Last Friday, Oct. 11, the Winona State University Volleyball team pulled through with a 3-2 win against Minnesota State University Moorhead after a long match that lasted five sets, the first three being neck and neck. However, the Warriors dominated offensively in the final two sets, resulting in their win.
The first set was full of consistent battles causing the score to remain often tied, but the Moorhead Dragons rallied together and took the first set 20-25. Like the previous, the second set was once again a back-and-forth battle between the evenly fighting teams. Nevertheless, the Warriors fought till the end and won the second set 25-21. The even fight continued again into the third set, as the match was now tied overall at 1-1. Winona State maintained a strong defense, especially graduate student, Lydia Lange, who led with her multiple blocks. The score eventually tied at 20-20 where Moorhead used their momentum to take the third set and the lead at 22-25. Despite this, the Warriors came out of the locker room after the third set with their eyes set on a comeback.
With the start of the fourth set, the Warriors’ change in play was quite evident. They dominated the first few points and began the set with a lead. The Dragons eventually saw points come their way, but Winona State defense kept it to a minimum. Overall, the Warriors commanded the set, winning 25-15 and were ready for the fifth and final set of the night.
Headed into the tie-breaking set, Winona State kept their fire lit and showed how badly they wanted this Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) win against the Dragons. The many kills coming from left and right from Second-years, Quinn Robak and Jayda Berg, led the Warriors to a 9-4 lead. They continued this offensive-heavy run and eventually won the last set at 15-5.
There were many possible key factors to how the Warriors dominated the final two sets and won aside from the team’s determination to win. A few of them include Head Coach, Joe Getzin, and his coaching style as well as the intensity of the crowd at Friday night’s match.
Joe Getzin has a long history of coaching women’s volleyball. Before his time at Winona State, Getzin coached NCAA Division I volleyball at Ole Miss for twelve seasons. Getzin has been coaching the Warriors for over a decade and has led them through many amazing seasons. Although the head coach has quite a reputation, he knows the performance of the team is primarily in the hands of his players.
“It’s really not about me, it’s more about the team and how they respond,” Getzin explained. “This is a great bunch of young ladies, and I love working with them. They’ve done a great job responding.”
Along with this, Getzin also prioritizes the mental health of his players. He recognizes the importance of an athlete’s mentality and how this goes together with one’s athletic ability.
“We’re working a lot on the mental side. We’re dealing with our mistakes in a better way, so that we can come back on the next play,” Getzin emphasized.
Fourth-year defensive specialist Kylie Welch has spent many years with Getzin and fully believes that his coaching creates quite a positive environment for the team.
“[Coach Getzin] is really pushing us in practice, and we use that as a challenge, but we’re all really close, and we are family,” Welch said.
The intensity of the crowd in the Warrior stands also heavily impacts how the volleyball team performs. Being supported by a crowd drives the team’s thirst for winning and makes the match even more enjoyable.
“The students’ attendance makes a huge difference. Anytime they can come out and support the Warriors it’s greatly appreciated,” Getzin explained.
Many of the students in the stands feel the same way and enjoy being a part of such a supportive crowd.
“Tonight’s crowd makes the volleyball match so much more entertaining,” Trinity Johnson, a second-year student majoring in marketing, explained while in the stands. “All of the cheering and loud music makes this a fun experience for me and my friends.”
Winona State now has a 5-4 record in the NSIC after another success the following day against Northern State University. Next match, they travel to Marshall, Minnesota where they will be facing Southwest Minnesota State on Oct. 18.
