Abby Plucker

Classroom

Plucker has received several honors for her dedication and commitment in the classroom. In 2010 she was named to the Capital One Academic All-District VII third team and was also the recipient of the NDSU Blue Key National Honor Society’s Prairie Rose Scholarship, which honors one female athlete based on academic, community and athletic achievement. She has been named to the Dean’s List seven consecutive semesters, and maintains a 3.74 GPA Dietetics. Plucker has also been a consistent member of the Summit League Winter/Spring All-Academic team from 2007-2011, and has made the Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence from 2008-2011. After graduation, Plucker plans on receiving her master’s degree in Public Health.

Character

As a fifth-year senior, Plucker will be beginning her fourth year as team captain. As a captain, she believes that it is important to encourage her teammates and push them to be their best. She is a positive role model not only for her teammates, but for the younger girls in the community as well. Plucker has an undeniable passion that she pours into her life both on and off the court. A member of NDSU’s Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) for four years, Plucker has had leadership roles as the SAAC vice president and president. Plucker has also served as the Summit League SAAC vice president the past two years. As a dietetics major, Plucker has also been a member of the Student Dietetic Association (SDA), and she served as vice president in 2009.  A member of the Blue Key National Honor Society and Government Relations in Intercollegiate Affairs (GRIA) Council, Plucker looks to serve the campus, community and state of North Dakota. In 2010, Plucker was one of the keynote speakers at NDSU’s “Walk the Talk” event, which was an event to raise awareness for anti-bullying.

Community

Plucker’s commitment to various organizations, and passion for helping others has given her the opportunity to be extremely involved in the Fargo/Moorhead community. She has been a part of the Roger Maris 61 for 61 Run/Walk for the past five years. This walk helps raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Plucker has also been involved in the YWCA’s “Chocolate Fantasy” and during Halloween, she participates in the Bison Sports Arena’s Halloween Party providing a safe environment for boys and girls to trick or treat. She loves teaching the game of basketball to younger children and has put on basketball clinics with Bison Buddies and at the Rice Family Center in Chicago. Plucker and her teammates have helped raise awareness for Alzheimer’s by participating in the Memory Walk the past two years. Plucker has also volunteered with Energize, a project that goes to local elementary schools and promotes healthy eating and physical activity. In the summer of 2011, as SAAC president, Plucker helped organize volunteers and funds for the North Dakota Special Olympics. NDSU SAAC was able to make a $1,000 donation to the Special Olympics.

Competition

As a junior, Plucker averaged 16 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, becoming the first NDSU player since 1994 to average a double-double. For her efforts, she picked up first-team All-Summit League honors. She finished 30th in the NCAA in rebounding last season. Overall, Plucker has started in 63 of 94 games played and is closing on 1,000 career points. Currently, she is ranked second all-time in defensive rebounds (397, 4.2 avg/g), eighth in three-point field-goal percentage (35.2) and ninth in minutes played (27). Plucker is an alternate to the 2011 Pan American Games team. She will compete internationally on an USA Athletes International (USAAI) Basketball team that will play five games in five different countries from May 27-June 5, 2012, as part of the European Metropolises Tour.