Women’s Volleyball: St. Thomas wins Summit League title to punch ticket to D-1 NCAA Tournament

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The Tommies volleyball team is going dancing.

In its first season of Division-I postseason eligibility, the program became the school’s first to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament by knocking off top-seeded South Dakota State in four sets in the Summit League Tournament title match Tuesday in Brookings, South Dakota.

St. Thomas freshman outside hitter Maddy Benka celebrates with her teammates after the Tommies defeated South Dakota State in the Summit League Tournament championship match in Brookings, South Dakota on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 (Dave Eggen/Inertia)

“We put in so much hard work, and it’s just so cool to see it all pay off. We’ve worked so hard and we all bought in so much and it’s just so awesome,” Senior right side Tezra Rudzitis told the broadcast. “It’s the best feeling in the world. It’s so awesome that I get to do it with so many awesome girls.”

The Tommies fell twice to the Jackrabbits during the regular season, but claimed the first set Tuesday. South Dakota State responded to win the second set, but St. Thomas won the third and fourth.

Leading 24-23 in the fourth set, it was a kill from Addie Schmotzer that sealed the deal for the Tommies.

“We just played so hard tonight,” St. Thomas coach Thanh Pham told the broadcast. “For our girls, it was a battle. We knew what it would come down to, and it was exactly what we thought — just a knock down, drag out fight.”

Rudzitis was dominant for St. Thomas, tallying 22 kills while hitting .327 in the final. Anya Schmidt added 12 kills, while Megan Wetter had 11.

Morgan Kealy was named tournament MVP after she recorded 41 set assists in the final.

NCAA Tournament action begins next week. The Tommies’ seed and regional site will be announced during Sunday’s selection show.

“Beyond excited,” Rudzitis said. “It’s literally a dream for all of us, and we’re all so excited.”

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Minneapolis man gets 38 years for fatal shooting while on the run

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WILLMAR, Minn. — A Minneapolis man was sentenced to prison for more than 38 years stemming from a 2024 crime spree that started with a domestic assault reported at a Lyndale Avenue apartment in South Minneapolis and ended with a fatal shooting outside Willmar in west-central Minnesota.

Ameer Musa Matariyeh, 27, pleaded guilty in August to second-degree murder in the killing of 55-year-old Jerome Skluzacek, of New London. Matariyeh also pleaded guilty to attempted murder of another man from Lake Lillian, whom he shot while fleeing police.

Matariyeh was sentenced Monday in Kandiyohi County District Court to the presumptive prison terms under state sentencing guidelines of 306 months for second-degree murder and 153 months for attempted second-degree murder. The sentences will run consecutively, totaling more than 38 years. He had already served 397 days in jail credited toward the 153-month sentence.

SMALL FILE — MAX. WIDTH FOR PRINT: 1 INCH — Ameer Musa Matariyeh, 25,of Minneapolis was in custody as of Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 at the Kandiyohi County Jail in Willmar, Minn. What started as a Tuesday domestic assault at an apartment building in Minneapolis ended 90 miles west of the metro area in a deadly shooting near Willmar, with another gunshot victim near Lake Lillian. On Wednesday, authorities identified the fatally injured victim as Jerome Skluzacek, 55, of New London. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said in the news release that the injured victim, identified as Peter Mayerchak, 25, of Lake Lillian, was in stable condition and expected to survive. Matariyeh was booked into the Kandiyohi County jail Tuesday and charged with murder and attempted murder on Thursday. Charges are likely pending in Minneapolis as well. (Courtesy of the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office)

Before being sentenced, Matariyeh read a letter of apology when given the opportunity to speak to the court. He apologized to Skluzacek’s family, some of whom observed Monday’s hearing virtually, saying he could not imagine the pain and loss of what they were going through and that he deeply regretted the actions he took that resulted in the man’s death on Oct. 22, 2024.

Matariyeh also apologized to the man he had shot in Lake Lillian, who survived his injuries.

“I thank God that you survived,” Matariyeh said, adding that no one deserved to go through what he put his victims through on that day.

“I hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me,” Matariyeh said, adding that if they could never forgive him, he understood why. “Peace be upon all of you and may his soul rest in peace,” Matariyeh said in reference to Skluzacek.

Matariyeh then apologized to his family, as his father and mother were both in the courtroom in Willmar. He then apologized to his infant daughter for effectively abandoning her as a result of any sentence.

“By the time you understand what I’m saying in this letter, I will have missed the most important years of your life,” he said. “Just know that you did nothing wrong.”

Matariyeh’s lawyer William Walker had submitted Norgaard addendums to Mataryieh’s guilty pleas in August. Norgaard pleas are entered when a defendant asserts a loss of memory of the circumstances surrounding the charged offenses, but agrees that the evidence is sufficient for a jury to find him guilty.

Norgaard pleas have no bearing on sentencing and are adjudicated the same as any other guilty plea. In exchange for Matariyeh’s plea, Kandiyohi County prosecutors agreed to dismiss a felony first-degree assault charge and a felony charge of fleeing police in a motor vehicle.

Walker argued Monday that Matariyeh be sentenced concurrently on the charges, saying his client was “very remorseful” and did not make light of pleading guilty. Walker added that in more than 30 years of practice in various cases, he observed Matariyeh to be the most consumed over taking responsibility for his actions even though he had no clear memory of what he did that day.

