Ayoub fitting in at forward with Loyola

Area basketball fans will likely remember the player wearing No. 22 for Buffalo Grove's girls basketball team a few years ago.

While her jersey now sports a slightly higher number (23), Ellen Ayoub's collegiate career numbers have gone up as well this season.

The Loyola junior is leading the Ramblers with 14 points and 6 rebounds in what could be a breakout season for the former Bison.

“I'm more comfortable with the speed of the game,” said Ayoub, who also wore No. 23 while playing for Thomas Middle School before she got to Buffalo Grove. “I'm just getting more playing time, too. That's probably why my numbers are going up. We have a pretty different team now, having had five seniors graduate. We have a lot of people who have stepped into new roles.”

In college, Ayoub has stepped into the role of a No. 4 (forward) after playing more of an outside No. 2 guard spot in high school for Hall of Fame BG coach Tom Dineen.

“It was something I had to adjust to,” she said. “I still get to play outside but they (Loyola coaches) have totally helped me with my inside game, which I really never had.”

Ayoub's teams at BG won three straight Mid-Suburban League titles and 122 games in her four seasons. She helped lead the Bison to three straight appearances in the Elite Eight, including a third-place finish in 2007.

”It was hard at first getting used to not being as successful as our high school team,” Ayoub said. “But it was also motivation to try to get back to those winning ways. Everyone here is dedicated to changing the culture of the program. We saw the benefits of that last season when we were .500 for the first time in a lot of years and now we are above .500. I think this team can be as good or better than last season.”

Ayoub still has fond memories of her trips to Normal with her BG teams.

“That was awesome,” she said. “I still miss those experiences and all the girls I got to play with in high school.

“The highlight here so far was when we beat Green Bay last year. They were ranked No. 12 and undefeated at the time.” Ayoub scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in that game.

Last season, Ayoub played in all 30 games and started one. She led the team in rebounding and finished fourth in scoring, collecting a career-high 14 points (6-of-9 field goals)and 8 rebounds in a win at Western Illinois.

Ayoub finished her high school career with 1,882 points and a school record 143 three-pointers made.

She recently scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 84-58 victory over St. Xavier at the Gentile Center.

Ÿ Senior Brittany Hogen (Hersey) is a second-year captain for Wisconsin-Parkside, which started its season with three exhibition games. The Rangers lost to Purdue and Marquette and defeated Division I Northern Illinois 69-63 as Hogen scored 12 points.

Parkside was ranked No. 20 in the nation according to the USA Today ESPN Poll until the Rangers fell to Grand Valley State (No. 16) despite Hogen scoring a game-high 22 points and team-high 10 rebounds.

Hogen had her second double-double of the season (12 points, 10 rebounds) when Parkside defeated Missouri-Saint Louis 75-56 in its conference opener. Hogen is leading the team with 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Men's basketball

Lewis College junior Chris McClellan (Wheeling) scored 15 points in a 97-81 win over Benedictine.

Football

Defensive end Scott Stoczynski (Hoffman Estates) started for North Dakota State University in its 42-17 upset win at Montana State University in the FCS Division 1 second-round playoffs. The Bison defense is ranked ninth in the nation and first in the Missouri Valley in scoring defense at 17 PPG.

NDSU travels to Cheney, Washington, to play No. 1 ranked Eastern Washington University on Saturday in the quarterfinals.

The Missouri Valley started three teams in the field and 9-4 NDSU (904) is the lone representative remaining.

Ÿ Senior Michael Egebrecht (Buffalo Grove), a three-year captain at Concordia/Chicago, was selected to the first team of the Northern Athletics Conference League for the third year in a row. He ended his career being named an NAC All-American.

In 39 games, Egebrecht had 175 receptions (school record) for 2,580 yards (40 short of the school record) and 21 touchdowns (two short of the school record).

Women's volleyball

Penn State coach Russ Rose (Fremd) was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Guiding Penn State to its eighth straight Big Ten title and 14th overall, Rose was named Coach of the Year for the fourth straight season and 10th overall by conference coaches.

