Meg Bulger comes from an athletic family. Her older brother Marc was a standout quarterback at West Virginia University and now plays for the NFL's St. Louis Rams, and her older sister Katie will be a junior on the WVU women's basketball team this season.

It's no surprise, then, that the star shooting guard for Oakland Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., will be following her siblings to West Virginia after she completes her senior year. In June, Bulger verbally committed to attend WVU and play for Head Coach Mike Carey.

"I've been going to West Virginia to visit for a very long time," Bulger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "so it just feels like home to me. I'm comfortable there, and the fact that I have a chance to play one season with my older sister helps matters as well. Also, it is close to home, and that's important because my family is important to me."

Not many girls verbally commit during the summer, but the timing was right for Bulger. "I knew pretty much who I wanted to talk to and where I wanted to go, so I figured if I committed now I could avoid all of those calls from places I am not interested in," she said.

Bulger is looking forward to reuniting with her older sister on the court, even if it's only for one season. "Having my sister at WVU was a big part in my decision to come there," she told BlueGoldNews.com. "It's an unbelievable situation to be able to play with your sister, and to be successful with her. It really helped the transition for me coming into high school with her already there, and I think it will be even better for the transition into college."

However, Meg does think she'll be less deferential to Katie in a collegiate setting. "In high school, it changed our game a little bit when we were both on the floor," she said. "We were both aware of each other on the floor, and we both knew where the other one was all the time. At first, I would catch the ball and ... my first thought was 'Katie!' Now, I think we've both grown as players and established ourselves. She's a shooter, where I might like to drive and pull up. When I get to college, I think we'll be able to mesh those and work really well together."

With one season to go, Bulger already has had an outstanding high school career at Oakland Catholic. She has led the Eagles to three Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Class AAAA championships and the 2001 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state title. She averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game last season.

Bulger's coach at Oakland Catholic is former WNBA guard Suzie McConnell Serio, who last year praised Bulger's game. "She does it all for us," McConnell Serio said in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "but I think what most people miss is that she is a team-first player. Offensively, she could score as many points as she wants to because she is that good in the open court and at beating people off the dribble. But she plays within the team concept and is an excellent passer, defender and ball handler as well. That's what makes her special."

Article written by Gball Associate Editor Jim Catalano.

Nominate someone you know as a High School Hero. Email us at info@gballmag.com.