Bison volleyball player Lopez out for season, remains hospitalized with lacerated liver

NDSU setter Jennifer Lopez was still hospitalized Monday after suffering a lacerated liver during Saturday's match.Carrie Snyder / The Forum

By Jeff Kolpack

September 20, 2010 at 11:00 PM

The first impression was that Jennifer Lopez got the wind knocked out of her in a collision with a teammate last Saturday. Upon further review, North Dakota State's volleyball season got a punch in the gut.

Head coach Erich Hinterstocker said Monday that his star setter's injury was worse than previously thought - a Grade 3 lacerated liver - and the junior will miss the rest of the season. Lopez was still hospitalized Monday, but was expected to be released today.

"It's obviously a big blow to our team," Hinterstocker said. "Jennifer has been an important part of our program for three years."

Lacerations to the liver are graded from 1 to 5, with five being the worst. Hinterstocker said Lopez was up and walking for the first time on Monday.

"She's in good spirits," he said. "She's pretty sore and hasn't been able to eat a whole lot, but her spirits are good and the team spirits are good."

Lopez starred at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton in high school before joining the Bison. Her older sister Kelly also played volleyball at NDSU through her senior season last year.

Hinterstocker said it's uncertain if Lopez will qualify for a hardship season. Her recovery includes two to three months of inactivity.

Her loss means redshirt freshman Jordan Kissman will take over as the setter. The transfer from Georgia Tech sat out last season with the Yellowjackets.

The Bison hit the road Thursday for a weekend trip to Oral Roberts, Centenary College and Central Arkansas. ORU and Centenary are Summit League matches, where NDSU has won 40 straight in the regular season. Central Arkansas, a member of the Southland Conference, has won 19 straight at home.

ORU is tied for second in the league at 3-1, just behind NDSU's 3-0. Without Lopez, NDSU may slightly adjust its offensive attack, and this weekend will be the first test.

Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack can be heard on the Saturday Morning Sports Show, 9-11 a.m. on WDAY-AM (970). He can be reached at (701) 241-5546.

Kolpack's NDSU media blog can be found at www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.