He earned the honor from the media for the sixth straight year and 12th overall.

The Nittany Lions finished the 2010 season 26-5, including a 16-4 mark in conference play.

Rose has led Penn State to 90 consecutive home victories, which ties the record for the longest home-court winning streak in NCAA Division I volleyball history.

Ÿ Michigan senior setter Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington) was one of nine unanimous choices to the 2010 All-Big Ten team.

Zimmerman became the program leader in assists against Iowa on Sept. 24, 2010 and finished her career with 5,873. She was the 2009-10 Michigan Female Athlete of the Year and the Lowe's Senior CLASS candidate.

Zimmerman has the most assists by a Michigan freshman in program history and is the only Wolverine freshman setter to start an NCAA Tournament match. She made Sports Illustrated's “Faces in the Crowd” in 2007.

Ÿ Cincinnati senior setter Annie Fesl (Hersey) finished her collegiate career tied with teammate Stephanie Niemer for first in program history with 137 matches played. Fesl ranks second all time in career assists at Cincinnati.

Ÿ Memphis sophomore outside hitter Altrese Hawkins (Hoffman Estates) is featured on the cover of the December 2010 edition of COBRA Volleyball Magazine for being named to the publication's All-Southeast Regional squad.

Hawkins was also a 2010 first team All-Conference-USA all-conference selection and a C-USA All-Academic award winner in late November.

She was selected as a COBRA second team All-National pick in 2009 and was a 2010 COBRA Preseason All-National selection in 2010.

Hawkins had a standout season in 2010, leading Memphis and ranking in the top-10 in Conference USA with 483 kills, 3.96 kills per set, 525 points and 4.30 points per set.

She ranked 41st nationally in kills per set and 67th nationally in points per set. Hawkins ranked 12th in the league with a team-best .305 attack percentage.

A 2010 Preseason All-C-USA pick, Hawkins earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors twice in 2010. She downed 20 or more kills in six C-USA matches, including highlighting her season with a career-high 29 kills against Southern Mississippi on Oct. 29.

Shown on the cover of this month's edition of COBRA Magazine, Hawkins was tabbed a program builder and showcased in a five-page feature story. To view Hawkins' story, log on to www.cobramag.t83.net.

Softball

Two-time all-area selection Katie Mnichowicz, a Palatine High School senior, has signed a letter of intent with Upper Iowa University.

Ÿ Elk Grove senior Vicky Fleming has made a verbal commitment to Dominican University in River Forest.

Men's swimmingWisconsin Eau-Claire freshman Ben Epperly (Schaumburg) recorded a second-place finish in the 1,650 yard freestyle (16:58:13) and a third-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (4:55:76) in the River Falls Falcon Invite at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center.

Fundraiser

The Rolling Meadows Athletic Booster Club will once again be sponsoring its 16th Annual Mustang Shootout. Traditionally, this fundraiser has taken place in April.

This year the three-on-three basketball tournament will take place over winter break.

On Tuesday, Dec 21, girls (grades third through 12th), college women, adult men and women will compete.

On Wednesday, Dec. 22, boys (grades third through 12th) and college men will compete.

All games will be played at Rolling Meadows High School and take place in the afternoon or evening.

The cost is $100 if paid by Dec. 15. Registration forms are online at http://mustangbooster.wordpress.com.

Proceeds from this event go toward TPC's Post Prom Committee and the RM Athletic Boosters.

Call Tom Conlin (847-323-6233), Jerry Kramp (773-842-0352) or Joe Schurtz (630-772-9901) with any questions.

Coaching clinic

Non-teachers who would like to coach on the high school level can attend one of the following American Sports Education Program certification coaching clinics: Saturday, Jan. 8 at Oakton College in Des Plaines or Saturday, Feb. 19 at Illinois Math Science Academy in Aurora.

For more information call 847-635-8437 or go to www.mike-small.com.