Mark Urban of the Record Eagle has compiled a report on area athletes participating in college athletics. This latest article features former Leelanau County stars…

Ben Darling (Freshman, Suttons Bay)
Men’s Soccer, Kalamazoo

Alisha Glass (Sophomore, Leland)
Women’s Volleyball, Penn State

Read College Notes: Burke comes up big for Colgate in the Record Eagle

I can’t imagine a better start to a college sports career than that of former Leland Comet star Alisha Glass. Glass has helped Penn State maintain their #2 ranking, start the Big Ten season 6-0, and remain undefeated for the season at 17-0.

Glass ranks seventh at 12.05 assists per game and eighth with 1.16 blocks per game. She is the only setter to be ranked among the conference leaders in both statistics.

Next up for Glass and the Nittany Lions are home matches versus Michigan on Friday and Michigan State on Saturday.

Read Glass steps up to challenge of leading No. 2 Penn State at ESPN.com

Just received this from one of my readers…

More Honors for Alisha Glass. She was voted Most Valuable Player at this weekend’s Penn State Classic Tournament. If you, or anyone, wants to read or see more, go to gopsusports.com under Women’s Volleyball —- there’s some good shots of her playing under the website’s Photo Gallery.

The Big Ten opener with Ohio State will be televised on CSTV this Wednesday at 7 p.m.—- thats on Dish or Direct TV. We have Charter Cable, so I go over to my wife’s employer who has Dish TV.

Thanks Bob!

Here’s the Official Penn State Women’s Volleyball site

Photo from GoPSUsports.com

The awards keep rolling in for freshman setter Alisha Glass. The former Leland Comet star has taken her game to Penn State, but that hasn’t stopped her from winning. The Nittany Lions are ranked #2 in the country and are off to a 8-0 start.

Here’s why she picked up the honors…

Versus the No. 7 Longhorns, Glass had a career-high 63 assists and recorded eight kills and 16 digs. She also tied her career bests for hitting (.438) and blocks (seven).

and

For the weekend, Glass averaged 13.38 assists per game, 2.88 digs per game and 1.50 blocks per game while directing the squad to a team hitting percentage of .327 with an average of 17.38 kills per game against two teams in the Top 15 in the nation. She also picked up her first career All-Tournament Team honor at the Time Warner Classic Texas Invitational.

Next up for Penn State is the Penn State Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Read Glass Tabbed Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week at GoPSUsports.com
Read Glass is Big Ten player of the week in the Record Eagle

Alisha Glass had a career-high 44 assists to help Penn State to a 30-19, 30-21, 30-21 win over fifteenth-ranked Missouri in the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational. The freshman setter also had three kills for the No. 2 Nittany Lions.

Penn State continues action against the seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns at 6:30 p.m. CT today.

Read Glass leads No. 2 Penn State in the Record Eagle
Read No. 2 Women’s Volleyball Claws No. 15 Missouri, 3-0 at GoPSUsports.com

Freshman Alisha Glass recorded 37 assists to help #2 ranked Penn State to a 30-32, 24-30, 30-23, 30-23, 15-6 win over LSU in the final of the LSU Classic. Glass has played in all 11 games and is third on the team in blocks and tied for third in digs.

Read No. 2 Penn State Women’s Volleyball Survives LSU, 3-2 at GoPSUsports.com

Chicago Sky rookie Liz Shimek has been getting more minutes as of late and producing. The Sky fell to the Phoenix Mercury 90-70, but Shimek played 16 mintues grabbed 4 rebounds, scored 3 points, dished out 4 assists and blocked 2 shots. Not a bad night. The Sky currently own the league’s worst record with only 4 wins and 24 losses, but that should give Shimek plenty of opportunities to show what she can do.

See Liz’s Line in the Box Score
View Liz Shimek Photos at Yahoo! Sports

Liz Shimek earned one of thirteen roster spots on the Chicago Sky for the 2006 WNBA season. Shimek didn’t play in game 1, a 83-82 win over the Charlotte Sting.

Read Liz Shimek’s Bio at WBNA.com

Former Laker and Spartan star Liz Shimek is now on her third WNBA team, the expansion Chicago Sky. After being drafted by Phoenix, she was traded to Houston and now dealt to Chicago. Tomorrow is the roster deadline for WNBA teams and the Sky are expected to have a roster of 11 or 12. They currently have 14 players on their roster.

Read Shimek hopes to land with Chicago in the Record Eagle

The Record Eagle’s Jeff Peek caught up with Liz Shimek to talk about her thoughts on the WNBA draft and how she is looking towards the upcoming season.

Read Shimek ready to learn in the Record Eagle

It was a crazy day for Liz Shimek but in the end it all worked out as she is in the WNBA and a member of the Houston Comets.

Here’s what the official site of the Houston Comets says about their draft…

Entering Wednesday’s draft, the Houston Comets had three picks among the top-30 selections. They finished Wednesday with four players selected in the top-30 headlined by Michigan State’s Liz Shimek.

Read Houston Comets Add Four in 2006 Draft at WNBA.com
Official Site of the Houston Comets
Read Drafted, then dealt in the Record Eagle

In what is becoming a crazy day for Liz Shimek, the Phoenix Mercury have traded Shimek (18th pick) and Mistie Williams (21st pick) to Houston for the (15th pick) Ann Strother.

Welcome to the wacky world of the WNBA Draft!

The Phoenix Mercury drafted Glen Lake grad Liz Shimek with the 18th pick overall (2nd round) of the 2006 WNBA draft. Congrats to Liz as she joins a young team that includes former UConn star Diana Taurasi and center Kamila Vodichkova.

See the entire draft board.

Liz Shimek has had amazing high school and college careers and now looks to add a pro basketball career to her resume. The 2006 WNBA Draft is set for 1 PM today and Shimek is expected to go in the late first round. Shimek scored 9 points and grabbed 6 boards in 20 minutes of action at the WNBA Pre-Draft Camp on Monday.

Follow the 2006 WNBA Draft at WNBA.com
Read Liz Shimek’s Draft Profile at WNBA.com
Read Shimek awaits draft call in the Record Eagle

Shimek also was named an honorable mention All-American for the second straight year.

Read Liz Shimek Earns Honorable Mention All-America Honors at MSUSpartans.com

I don’t like Duke and I am betting Leelanau County fans don’t either, after the Lady Blue Devils eliminated Liz Shimek and the Michigan State Spartans 86-61 in the Women’s NCAA Tournament. Shimek had a rough day only taking 5 shots and scoring 5 points in her college finale. Her and Classmate Lindsay Bowen helped put MSU women’s basketball on the map and will be missed.

Shimek finished her career as MSU’s career leader in points, rebounds and field goals. Congrats to Liz on a great career, and here’s hoping it continues in the WNBA!

Read Shimek-Bowen era has come to an end in the Detroit News
Read (1) Duke 86, (4) Michigan St. 61 at Yahoo! Sports