NIC to open volleyball

season today at CSI tourney

TWIN FALLS - The North Idaho College volleyball team, under first-year coach Kandice Kelly, will open the 2011 season today at the CSI Buffalo Wild Wings/Hilex Poly Invitational on the campus of the College of Southern Idaho.

NIC, ranked 17th in the preseason NJCAA poll, will face Northwest College of Casper, Wyo., at 2 p.m. and finish the day against Casper College at 6.

On Saturday the Cardinals face Carroll College at 8 a.m. and Western Wyoming at 2 p.m.

Former NIC basketball player,

author to speak

COEUR d'ALENE - Former North Idaho College basketball player and author Ezechiel "Zeke" Bambolo will speak at the NIC Booster Club luncheon noon Tuesday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.

Born in Liberia, Africa, Bambolo came to the United States in 1991 to play basketball at NIC. He continued his education and athletic career at Montana Tech, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business information technology.

Bambolo will talk about his years at NIC as well as his experiences coming to the United States from Africa. He will also have a book signing for his new book, "The Firstborn Son: A Curse, a Gift, or a Calling," which recounts the historical role of the firstborn son for the stability of family, culture and nation in Africa. Bambolo will talk about leaving his family behind because of civil war in Liberia and how he eventually brought them to the United States.

Information: NIC athletics office, 769-3348

Idaho volleyball team adds

four walk-ons to roster

MOSCOW - The Idaho volleyball team will have some fresh faces on its roster when it opens the season on Friday against Butler, as head coach Debbie Buchanan has welcomed four walk-ons to the team.

Christina Johnson, a 5-foot-9 redshirt freshman defensive specialist from Sandpoint High; Meredith Coba, a 5-10 freshman setter from West Salem High in Salem, Ore.; Maranda Andersson, a 5-7 junior setter from The Woodlands, Texas, who played most recently at Galveston (Texas) College, and Amy Westberg, a 5-6 freshman defensive specialist from Moscow High, will don the silver and gold in 2011.

Johnson, who joined the Vandals in the spring, became the first 12-letter varsity athlete in Sandpoint High School history as she competed in volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field for the Bulldogs. She was captain of the volleyball team and earned MVP and all-4A Inland Empire League honors as she helped Sandpoint High to two state championships in her career.

Westberg earned 4A IEL co-MVP honors her senior season.

The four additions join 10 returning letter winners and two redshirt freshmen from Idaho's 2010 squad, which advanced to the Western Athletic Conference semifinals.

Chiefs open camp

with 64 reporting

SPOKANE - The Spokane Chiefs opened their annual fall camp on Thursday morning with 64 players taking part in practices prior to three scrimmages that filled the balance of the day.

Of the 18 veterans on the Chiefs' roster heading into the season, 15 were on the ice with one, Tyler Vanscourt, sitting out due to injury. Dominik Uher and Marek Kalus will not be in Spokane for the weekend due to a delay in the immigration process. The two Czech born forwards are expected to arrive in time for regular practices next Tuesday.

All ice sessions, including the annual Red-White Scrimmage on Sunday at 1 p.m., are free and open to the public. Fans can enter the Spokane Arena through the Chiefs office on the southeast corner of the building.

Zags, Cougs to tip off

ESPN hoops marathon

BRISTOL, Conn. - Gonzaga and Washington State will tip off the fourth consecutive College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon from the McCarthey Athletic Center on Nov. 15, ESPN officials announced Thursday.

The Bulldogs and the Cougars will tip off at 9 p.m. PST on ESPN to begin 19 live match-ups - 17 men's and two women's - across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com.

The schedule will feature Gonzaga and 14 other teams that played in last year's men's NCAA Tournament. ESPN will televise nine consecutive games, tipping off every two hours beginning with the 9 p.m. contest between the Bulldogs and the Cougars.

Gonzaga was a part of last year's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon, hosting San Diego State.