[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRATULATING VOLLEYBALL STAND-OUT MEGAN C. HODGE ON HER 
                ACCOMPLISHMENT ON THE U.S. NATIONAL TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 29, 2010

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a talented 
young Virgin Islander, Megan C. Hodge, a member of the U.S. National 
Volleyball Team and a senior member of Penn State University Nittany 
Lions who was recently named the 2010 Penn State Female Athlete of the 
Year and was also a co-winner of the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup, 
awarded to the Top Collegiate Woman Athlete in the country. Megan is 
the first Penn State University student athlete to win the Honda-
Broderick award in the school's 155 year history. Megan, who is an 
outside hitter led the Penn State Nittany Lions to an unprecedented 
third straight NCAA title in December 2009, the crowning moment of a 
102-match winning streak. She was named the 2009 American Volleyball 
Coaches Association Division I National Player of the Year, College 
Sports Information Directors of America Academic All American of the 
Year for Volleyball, and Big Ten Player of the Year. Megan is part of 
the winningest class in the Penn State volleyball program history with 
a career record of 142-5.
  Madam Speaker, Megan excels off the court as well as on the court. 
She graduated last month with a Bachelor of Science in Business 
Management from Penn State University. She was honored as an ESPN the 
Magazine Second Team Academic All-American in 2008 and garnered first 
team accolades in 2009. Later that year, she went on to become Academic 
All American of the Year for volleyball. She is a three time Academic 
All-Big Ten honoree.
  Madam Speaker, today, Megan will be welcomed home to the Virgin 
Islands by her friends and family and proud Virgin Islanders who 
commend her achievements as a star athlete and a star student. The 
daughter of Michael and Carmen Samuel Hodge, who themselves are former 
members of the U.S. Virgin Islands National Volleyball team, Megan who 
grew up in North Carolina, returns to the islands for a much needed 
rest and relaxation.
  Madam Speaker, I proudly rise to congratulate Megan and her family on 
her achievements on and off the volleyball court. She exemplifies the 
ideals of excellence that we all wish will inspire other young people 
in the Virgin Islands and around the country that hard work, dedication 
and a commitment of being nothing less than the best is the standard 
that we all should live by.

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