Reid Peters/Winonan

The No. 25 Winona State University volleyball team split a pair of home matchups this week, defeating Sioux Falls on Friday and falling against No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday.

This was the second consecutive week the Warriors came in with a national ranking.

“We have the same attitude and approach about every match,” Lauren Kudronowicz said. “We focus on playing our game and our side of the net.”

Sophomore Taylor Goar collected 20 kills to tie a season high and recorded a hitting percentage of .415, also a season-high, as the Warriors swept Sioux Falls 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-15) Friday night in McCown Gymnasium.

Winona State started the first set with a 9-3 lead after kills from Danielle Rampart and Jordan Runge. Six consecutive Warrior points increased the advantage 18-6 before ultimately claiming the 25-10 win.

The Warriors compiled 18 kills on .533 hitting while limiting Sioux Falls to a hitting percentage of .103.

In the second set Winona State raced out to an early advantage, but a 4-0 run by the Cougars put the visitors up 14-11.

Sioux Falls increased their lead to 19-13, but Winona State responded with a 9-0 run of its own, highlighted by six consecutive Cougar errors and three straight kills from Kudronowicz, Goar and McKenna Larsen, paving the way for the 25-15 Warrior win.

After four Cougar errors, Winona State posted an 11-7 lead to start the third set. The Warriors used a 5-0 run to put themselves up 16-9 before Goar cemented the victory with back-to-back kills to cap off the sweep 3-0 with a 25-15 win.

Rampart hit .571, hitting nine of her 14 attacks with one error, while Goar finished with 20 kills and nine digs, narrowly missing her eighth double-double.

Larsen netted her ninth double-double with a game-high 33 assists to add to her 11 digs with a .385 hitting percentage.

The Warriors raced out to an early lead but couldn’t hold on as No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State recorded a 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-19) victory Saturday afternoon in McCown Gymnasium.

Lauren Kudronowicz netted a career-high with 15 kills while hitting .226 with five blocks for the Warrior offense.

“I have confidence in my setter that she will set it to me,” Kudronowicz said. “I just know I have to make plays.”

Winona State started the game with four points in a row, forcing the Mustangs to call an early timeout in the first set.

Southwest responded and remained within two points of the Warriors until a 4-1 run gave the Warriors a 16-12 lead. Winona State remained on top, going up 20-15 before Taylor Goar sealed the opener with a kill for the 25-19 win.

The Warriors had a hitting percentage of .273 in the first set while the Mustangs hit .250 but the Warriors’ hitting percentage fell throughout the next trio of games, hitting .143 in the second set, .047 in the third and -.028 in the fourth.

The Warriors posted leads of 10-7 and 11-8 in the second set after kills from Kudronowicz, but the Mustangs answered with a 6-1 run to retake the lead at 14-12. Winona State brought the lead down to one on three separate occasions, but Southwest ran away with an eventual 25-17 win.

Winona State found itself in a 24-14 deficit in the third set and survived six match points before eventually losing 25-20. The Mustangs ended the fourth set with a 25-17 win and match victory.

Danielle Rampart had a double-double, tallying 11 kills and 12 digs while Goar recorded 12 kills.

McKenna Larsen also posted a double-double, collecting 35 assists and 10 digs while Jamie Cairncross had a match-high 17 digs.

Winona State (8-6, 2-5 NSIC) continues its stretch of home meets next weekend when it faces MSU Moorhead Friday Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. and Northern State Saturday Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. in McCown Gymnasium.