Winona State University volleyball team’s undefeated streak was stopped just before the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) week will start. But they finished 7-1 in the pre-conference which is a big boost for their confidence at NSIC games.
Winona State had all their matches at Kenosha, Wis. They had two matches on Sept. 8, 2023. The first was against Westminster College (Utah), and the second one was against the University of Wisconsin Parkside.
On Sept. 9, they played against Truman State University in the morning. On the same day, they played against Purdue Northwest which was the only loss for them for the week.
The match against Westminster (Utah) was one-sided for Winona State as they won the first three sets 25-21, 25-20 and 25-19. This match had an interesting deadlock position twice. In the first and second set, they were tied at 18-18.
Captain Sidney Paulson played outstandingly on the Warrior side. She made eleven kills, one ace, two blocks, and one assist. As a captain, she always prefers to grow as a team and bring out the potential of everyone.
“This team has great communication and energy. For it being this early in the season, we have been adjusting well to one another and have been working great together,” Paulson said “The five freshmen have adapted and fit right in, which is always nice. I am excited to see how much more we can grow as a team.”
With the win against Westminster (Utah), Winona State set a new record, having defeated three teams this year on their first meeting of the program.
In the second match of the day, the Warriors dominated against UW-Parkside in the first set where they finished at 25-17. The Rangers tried to get hold of the game on the second set but failed with an end score of 25-21 for Winona State.
Things were looking like the Warriors would repeat the match they had in the morning, but the Rangers held tight in the third set, finishing it at 25-22. However, the Warriors did not take long to recover, which gave them the win for this game.
Gianna Vollrath from the Warrior side had a fascinating performance with nineteen kills, two aces, and three blocks. Her main role in the team is outside hitter, where she shines the best.
Overall, the day was on the side of Winona State as they finished their sixth match undefeated.
The very next day, the first set against Truman State resulted in an unfortunate loss. It being the first time the two teams had played against one another in the NCAA Division II league, the team had to buckle down on their strategies.
Head coach Joe Getzin was well aware of this situation, and he wanted to focus on his side of the net.
“Any team we face this weekend could upset us, as it is early in the season,” Getzin said. “We are focused on our side of the net and taking care of ourselves.”
After the first set Winona State came back strong against Truman State University. They won the next three sets, which led them to an overall victory.
In the final match of the week, Winona State was against Purdue Northwest. This is the match where their undefeated streak would end. Fifteen kills from Taylor Pagel and thirteen from Paulson could not save the match from them either.
Purdue Northwest took the lead in the match from the beginning. In the first two sets, they won 25-19 and 25-23. At that moment, it seemed like the match was out of hands for Winona State and there was no way to recover.
Winona State’s defense specialist Jaci Winchell made nine assists which helped them gain the win in the third set. The fourth set ended in another win for the Warriors as well.
However, their effort was thwarted in the final set, as Purdue Northwest got their last five points in a row and finished the set with a score of 15-12, also claiming the game.
NSIC games will start this upcoming week. This week the Warriors will have their first match at home on Sept. 14 against the University of Sioux Falls.
