Despite strong performances by Samantha Gladd, Amy Randall and Kristen Baronetski, the Moniteau girls volleyball team fell to Kane in the first round of the District 9 Class AA volleyball playoffs 3-0 Wednesday.

Kane prevailed 25-8, 25-18, 15-16 to advance to pool play.

Gladd was filling in for the team's starting setter, Haley McFeaters, who was out with an ankle injury.

The Warriors finished the season with a 6-7 record.

The Seneca Valley girls volleyball team will be in action against Penn-Trafford in a WPIAL Class AAA semifinal tonight starting at 7 p.m. at Plum High School.Union's girls volleyball team will play at Clarion at 6:30 p.m. tonight in a District 9 Class A second-round tilt.The Karns City boys and girls soccer teams will both be playing for the District 9 championship tonight at Clarion University's Memorial Stadium.The girls will battle Brookville at 6 p.m. in the Class AA title game before the boys vie for the Class A title against DuBois Central Catholic at 8 p.m.

Butler graduate Nicole Hilderbrand, a senior on the Robert Morris University women's soccer team, has been named Northeast Conference Player of the Week.Hilderbrand scored her team's only goals in 1-0 victories over Long Island and Wagner. Robert Morris is 4-11-2 overall, 2-4-1 in the NEC.

Seneca Valley graduate Brad Stotsky, a junior safety on the Allegheny College football team, has been named North Coast Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.Stotsky had 11 solo tackles and broke up a pass in Allegheny's 16-10 overtime win over Wabash. He has 41 tackles on the year for the Gators (4-4, 3-2).

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nashville Predators center Sergei Zholtok died in Belarus of an apparent heart ailment. He was 31.Zholtok left the game between Riga 2000, the club he was playing for during the NHL lockout, and Dinamo Minsk about five minutes before it ended. He went back to the locker room where he collapsed and died, Riga 2000 president Viesturs Kozioles told The Associated Press in Riga, Latvia.Paramedics at the arena tried to revive him but were unsuccessful.

NEW YORK - Carl Pavano became a free agent after meeting with Florida Marlins' management and telling the team he wanted to test the market.A 28-year-old right-hander who went a career-best 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA this season, Pavano is likely to be among the most coveted free agents.Other free-agent pitchers include Pedro Martinez, Brad Radke, Russ Ortiz, Eric Milton, Matt Morris, Derek Lowe and Kevin Millwood. Players can start negotiating money terms with all teams starting Nov. 12.