Northern State is coming down the home stretch - literally.
The NSU volleyball team has nine matches remaining, including today's road match at Minnesota State-Moorhead. The Wolves will then be at home for seven of their last eight matches of the season.
"It is going to be really nice," NSU coach Brent Aldridge said about closing at home. "I think it is awesome. I tell our kids I wouldn't have it any other way, but being at home finally is hopefully an advantage."
The Wolves have been road warriors lately. NSU's match today in Moorhead, Minn., will cap off a five match road stand. However, the Wolves have responded on the road. NSU is currently on a five-match win streak, the longest streak for the Wolves in NSIC play since 2002.
"For the most part, we are doing a nice job of staying composed and confident," Aldridge said. "Hopefully, being at home, we should have some confidence."
The Wolves are coming off a brutal road trip last week when they defeated Winona State in Winona, Minn., on Friday and Upper Iowa on Saturday in Fayette, Iowa. Winona State was tied for first in the NSIC at the time. It was Winona State's and Upper Iowa's first home losses of the season.
"This weekend is the most composed our players have been," Aldridge said. "It has taken most of the year, but hopefully we have got some stuff figured out."
Northern's final matches of the season will not be easy. The Wolves will play three teams that are either ranked or are receiving votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Division Top-25 poll. The Wolves host No. 18 Wayne State and Augustana on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Vikings are receiving votes in this week's poll. NSU will also host No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth later in the month.
"I like our chances against a lot of people if we can serve and pass and just take care of that part of the game," said Aldridge, whose team is 5-2 this season at Wachs Arena.
The Wolves will also have a rare Sunday match on Nov. 4 when they host the University of Mary. The match was moved to Sunday due to a scheduling conflict. Instead of playing at another venue in Aberdeen, Aldridge insisted they play on a Sunday so they could play at their home court - something they haven't done a lot of lately.
"I'm not going to lie," Aldridge said, "it is going to be nice being at home."
Mettler leads Coyotes
The South Dakota men's cross country team placed seven in the top-eight and the Coyote women placed six in the top-ten to sweep the team standings at the Tim Young Invitational on Saturday.
Eureka graduate Jeff Mettler won his second race of the season with a time of 24-minutes, :52 seconds in the 8K race at the Don Baker Course in Vermillion.
The Coyote men had the top-four finishers in the race. Ethan Marqaurdt placed second in 25:16, Mubarik Musa was third in 25:46 and Lemmon graduate Brant Haase was fourth in 25:51.
Staff reports
Former Wings
Freshman Steve Obarzanek and his University of Alaska Anchorage teammates won the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage over the weekend.
Obarzanek is a former player for the Aberdeen Wings. UAA will play No. 4 North Dakota Friday at the Brice Alaska Goal Rush in Fairbanks. Obarzanek and his Seawolves will play UND in Grand Forks Oct. 26-27 and at Bemidji State Nov. 23-24 in a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association matchups.
Obarzanek's former Aberdeen teammate, Cory Ward, plays for Bemidji.
Also, Aberdeen Wings alumni Taylor Richart has an assist and nine blocked shots in three games for Miami of Ohio this season.
Staff reports
Larson walking on at Florida
Sioux Falls Roosevelt graduate Cody Larson is no longer on scholarship on the University of Florida men's basketball team, coach Billy Donovan announced Wednesday during the team's media day.
Larson will be a walk-on this season.
Donovan said that he felt like Larson had "some responsibility issues over the last year," but he said Larson's run-ins with the law were not a factor in the decision.
Larson, a sophomore entering this season, was arrested along with teammate Erik Murphy in 2011 for allegedly trying to break into a car in St. Augustine, Fla. Both players were suspended indefinitely from the team. He rejoined the Gators after receiving two years probation for violating a suspended sentence from sharing prescription painkillers with a Roosevelt teammate in 2010.
Donovan said Larson had to do more to convince him that he should get his scholarship back. He was given the option of leaving or staying at Florida with no scholarship, and Larson chose to come back.
"I just wanted to be under coach Donovan," Larson told the Tampa Bay Times. "It gives me a great opportunity to - not only as a basketball player but as a person - grow. Anybody who plays under coach Donovan is a better person because of it, as well as a basketball player."
Staff reports
Quickly
- The Northern State football scout team players of the week are Nick Murphy (offensive) Dalton Wangerin (defensive).
- Single-game tickets for all South Dakota State men's and women's home basketball games for the upcoming 2012-13 season are now on sale at the Jackrabbit Ticket Office: JackrabbitTickets.com or 1-866-GO JACKS.
- The Presentation College football weekly award winners include: Offense Skill MVP, Stephen Braswell; Offensive Big MVP, Dustin Yorek; Scout Offense, Greg Oster; Defense Big Hit, Derek Buthe; Defense Scout, Ethan Bohle; Special Teams MVP, Gavin Voss; Special Teams Big Hit, Garret Fraser; Special Teams Scout, Dalton Tutino.
- Minnesota-Duluth women's soccer coach Greg Cane is now 200-103-31 overall and 92-22-7 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contests in 19 seasons. He has been the Bulldogs' coach since the school started soccer in 1994.
College Plus is a weekly feature on Tuesdays in the American News during the college sports season. If you have news tips or suggestions, email jpapendick@aberdeennews.com or call 605-622-2323.