For years, the University of Mary athletic teams thought of ways to defeat Dickinson State...



but today,

they are just thinking of Dickinson State.



A day after learning of the deaths of three DSU softball players,

a number of Marauder members shared their stories.





U-Mary Women's Basketball coach Fred Fridley's family is connected through his brother, Guy,

who is the former softball coach at Dickinson State.



Guy even recruited Kyrstin Gemar and Ashley Neufeld.





"(Guy Fridley:) It is just mind boggling right now and it is a tragic situation and having my brother as a softball coach there last year and having to go through this, I am sure it is an emotional time for him and everybody else on the campus with how close there were with these three young women and the one thing that we have tried to do everyday is here at the beginning of practice is pray for those girls and families. "







Gerice Olson is U-Mary's softball coach...



and even though they are no longer DAC rivals with DSU,

her squad still scrimmages Kristen Fleury's squad.







"(Gerice Olson:) It is just a very terrible situation and obviously, thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends and teammates of the girls and it is just a situation that is very unfortunate and I have tried to put myself in Kristin (Fleury's) shoes and you just have to be strong and knowing that it is a difficult situation for that team and the community. "







Perhaps no one on U-Mary's campus has been more affected than Jenna Button.



She grew up with Afton Williamson and went to high school with her in California,

where they were once teammates.







"(Jenna Button:) It was all just kind of scary at first and you didn't know what to expect and you were just kind of hoping that it was something minor and then, you learn more information and you hear different things and you are just hoping for the best and it was more or less just shocking, that's all you can really say and you can't really answer "







A Volleyball match was scheduled for tonight on DSU's campus,

between the Blue Hawks and Minot State.



It has been cancelled. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list