“Nothing he can do will erase what happened,” Walker said, adding that there is “no good outcome” as a result of Monday’s sentencing hearing, describing the charged crimes as “heinous” and that the heavy task of determining an appropriate sentence for Matariyeh’s crimes was now up to the court.

In response, First Assistant Kandiyohi County Attorney Kristen Pierce noted that three statements from victims were submitted to Judge Stephen Wentzell for review, though none were read for the record.

She described Matariyeh’s crimes as “senseless,” saying Matariyeh had shot a man in Lake Lillian, whom he had never met, while he was simply outside his home performing routine chores.

She said Matariyeh had told crisis negotiators over the phone, “If I don’t see my daughter, I’m going to kill someone.” Pierce said that after Matariyeh shot the man, who fled inside his home, Matariyeh continued shooting toward him and the home, not knowing the man’s wife was also inside.

Pierce said Matariyeh even told those on the phone that he had just killed someone when he got back into the vehicle and continued fleeing westbound. Thankfully, the man did survive, she said.

Unfortunately, Mr. Matariyeh was successful in his second attempt to kill someone, Pierce said. After law enforcement requested that OnStar vehicle connection services disable the vehicle in which Matariyeh was fleeing, he got out of the car, approached Skluzacek on the Highway 71/23 bypass outside Willmar and shot him.

Skluzacek was a bystander, someone whom Matariyeh did not know, Pierce said. There is no way for anyone to protect themselves from any random attacks such as these, she said.

“What’s most concerning is that even in the presentence investigation, he makes no mention of any of the victims,” Pierce said adding that the presentence investigation also showed that Matariyeh still would become angry when talking about his relationship with his daughter’s mother and “still blamed her for weighing on his mental health.”

Although Wentzell agreed to Pierce’s arguments to deny defense motions for a lesser sentence, he declined to issue the maximum allowable sentences. Wentzell ordered the presumptive terms for each offense, per Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines.

Wentzell said law enforcement officers did everything in their power that day to intervene and yet Matariyeh still persisted in his actions.

According to the criminal complaint, Skluzacek was rear-ended by the vehicle Matariyeh was driving in an apparent carjacking attempt to continue fleeing police. He had been pursued for hours by law enforcement, originally from Minneapolis.

Officers were about 600 feet away from Matariyeh when they saw him shoot Skluzacek in the cabin of his pickup truck. Matariyeh then threw the gun into a ditch along Highway 23, just outside the city of Willmar.

According to the complaint, he then fled on foot, and shortly before he was arrested officers could hear him telling someone on the phone that police were going to kill him and he didn’t want to die.

In Minnesota, convicted offenders must serve at least two-thirds of their sentence in custody before being considered for supervised release of any remaining time. According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Matariyeh will not be eligible for parole for at least another 25 years. Matariyeh’s expected release date from prison is March 25, 2050. His sentence will expire on Jan. 22, 2063.

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Gophers football: Top JUCO receiver Derrick Salley de-commits from the U

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One-third of the Hutchinson Community College trio of commitments to the Gophers football program has altered course.

Receiver Derrick Salley Jr., who 247 Sports considers the top JUCO wideout in the 2026 class, said Tuesday he will de-commit from Minnesota. He pledged to the U after a campus visit earlier this month.

“After thoughtful consideration and conversations with my family, I have decided to de-commit from the University of Minnesota,” Salley wrote on X. “I want to sincerely thank Coach (P.J.) Fleck, the entire coaching staff, and the Minnesota program for their belief in me and the opportunity they have extended!”

The Gophers now have 29 commitments in next year’s class, including two others from Hutchinson, defensive tackle KJ Henson and safety MJ Graham. Those two committed to the U days before Salley.

With the early signing period opening Dec. 3, the Gophers are pursuing another running back and quarterback to add to the class. The exit of Salley could put receiver on the wish list, as well.

Salley, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, has offers from Illinois, Kansas State, Boise State, Oklahoma State and many others.

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Federal judge says immigration officers in Colorado can only arrest those at risk of fleeing

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By COLLEEN SLEVIN

DENVER (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that immigration officers in Colorado can only arrest people without a warrant if they think those people are likely to flee.

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U.S. District Senior Judge R. Brooke Jackson issued the order in a legal challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado and other lawyers.

They’re representing four people, including asylum-seekers, who were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without warrants this year as part of President Donald Trump’s increased immigration enforcement. The lawsuit accuses immigration officers of indiscriminately arresting Latinos to meet enforcement goals without evaluating what’s required to legally detain them.

Jackson said each of those who sued had longstanding ties to their communities and no reasonable officer could have concluded they were likely to flee before getting a warrant to arrest them.

Before arresting anyone without a warrant, immigration officers must have probable cause to believe both that someone is in the country illegally and that they are likely to flee before an arrest warrant can be obtained, under federal law, he said. Jackson also said immigration officers needed to document the reasons for why they are arresting someone.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called it an “activist ruling” and said the department follows the law.

“Allegations that DHS law enforcement engages in ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE,” she said in a statement.

The ruling is similar to one made earlier this year in a case brought by another chapter of the ACLU in California involving arrests by Border Patrol agents. The government has appealed that ruling.

Another judge had also issued a restraining order barring federal agents from stopping people based solely on their race, language, job or location in the Los Angeles area after finding that they were conducting indiscriminate stops. The Supreme Court lifted that order in September.

McLaughlin suggested the government would appeal the Colorado ruling.

“The Supreme Court recently vindicated us on this question elsewhere, and we look forward to further vindication in this case as well,” she said.