poll for all classifications.
Independence again heads the list.
A.L. Brown, Salisbury and Mooresville received votes.
n Salisbury is ranked seventh this week in Arnold Solomon’s 2A Baker’s Dozen power ratings that appear on NCPreps.com.
Reidsville and Jacksonville Northside, both unbeaten, lead the list.
Hibriten, a potential second-round foe for Salisbury, is ranked eighth.
Pisgah, Salisbury’s opponent on Friday, and Lexington are listed by Solomon as bubble teams for his Baker’s Dozen.
n Solomon’s 3A Baker’s Dozen power ratings have West Rowan at No. 3 this week.
The Falcons trail Rocky Mount and Greensboro Dudley.
South Point, which plays host to South Rowan on Friday, is No. 4 in the 3A Baker’s Dozen.
Anson County is No. 7.
A.L. Brown and Lake Norman, a pair of Solomon’s bubble teams, square off on Friday.
Bubble squads Mooresville and Sun Valley also go head-to-head in the first round of the playoffs.
n A.L. Brown coach Ron Massey said Wednesday Lake Norman has the best defense the Wonders have faced all season.
If the same Lake Norman team shows up that showed up to play West Rowan and Mooresville, the Wonders may have an interesting, low-scoring first-round game.
n CCC champion West Davidson has a first-round 2A home game Friday against a huge Red Springs team that features offensive tackles that check in at 6-foot-6, 285 pounds and 6-7, 292.
Alex Grubb has rushed for 1,007 yards and James McCandies has thrown for 898 yards for a balanced Green Dragons offense.
Jon Jarvis has caught nine TD passes.
n Women’s hoops
Charlotte’s women’s basketball program announced the signing of South Columbus’ 6-foot-4 Amanda Dowe, Butler’s 5-9 Jaquaria Forney and Northern Durham’s 6-0 Jessica Johnson on Wednesday.n DCDS hoops
Davidson Country Day School defeated the Davidson Home Schoolers 50-33 on Wednesday.
Celexus Long scored 11 points, and Alex Franklin tallied 10 for the DCDS Diamondbacks.
Kenrick Jobe and Harrison Baucom added eight points each.
Connor Honeycutt accumulated six points, five rebounds and four steals.
n The Home Schoolers won the girls game.