In this week’s edition a former local volleyball coach is being honored and there’s lots of news about area graduates.
Hall of Fame
It’s fitting that this week’s edition of Lots O’ Stuff is sponsored by Spam because our first subject made her last coaching stop in Austin.
Cindy Owen has been elected to the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She’ll be honored at the tournament banquet Nov. 8 in St. Paul.
Owen was an assistant coach at Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield on Carolyn Hummel’s staff. Hummel was inducted into the Hall in 2004.
She went on to beat the head coach at Southwest Star Concept and later at Austin High School. Owen also coached softball for the Packers.
Her husband, Tim; and son, Ben Scheevel, tweeted out the news:
Owen graduated from Ellendale-Geneva High School.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in Education as well as Special Education from Winona State University; and also has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Southwest Minnesota State University.
Cindy also coached and taught in the Preston–Fountain school district.
Now on to what some area graduates competing at higher levels.
Volleyball
Jackson County Central grad Alaina Wolff is a 5-foot-6 junior defensive specialist at the University of South Dakota, which won a pair of Summit League road matches this week.
On Thursday she had three digs and was 8-for-9 serving with one ace in a 3-2 win at Denver that gives the Coyotes a 7-1 record in five-set matches.
Alaina followed that up with nine digs, one set assist and a 14-15 serving performance with one ace in a 3-1 win at Omaha. That was USD’s seventh straight win and ended an eight-match winning streak for the Mavericks.
South Dakota is 20-2 overall and leads the Summit League with a 9-1 record. The Coyotes host South Dakota State Friday in their only match of the week.
JCC graduate Sadie Voss is a 5-10 freshman outside hitter at the University of Sioux Falls, which split a pair of matches.
On Thursday she had 10 kills, 15 digs, four blocks, one ace serve and one set assist in 3-1 loss at top-ranked Wayne State. On Saturday Sadie posted a team-high 13 kills, eight digs, one service ace, one block and one assist in a 3-0 win over Augustana.
Voss leads the Cougars in digs (239), is second in kills (207) and is also second in service aces (23).
USF is at home at Stewart Center three times this week, starting with a Tuesday match vs. No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State, which handed Wayne State its first loss Saturday. The Cougars host Minnesota State Friday and No. 3 Concordia (St. Paul) Saturday.
Another Jackson County Central grad, Georgianna Wenzel is a freshman right side hitter at Briar Cliff University.
She had two kills, two digs and one block for the Chargers in a 3-1 loss to Dakota Wesleyan. Briar Cliff hosts Morningside Wednesday and travels to GPAC leader and NAIA No. 2 ranked Jamestown Saturday.
It’s been a few weeks since we had updates on some area grads are coaching volleyball on the collegiate level.
Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield grad Lindsey Wilber is the head coach at Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D. The Tigers are 20-4 overall and 10-3 in the Great Plains Athletic Concference.
Wesleyan, ranked 10th in the country by the NAIA, beat No. 19 Dordt in Mitchell Friday to improve to 7-0 at home and the Tigers are 8-0 in October. DWU is at No. 7 Northwestern Wednesday.
On the other bench that night in Orange City will be JCC graduate Lacey Wacker, who is an assistant coach for the Red Raiders. Northwestern is 18-6 overall and 8-5 in the GPAC.
Jackson County Central grad Michelle Aggen is an assistant coach at Augustana University, which is 16-7 overall and 8-7 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Vikings are at Wayne State Tuesday before hosting Upper Iowa Friday and Winona State Saturday.
JCC graduate Megan Bezdicek is an assistant coach at Minnesota State, which is 6-17 overall and 5-10 in the NSIC. The Mavericks have three road matches this week, playing at Concordia Tuesday, Sioux Falls Friday and SMSU Saturday.
Martin County West graduate Alyssa Taylor is Associate Head Coach at Gustavus, which has clinched the MIAC regular-season title with two matches remaining. The Gusties are 9-0, with four teams tied for second with 6-3 records. Gustavus (21-4) was ranked 16th in the country last week.
Football
Two JCC graduates are freshmen on the St. Olaf College football team, which defeated College of St. Scholastica 33-28 in Duluth on Saturday.
Will Freking, a 6-1, 220-pound defensive lineman, had a tackle. Trace Michelson, a 6-foot, 240-pounder, saw action on the offensive line. The Oles, 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the MIAC, are at Bethel next Saturday.
Cross country
JCC graduate Olivia Anderson, a freshman at Minnesota State, had a 6K PR of 25:04.29) as she placed 57th in a field of 79 individuals at the Bob Waxlax Invitational in Sauk Rapids Wednesday.
The 18th-rated Mavericks won the team title. MSU compete in the NSIC meet Nov. 5 in Wayne, Neb.
Swimming and diving
Jackson County Central grad Hailey Handevidt is a senior with the Augustana women’s swimming and diving team.
The Vikings competed in the two-day University of Sioux Falls Quad. Friday she had scores of 142.43 in one-meter diving and 140.86 in three-meter diving. On Saturday her scores were 165.07 and 144.97.
Augustana, rated eighth, is off until the Coyote Extravaganza in Sioux Falls on Nov. 4-5.
Hockey
Fairmont graduate Carson Kuhl is a junior forward with the Waldorf University men’s hockey team, which tied 3-3 and lost 5-3 in games with Illinois State this weekend. Kuhl has one assist on the season.
The Warriors are 1-6-2 overall and 1-3-2 in the Midwest College Hockey Conference.
Waldorf hosts Williston State College next Friday and Saturday at its home rink, the Albert Lea City Arena.