SPORTS digest

YSU volleyball team swept by UIC

CHICAGO

The Youngstown State volleyball team couldn’t slow down the hot-hitting UIC Flames in a 3-0 loss at the Flames Athletic Center in Chicago on Friday evening. The set scores were 25-8, 25-18, 25-19.

UIC had 49 kills in 105 attacks and registered a .381 attack percentage in the sweep. Kiera James and Paola Santiago combined for 30 kills with just five errors in 56 attempts.

Aleah Hughes led the Penguins with nine kills, and Brooklen Pe’a added six kills. The Flames held YSU to 27 kills in 102 attempts.

YSU will travel to Milwaukee and Green Bay next week.

Aho, Ferland power Canes over Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS

Sebastian Aho and Micheal Ferland each had a goal and an assist and Curtis McElhinney — picked up off waivers three days ago — had 31 saves in the Carolina Hurricanes’ 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jacketson Friday night.

Jordan Martinook also scored to help give Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour his first NHL win and ruin the home opener for the Blue Jackets.

McElhinney was signed Tuesday as a backup after starting goalie Scott Darling was injured last weekend. He started after Petr Mrazek played the season opener against Detroit.

Brandon Dubinsky scored and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 32 shots for the Blue Jackets.

OSU billed $1.5M for sex misconduct inquiry

COLUMBUS

Ohio State University has been billed about $1.5 million and counting for the investigation into a team doctor accused of sexual misconduct against scores of athletes and other men.

A list of related invoices provided by the university shows most of that is from Perkins Coie, the law firm hired to investigate claims raised this year about the now-deceased physician, Richard Strauss.

The list reflects invoices only through Aug. 17. The investigation continues, and three related lawsuits are pending.

At least 145 former students have given investigators firsthand accounts of alleged sexual misconduct by Strauss between 1979 and 1997. The allegations involve athletes from 16 sports, plus the student health center and his off-campus medical office.

Strauss killed himself in 2005.

NCAA looks at more transfer rules changes

INDIANAPOLIS

The NCAA Division I Council has introduced legislation that would allow some athletes to transfer and be immediately eligible to play for a new school if there is a coaching change before the first day of fall classes.

The NCAA announced Friday four new rules proposed by the council. The others would require schools to commit two years of financial aid for all graduate transfers, allow walk-ons to play immediately after transferring and prohibit athletes from competing for two different schools in the same academic year.

Starting Oct. 15, athletes will no longer have to ask for permission to transfer from their current schools and schools cannot block transfers.

The latest proposals could be adopted in April.

Former Cav’s ex-wife to stand trial in death

MEMPHIS, Tenn.

A doctor has found the jailed ex-wife of slain former NBA player Lorenzen Wright mentally competent to stand trial.

Shelby County Criminal Court judge Lee Coffee was informed by Dr. Wyatt Nichols that Sherra Wright can advise her lawyers and help with her defense against charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in her ex-husband’s slaying.

Former Cleveland Cavalier Lorenzen Wright’s body was found riddled with bullet wounds in a swampy field in Memphis in July 2010.

Sherra Wright and co-defendant Billy Ray Turner were indicted in December. Turner also is charged with first-degree murder. Both pleaded not guilty.

Staff/wire reports