All fall sports saw action this past weekend in Northern State Athletics.
The volleyball team kicked off its season with a 4-0 weekend in Chadron, Neb.
Their first match of the weekend came against an NSIC foe, UMary Friday morning. The Wolves shut down the Marauders in three sets by scores of 25-12, 25-19, and 25-7. Abby Brooks led the way with 15 kills and 4 blocks.
NSU went on to sweep the host school, Chadron State, by scores of 25-20, 25-11, and 25-22.
Redshirt freshman Linnea Nesheim led the Wolves with 17 kills.
On Saturday, Northern opened with a five-set victory over Augustana. The Vikings took the first and third sets, forcing the Wolves to win the fourth and fifth sets. Nesheim once again led the way with another 17-kill performance. The Wolves then closed out the weekend with a four-set win over Black Hills State. Nesheim finished with 14 kills, concluding the weekend with a team-high 58 kills, with Abby Brooks following with 48.
Hitchcock-Tulare alum Katelyn Schroeder held her own in her first appearances with 38 kills on the weekend. Warner alum Ava Nilsson filled Keri Walker’s shoes with 187 assists on the weekend and a team high six aces.
Two sports were in Sioux Falls this past weekend with the cross country teams competing in the Augie Twilight on Friday night, and Wolves football taking on University of Sioux Falls on Saturday night.
Emaleigh Olesiak hit a 40-second PR in the 5k being the first finisher for the NSU women’s team and 25th overall. Jolie Dugan, Abby Hasart, Avery Miles, and Madeline Nye finished out the top five for the Wolves respectively. NSU took 11th as a team overall.
For the men, it was Jacob Angerhofer who finished first for the Wolves, followed by Carter Flatau, Tristan Swezey, Patrick Severson and Blake Stoks. The Wolves finished 19th overall.
Wolves football fell to the Cougars 42-28 in a shootout. USF scored on the opening drive of the game, followed by an 11-play drive for the Wolves resulting in a 13-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Britt to Zach Kraft. In the second quarter, the Cougars scored with 30 seconds remaining making it 14-7 going into halftime.
Former Aberdeen Central Golden Eagle Cooper Eisenbeisz returned the opening kick of the half 94 yards as Northern tied the score at 14-14.
USF regained the lead on a 2-yard pass followed by a one-play scoring touchdown from the Wolves. Britt found Kraft for the second time, this time a 75-yard touchdown pass. The Cougars scored just 42 seconds into the fourth quarter regaining the lead once again. It didn’t take long for the Wolves to respond as Britt took the first play of the possession 68 yards to the house tying the game at 28.
That was all the Wolves could muster on offense as USF went on to score with 5:17 remaining, and once again with 1:55 to close out the game.
Kraft finished the game with three catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns after having just one catch for three yards all of last year. Britt threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 73 yards and one touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jake Adams hit a new career-high 21 tackles, one shy of the school record. Gabe Gutierrez had two tackles for loss and one sack, along with sacks from Kegan Mountain and Carl Pevey Jr.
Wolves soccer hit the road to take on Northwest Missouri State Friday. They fell to the Bearcats 3-0 putting up five shots on goal. Those shots came from Kailyn Poppen, Alexis Phillips, Paityn Pendergrass, Abby Missman, and Clara Nelson.
Northern then traveled just north to take on Missouri Western dropping that match 1-0. The Wolves put up four shots in that contest. Taylor Dudzinski had two, with Sydney Gilbertson and Chloe Voss tacking one on each.
There are three NSU teams in action this weekend starting off with volleyball taking on Lake Superior tonight in Mankato, Minn. The Wolves will take on Quincy University on Friday, followed by matches against Chadron State and Upper Iowa on Saturday.
Wolves Soccer is also on the road for a noon first touch at Emporia State on Sunday.
Wolves Football has its home opener at 6 p.m. on Saturday night against Wayne State at Dacotah Bank Stadium.
