The volleyball community is rallying around Champlin Park coach John Yunker, who is hospitalized for the second time in two weeks because of vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels.
According to a GoFundMe page created Monday to raise money for Yunker's hospital stays, he was brought to Maple Grove Hospital on Dec. 29 with severe shortness of breath and was transferred to North Memorial shortly after while continuing to struggle to breathe.
After four days of being treated for what was originally believed to be pneumonia, Yunker was released but soon had difficulty breathing again. He was readmitted to North Memorial, where a pulmonologist and tests confirmed he had vasculitis.
Yunker is sedated and on a ventilator in hopes that will assist in his recovery. His GoFundMe page has raised more than $33,900 of the stated goal of $75,000.
Yunker recently completed his 12th season as head coach of the Rebels and has led them to five state tournament appearances, highlighted by winning the Class 3A championship in 2018. He was named Class 3A Coach of the Year by the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association in 2018.
JIM PAULSEN
Former baseball coach Branca dies
Lou Branca, who coached baseball at Rochester John Marshall for 20 years and is a member of the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, died Friday.
Branca, who lived in Rochester, was 94. He grew up in South St. Paul, spent two years in the Navy and played two years for the Duluth Dukes in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system before graduating from St. Cloud State.
