Forgive Warner volleyball coach Kari Jung if she seems a little preoccupied today.
She has classes to teach, volleyball to coach and college volleyball-playing daughters to think about.
Her Monarchs begin their State B volleyball title defense at rival Summit tonight. Summit had only two losses last year, both to Warner, and one in the region championship.
At the same time 75 miles away in Aberdeen, Jung's daughters will duke it out on the court when Dakota Wesleyan (3-5) visits the Strode Center for tonight's 7 p.m. match against Presentation College (3-2). Not only that, but the match will feature two more of Coach Jung's former high school standouts.
PC will feature Warner graduates Karly Fuhrman (2012) and Alyssa Jung (2013) while former Monarch standouts Mallory Jark (2012) and Briana Jung (2011) suit up for the Tigers. The Jungs are facing each other in college for the first time. And playing for Warner High School is Reilly Fuhrman, sister to Karly.
NSU White Out
Northern State's football home opener at 6 p.m. Saturday with Wayne State College has been deemed a "White Out," as fans are being asked to wear white to the game.
Northern State's Student Athlete Advisory Committee will host a food drive at the game. Any person who brings two food items to donate to the Salvation Army will be given a coupon for a free hot dog, chips and soda. Midcontinent Communications will also be giving away free NSU Wolves T-shirts to the first 250 Wolves Club members, as well as the first 250 students. The first 500 fans through the gate will also receive a free Midco acrylic mug.
The RDO/Bully's Chop House Wolves Club tailgate area in the south parking lot opens at 4 p.m.
Sports writer Ryan Deal
39 players used
Played in nearly 100-degree temperatures and 20 mph winds in Texas on Sunday, South Dakota State and Sam Houston State combined to use 39 soccer players in their double-overtime, 110-minute 0-0 tie.
Only a handful of athletes played an extended time, including the vaulted SDSU women's defense, which included two-year starting sophomore Katie McNeary of Aberdeen. McNeary - one of six players to play all 110 minutes - and fellow defenders Ashley Adams, Dani Patterson and McKenzie Wolf played 95 minutes or more. They kept the Bearkats off the shot column in three of the four periods.
The Jackrabbits left San Antonio with a 1-2-1 record. They will host Nevada (6 p.m. Friday) and Northern Illinois (1 p.m. Sunday) in the Jackrabbit Invitational at Fishback Soccer Park in Brookings. In the other two games, the University of South Dakota (2-1-1) will play Northern Illinois at 3 p.m. Friday and Nevada at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Sports writer John Papendick
Miles on ESPN
The Nebraska men's basketball team will make five appearances on the ESPN family of networks during the Big Ten season. Nebraska is coached by Doland native and former Northern State assistant coach Tim Miles.
Nebraska's Big Ten slate is highlighted by the Big Ten home opener against NCAA runner-up Michigan Jan. 9 (ESPN or ESPN2). Nebraska will also make four appearances on ESPNU during Big Ten action, taking on Penn State (Jan. 23 in State College; Feb. 20 in Lincoln) and Northwestern (Feb. 8 in Evanston; March 1 in Lincoln).
In addition, Nebraska's Feb. 23 game against Purdue is one of three games under consideration for a CBS national telecast that afternoon, but a final determination on that will not be made until early February.
The Cornhuskers will also play at Cincinnati Dec. 28 (ESPN2). Nebraska will play in the Charleston Classic this season as well. The classic will also be carried on the ESPN family of networks. Nebraska's game with Miami during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge will be shown on ESPNU, while Nebraska's season opener against Florida Gulf Coast will be televised nationally on BTN. Other non-conference games are expected to be televised as television networks announce their non-conference schedules in the coming weeks.
Sports writer Ryan Deal
Quickly
- Former Northern State men's basketball player Kevin Ratzsch is now an assistant coach for the Mayville State men's basketball team. Former NSU player Dan DeWitt is the head coach for the Comets.
- Sioux Falls Roosevelt's Maggie Dejong has verbally committed to play volleyball for Division I Louisville.
- Milbank graduate Nick Mears is the third-string free safety for the South Dakota State football team. Drew Kreutzfeldt of Chester is the second-string strong safety for the Jackrabbits. Kreutzfeldt's twin brother Dylan is a defensive back for NSU.
- Due to Friday's heat in Fargo, the Bison Open cross country meet was changed to 5,000 meters for men (instead of normal 8,000) and 4,000 for women (normally 6,000). Aberdeen Central graduate Courtney Neubert was the top runner for the SDSU women. She finished ninth (15:16.66).
- University of South Dakota freshman kicker/punter Miles Bergner was named Missouri Valley Football Conference special teams player of the week. Bergner (Longmont, Colo.) made a 39-yard field goal with 7:31 left in the fourth quarter for what turned out to be the difference in the Coyotes' 10-7 home win against UC Davis.
- The Brookings Health System has pledged $1 million toward the construction of the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, pushing the private fundraising total past the $30 million mark. Construction on the 161,500-square-foot complex directly north of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium began this month. The facility could be occupied by late 2014 and will include an 65-foot high ceiling, 100 yards of artificial turf, an eight-lane, 300-meter indoor track, with pole vault, long jump, triple jump and throwing areas.
- Northern State soccer players and sisters Tia and Mara Lopez recently were featured in the North Dakota newspaper the West Fargo Pioneer. The sisters were former standouts for West Fargo High School.
College Plus is a weekly feature on Tuesdays in the American News during the college sports season. If you have news tips or suggestions, e-mail jpapendick@aberdeennews.com or call 605-622-2323.