MInnesota Sports Briefs: No. 10 ranked U volleyball tops Wisconsin

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The tenth-ranked University of Minnesota volleyball team won a mid-week match against rival Wisconsin last night in Minneapolis.

The straight set win came at the U of M Sports Pavilion and pushed the Golden Gopher season record to 16-4 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten Conference. The Gophers next entertain No. 17 Purdue on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

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There's a chance U-of-M Gopher forward Trevor Mbakwe could be going to jail. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports a Miami judge scheduled a probation violation hearing for Friday morning. Mbakwe is on probation in Florida after pleading guilty to a 2009 charge of felony assault -- but last month he was also convicted of DWI in Minnesota, and last year he violated a restraining order by posting a message on his ex-girlfriend's Facebook page. The newspaper reports the judge could extend Mbakwe's probation period instead of sending him to jail.

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Several injured University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football players are hoping to heal up in time for Saturday's road game against rival Wisconsin. Quarterback MarQueis Gray, left tackle Ed Olson, defensive tackle Roland Johnson, receivers Devin Crawford-Tufts, Isaac Fruechte and Marcus Jones are all questionable. Safety Derrick Wells missed some of last week's game with a laceration on his leg, but is expected to play this Saturday. Kickoff for Saturday is 11 a.m. in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier urged fans yesterday to be sure to make a lot of noise during Sunday's home game against the Cardinals. Frazier says a loud stadium helps the Vikings by creating problems for the opposing team's offense. He says his team will do all it can to make it exciting for the fans, but he wants them to help out. He says "we're hoping the place is packed to the rafters." The 4-2 Vikes entertain the 4-2 Cardinals for a noon game on Sunday.

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The San Francisco 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks tonight in a key NFC West battle at Candlestick Park. Both teams come in at 4-2, tied with Arizona atop the division. The 49ers are looking to bounce back from a 26-3 home loss to the Giants. Alex Smith had his worst game of the season, throwing three interceptions without a touchdown. The 49ers have won the last three against Seattle.

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The NHL and the Players' Association are set to meet again today in Toronto to discuss the league's latest labor proposal. The NHL presented a new offer to the union on Tuesday, proposing a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue over a six-year deal, with a mutual option for a seventh year. The latest offer is contingent on an 82-game regular season that would begin November 2nd.

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Canterbury Park in Shakopee says it will ask the Minnesota Racing Commission to operate live horse races on 68 days in 2013. A 68-day season would be the longest since 2007, when 68 live events were help at the track. The requested 2013 season would begin in mid-May and run through mid-September and add six days to the 62-day slate from 2012. The track will submit the request later today, but a vote by the commission won't come until next month.

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Saint Paul officials have decided to put a new $52-million-dollar Saints ballpark out for bids. It comes after the Taxpayers League sued, claiming the city violated the law by awarding a contract to Ryan Companies. League President Phil Krinkie appears pleased, but adds they'll be watching to make sure the process is public and transparent. Mayor Chris Coleman says they will ask for bids from design/build firms "in the interest of transparency." City officials initially said there was no need to solicit bids because the new Saints ballpark is being built under the same legislation that established Target Field.

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The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Giants 3-1 in Game Three of the NLCS last night. The defending World Series champion Cards now hold a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series. St. Louis will host Game Four at 7 p.m. tonight.

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Game Four of the ALCS between the Yankees and Tigers never came to fruition as the game was postponed last night by rain. The two clubs will try again at 3 p.m. today in Motown. CC Sabathia and Max Scherzer are still slated to start. Detroit leads the series 3-0.

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Lance Armstrong is stepping down from his role as chairman of Livestrong. He said in a statement that it has been a "great privilege" to help people affected by cancer since creating the foundation in 1996. Nike dropped Armstrong shortly after the announcement.

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