While the football team travels down the I-29 this weekend, there is still plenty of action going on in Fargo. Playoff soccer, volleyball and a return to basketball highlight a busy week for Bison athletics.
Women’s soccer
Dacotah Field plays host to the Summit League Tournament this week. The four-team field is set for semifinal action Thursday.
The action starts at 11:30 a.m. as No. 2 Denver takes on No. 3 Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles face a similar position as last year. ORU entered as the four seed, and defeated NDSU at Dacotah in the semifinals.
The Golden Eagles beat the Pioneers at home in October, but needed overtime to claim the 2-1 win.
The second game of the day features the Bison as they take on No. 1 South Dakota State.
It will be the second time in a week the two sides faced off. The Jacks pounced the Bison 4-0 in Brookings last Sunday.
SDSU won the tournament last year as the three seed and come into the match with a 11-4-3 record, including going undefeated in Summit League play.
NDSU meanwhile bounced back in the Summit League to finish the season 7-10-0.
Winners of the pair of semifinal games will play for the championship and a trip to the NCAA College Cup at noon Saturday.
Volleyball
It is Senior Night at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse Friday night. NDSU is set to host Fort Wayne in the final home game of the season.
It will be the last time seniors Brianna Rasmusson, Mkaela Prunell, Jessica Jorgensen and Erika Gelzinyte step onto the court inside friendly confines.
There will be a first, however, as head coach Jennifer Lopez will have her first home game without the interim tag.
The Bison are looking to rebound after a tough weekend last week. The Bison hit the road to take on the top two teams in the Summit. After the losses at Oral Roberts and Denver, the Bison sit fifth in the Summit, a half game behind Omaha.
Fort Wayne sits three games behind the Bison. In their first meeting of the year, the Mastodons beat the Bison 3-1 in Fort Wayne.
Women’s basketball
The NDSU basketball teams are set to tip off their season, and the women start Thursday night at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex (SHAC).
The Bison play host to Minnesota-Morris for the season opening exhibition. NDSU came in at No. 6 in the preseason Summit League polls.
The Bison return a good portion of the lineup from last season, including Taylor Thunstedt. The senior comes into the season as a Summit League second-team selection. She set a single-season record with 92 three pointers last season, giving her a program record of 229 threes.