Northwest Notes: Oct. 3, 2013
Cardinals return home to
face Badgers, Bruins
Two months on the road ends tonight for the North Idaho College volleyball team.
NIC (9-5, 2-0 Scenic West Athletic Conference), ranked 16th in this week's NJCAA poll, will host the 13th ranked Snow College Badgers (12-5, 0-1) in the Cardinals conference and season home opener at 7 p.m. at Christianson Gymnasium.
"It's good to be home," first-year NIC coach Miles Kydd said. "It's been a while. We started training on this floor on Aug. 1, and two months later, we're home."
NIC concludes the homestand by facing seventh ranked Salt Lake (13-5, 1-0) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
"They're both good teams," Kydd said. "They've both had some success in the preseason and Snow was close to breaking through last year. We've definitely got our hands full."
Tonight's match will also be the first since the school renovated the gym, putting in a new floor and seating in the lower section of the gym.
"We've only got six home games, so I know they're excited to get out there," Kydd said. "They're excited to get in front of the home crowd and getting on the court."
Arena Football returning
to Portland in 2014
PORTLAND - Arena Football League Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz announced that an ownership group led by Portland businessman Terry W. Emmert, has been approved by the Board of Directors to purchase a majority of the Milwaukee Mustangs and relocate the team.
The team will begin regular season play in 2014 at the Moda Center, - formerly known as the Rose Garden - which is the home of the Portland Trail Blazers.
This will be the second franchise to call Portland home. The Portland Forest Dragons played in the AFL for three seasons from 1997-1999.
Fans can long onto PortlandAFL.com to suggest and vote on potential team names, which will be selected and unveiled later in the month.
The qualifier draw features nine-time 4-Wall singles national champion David Chapman, two-time defending national collegiate champion Martin Mulkerrins, former national collegiate champion Mando Ortiz, former top-five pro Marcos Chavez, former top 10 and multiple qualifier Jon Iglesias, and Race 4 Eight Elite 8 members Luis Cordova, Vic Perez and Anthony Selestow.
"Just look at the qualifier draw," WPH executive director David Vincent said. "If we would have allowed 64, we would have gotten it. I have heard from multiple Irish players and even some from Australia and Canada that wanted to play. I feel that the cash is a new more professional addition, but I also think each location has really rolled out the red carpet. Seriously, could you find better stops in better locations than we have on the docket? Jake's tournament sold out 45 days ago and if the facility had four more courts we would have over 200."
"I feel very fortunate returning to the Idaho fans and this excellent venue," Elite 8 invite Naty Alvarado Jr. said. "This has always been a highlight on our handball schedule for some time now. Great handball camaraderie, excellent food, and the beautiful city backdrop of the Coeur d'Alene make for a perfect handball weekend."
"It means a lot to me that Jake supports the WPH," said Luis Cordova. "He throws one of the best tournaments of the year in my opinion. When I was there two years ago it was one of the best times I've had in handball."
The World Players of Handball is a 501 c3 Foundation that highlights the greatest players in the world to inspire the next generation of players to enjoy and benefit from this lifetime sport.
The World Players of Handball will host a junior clinic on Saturday at the Plummer Bash, as it does at every race stop.
Matches will be webcast beginning Friday at race4eight.com.