This week in Coyote athletics 
Oct. 9, 2012
VERMILLION, S.D.--Women's soccer and volleyball play home Summit League matches Friday and Sunday, cross country hosts the Tim Young Invitational and football plays its first road Missouri Valley Football Conference game this week in Coyote athletics.
Volleyball's (8-11, 2-5 Summit League) recent road win over in-state rival South Dakota State moved the Coyotes to seventh place in the league. Senior Kim Bulaga (Crystal Lake, Ill.) has double-doubles in three of the last four matches since returning to outside hitter. Riley Haug (Gretna, Neb.) has starred defensively, making a season-high 25 digs against SDSU. The Coyotes will face IUPUI Friday at 4 p.m. and Western Illinois Sunday at 2 p.m.
IUPUI (13-7, 6-2 Summit League) is second in the Summit League. Middle-hitter Bethany Fogler is fourth in the conference with a hitting percentage of .333 and second in blocks per set with 1.12. Western Illinois (8-11, 2-6 Summit League) sits eighth in the conference. WIU features Sarah Fetter, whose 10.37 assists per set are second in the league.
Women's soccer (1-9-3, 0-2-1 Summit League) takes on Fort Wayne Friday at 4 p.m. and Oakland Sunday at noon at the USD Soccer Complex. Jenny Teslow (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Danielle Anderson (Elkhorn, Neb.) are tied for the team lead and seventh in the conference with 10 points each. The Coyotes' offense has been excellent at home as they have scored 10 goals in four games.
Fort Wayne (6-6, 2-1 Summit League) is fourth in the Summit League. The team features goalkeeper Sam Pavlika, who is fourth in the conference in save percentage (.812) and goals-against average (1.06). Oakland (6-3-3, 3-0 Summit League) is unbeaten in conference play and is tied for the league lead. The Golden Grizzlies have the league leader in goals (Kyla Kellermann) and assists (Abigail Haelewyn).
The Tim Young Invitational is the lone home meet for the men's and women's cross country teams. The meet will run at the Don Baker Cross Country Course with the women's 5k starting at 10 a.m. and the men's 8k starting at 10:45 a.m.
Jeff Mettler (Eureka, S.D.) has been outstanding for the Coyotes, setting school records at the Creighton/Omaha Classic in Omaha, Neb., and the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn. Mettler finished first among the USD men in all three meets, while the women's team has been led by a different runner in all three of its events. USD, Butler CC, Carleton, Minnesota-Morris and Omaha make up the field at the Tim Young Invitational.
Football (1-4, 0-2 MVFC) makes its first conference road trip as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, heading to Springfield, Mo., to face Missouri State (0-6, 0-3 MVFC). Anthony Williams (Tampa, Fla.) has emerged as a big-play threat at wide receiver for the Coyotes, catching a touchdown pass in two-straight weeks while averaging 17.2 yards per reception. Tim Marlette (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Devin Taverna have come up big for the Coyotes in conference play, with Marlette putting together consecutive double-digit tackle games while Taverna has two interceptions.
Missouri State is one of 12 FCS programs in search of its first win of the 2012 season. The Bears passing attack is third in the conference (236.5 yards per game), while linebacker Caleb Schaffitzel's 10.3 tackles per game rank 14th nationally.
South Dakota's men's and women's swimming and diving teams will make their debut in the pool at 1 p.m. Saturday with their annual Red vs. White intrasquad meet in the DakotaDome. The Coyote men were picked to finish fourth in the Summit League while the women were selected fifth in a preseason poll of the conference coaches. Three USD men (Blake Frederick, Lincoln, Neb.; Cody Horton, Mitchell, S.D.; Jake Tempesta, Lakeville, Minn.) and seven women (Mariah Anderson, Kearney, Neb.; Torie Buberl, Stillwater, Minn.; Kaitlyn Jefferson, Westland, Mich.; Molly Knowles, Lockport, Ill.; Shannon Moceri, South Lyon, Mich.; Paige Stavely, Hemlock, Mich.; Corey Wannamaker, New Berlin, Wis.) return after earning all-conference recognition.
