Hodge-Hooker showdown could help sport's popularity

Destinee Hooker and Megan Hodge are arguably the top two players in women's college volleyball.

It doesn't get any better than this.

When No. 1 Penn State plays No. 2 Texas in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship at 8 tonight at the Forum, all eyes will be on the opposing All-America superstars.

There is the Longhorns' Hooker, a 6-foot-4 human pogo stick and the Big 12 Player of the Year, and the Nittany Lions' Hodge, the 6-3 Big 10 Player of the Year whom PSU coach Russ Rose compared to a Major League Baseball slugger. Both players are finalists for the Honda Sports Award, which goes to the sport's top player.

Hooker and Hodge also are expected to play on the U.S. women's national volleyball team and could represent the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

"We're both athletic, and we both jump high," Hodge said.

Some say the Hooker-Hodge matchup on national television will have a big impact on the popularity of the sport.

"What you would hope would happen is that there's a whole bunch of young kids around the country watching volleyball that see two charismatic players going out there and playing hard and playing with passion, and that it sparks more young kids playing volleyball around the country," Rose said.

U.S. men's national volleyball coach Alan Knipe compared it to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan meeting when both were in their primes.

"There have been a lot of really good matchups over the years for different reasons," Knipe said. "It's probably the matchup that most people wanted to see."

"I don't think there are many athletes who can do what Destinee Hooker can do, and not many can do what Megan Hodge can do," Minnesota coach Mike Hebert said. "They just stand out, to me, as two of the most dominant players in the college game today."

Hooker has 492 kills this season. She also has won three consecutive NCAA outdoor high jump national titles in track and field. By January, she will begin preparation for the track season.

"She's just a phenomenal athlete," Texas coach Jerritt Elliot said. "She has a great learning curve. She's gone from a three-rotation player to a six-rotation player and now passing and she's doing everything for us. She's a huge part of this team and when she's on, we're very good."

"I always give energy, no matter what," Hooker said. "I want to be a spark plug as much as I can."

Hodge, a four-time All-American, leads undefeated Penn State with 539 kills.

"There aren't a lot of guys who are as athletic as Megan and Destinee," Rose said.

Hodge has helped Penn State win 101 consecutive matches and the past two national championships. Texas, however, has Destinee on its side.

"She's as physical as Megan Hodge is," Penn State junior middle hitter Fatima Balza said.

"It's going to be a nice aerial show with Megan and Destinee," Rose said. "They'll do a lot of exciting things. The biggest winner will be (USA women's national team coach) Hugh McCutcheon, probably sitting in the crowd knowing some of the top players in the country are playing and they'll be playing for him and USA in the future."