John DiSalle / Winonan

The No.6 Winona State University volleyball team had one weekend to make the final push to a higher ranking before entering post-season play.

This weekend the Warriors hosted St. Cloud State University on Friday, Nov. 11 and University of Minnesota Duluth the following day. All season, the Warriors had played their regular season games in Talbot Gymnasium because their home of McCown Gymnasium was under renovations.

On Friday, the Warriors re-opened the doors to McCown Gymnasium with a 3-2 (24-26, 25-18, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12) victory over the Huskies.

Even though the Warriors came out on top in this contest, they recorded 28 total errors and an attack percentage of .180.

In the first set, the Warriors and Huskies were tied at eight points. Then, the Warriors brought the score up to 21-16. The Huskies started their comeback bid and eventually took the first set over the Warriors, 24-26.

After hitting a .258 attack percentage behind 11 kills, Winona State took the second set 25-18. With the match tied at one set a piece, St. Cloud came out of the locker and regained the lead with a third set victory of 25-19.

With an upset brewing in the newly renovated McCown Gymnasium, the Warriors had to keep fighting for a Friday night victory. In a tightly contested fourth set, both teams were tied at 16, before the Warriors won the set 25-21.

In a fifth winner-take-all set, Winona State ended St. Cloud’s upset by winning the final set 15-12. This victory would move the Warriors to a 25-3 overall record and a 16-3 record in the NSIC.

On Saturday, Winona State honored their lone senior Jamie Cairncross during Senior Day against the No. 2 Duluth Bulldogs.

Head coach Joe Getzin said, “[Jamie] is a leader on and off the court. Our defense has gotten us out of a lot of situations over the years. She will be sorely missed.”

“Winona State Athletics is a great program to be involved in,” said senior libero Cairncross. “Volleyball has truly shaped me into who I am now.”

The Warriors lost in straight sets to the Bulldogs by scores of 25-14, 25-13, 25-21.

Offense for the Warriors posed an issue in Saturday’s match as they hit a .036 attack percentage. In the first set of the contest, the Bulldogs hit a demanding attack percentage of .484 along with 18 kills to cruise to a first-set victory 25-14 in the night.

Along with a stellar offense, the defense of Duluth had a strong showing as they held the Warriors to a -.107 attack percentage in the contest.

Junior Taylor Goar would record her 1,000th kill for her volleyball career during this set. The Bulldogs took the second set 25-13.

The Warriors were motivated exiting the locker room and jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead. After the demanding lead, the Bulldogs rallied back to tie the score at 10. Another late run towards the end of the set sealed the deal for the Bulldogs to sweep the Warriors 25-21.

In response to the game, Getzin said, “We have to move forward. We know how we can play, we just have to go out and do that.”

The Warriors will look towards the post-season now as they will start NSIC Tournament play on Wednesday, Nov. 16 in the first round against Augustana University.

NSIC All-Conference Honors were announced on Thursday, Nov. 10. The Warriors had five players who received honors: junior Taylor Goar, junior McKenna Larsen and junior Danielle Rampart were all named First Team. Cairncross and junior Lauren Kudronowicz were named Second Team.

The Warriors finished off regular season games with a fifth-place standing as they enter the NSIC Tournament.

-By John DiSalle