Every year, homecoming is a huge deal on campus, warranting many events. No matter the team, all Winona State University sports feel the weight of homecoming pushing them to win their games. On Oct. 25, 2025, Warrior women’s volleyball won their game in a clean sweep against the University of Mary Marauders 3-0.
“Home court is always so fun. All the families are in town, especially for homecoming. We have alumni, friends, family, [and] the energy is always so important [to games],” Abby Ongna, second year outside hitter said.
Homecoming events are often used to hype up teams. In the morning of Oct. 25, there was a parade to pump up the football game day. Unfortunately, due to the timing of their game, the women’s volleyball team was unable to attend the morning parade; they had to find their own ways to celebrate.
“We got together this morning and had breakfast as a team. Normally, for home games we eat team meals with our families, but it was super awesome and so nice for them to provide,” Ongna explained.
Despite feeling the weight of homecoming on their shoulders, the Warriors still managed to pull out ahead of the Marauders, winning all three sets. The first match started with an error by the Warriors, awarding the Marauders the first point. The Warriors led the rest of the set, struggling with the Marauder’s outside cross-shots.
“We were blocking line, and they got me a bunch cross,” third-year setter, Ashlyn Steding, said.
The Warriors started losing their six-point lead in the middle of the match, going from 19-13, to 19-18. The Marauders bench was jumping with joy and chanting for their team, hoping for a big comeback. The Warriors had other plans, the Warriors adjusted their tactics, starting to change up their blocking. The Warriors won the set 25-23.
“It’s such a relief when you know you must adapt and it goes your way. Adapting doesn’t always go your way, so it’s an incredible feeling when it pays off,” Steding explained.
The Warriors started out their second set with a lead of at least five points for much of the game. Unfortunately, much like the first match, the Marauders started closing the gap. The Warriors called a timeout at 22-20, all huddling around the coach for advice. Later, the Warriors won the match 25-21.
“We’ve been talking a lot about leaning in on each other when we’re struggling; when things aren’t going our way, we’ve done a really good job pushing through that in our games and in practice,” Steding said.
The last set kept the Warrior’s momentum, being the cleanest set yet and ending at 25-16. At one point in the set, the Warriors were leading by nine points, the largest gap yet. The Warriors felt the game was going so well, they used many of their subs to help younger players gain experience during the last set.
“When I was on the sidelines it was like watching the future of our team. It was really cool to see,” Steding said.
Overall, the Warriors played their best and wowed the crowd with an incredible homecoming game. The women’s volleyball team greatly contributed to boosting the school spirit. The Warrior’s clean sweep over the Marauders ignited hearts with Winona State pride.
“I’m super happy; I think it was a great weekend for us, and I couldn’t have asked for a better home game,” Ongna said.
