The Winona State University volleyball team picked up a pair of wins this weekend on the road against Augustana University and Wayne State University. The team put a pair of losses from last week behind them and came out on top this weekend. They beat Augustana 3-0 and Wayne State 3-1.

“The team responded appropriately in practice and came away with some great road wins this weekend,” head coach Joe Getzin said.

It was a big conference matchup Friday against the Augustana Vikings. Both teams came into the match with 8-5 conference records. In a tightly contested conference, this was an important game for the Warriors.

The first game was tied at 10 when the Warriors started pulling ahead, going on a 15-6 run to win the first game. They had a .312 attacking percentage compared to the Vikings .070 attacking percentage. The Vikings also committed nine attacking errors in the first game, while the Warriors only committed one.

The Warriors were at game-point twice in the second game, yet the Vikings battled back to tie things up at 24-all and extend the set to extra points. More errors by the Vikings gave the Warriors the win in the second game, as well as a 2-0 lead.

The Warriors came out of the break with their best offensive performance of the night to the tune of a .333 attacking percentage and completed the sweep.

Senior Lauren Kudronowicz came out with a strong offensive and defensive performance, recording nine kills and three blocks on the night. First-year Becca Pagel lead the defensive front with 18 digs.

The Warriors did not lose focus on Saturday, Oct. 28 as they continued their road trip to Wayne State, ranked number 20. The Warriors overcame a first game slip to Wayne and won the match by set scores of 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-21.

Attacking errors were the biggest problem for the Warriors that day. They recorded seven in the first game.

They did not dwell on their errors for long, as they came out strong in the second game, recording a .412 attacking percentage and only two errors.

Senior Danielle Rampart recorded 20 kills and 20 digs on the day, it would be her 12th double-double on the season.

“Danielle has been very consistent all year and came out with another great performance Saturday,” Getzin said. “She comes ready to play every game and she gives us a lot of energy every time she’s on the court.”

Senior McKenna Larsen also had a large stat line, recording 18 digs, one ace, ten kills and 48 assists in a dominant defensive performance.

Kudronowicz and junior Jordan Runge held the defensive front with a pair of blocks a piece. Junior Maria Wrage led the defensive front with four blocks along with 15 kills.

After giving up the first game, the Warriors ended the match winning three straight sets to finish the road trip.

After the weekend sweep, Winona State gained some separation from the crowded middle of the NSIC, and now sits in fifth place.

The Warriors will play at home this weekend, taking on Minot State University on Friday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. and University of Mary on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m.