With home-court advantage for the first time this season, the Winona State University Women’s Volleyball team rallied from a two-game deficit to forcing a five-game match, only to fall in the final set against the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks in the last set Thursday night, Sept. 6th.

The Mavericks won the first two sets 25-18, and 25-21. Entering into the third set, the Warriors had to push hard to force the game into extra points to avoid getting swept by the Mavericks, ending with a score of 26-24.

Winona kept the momentum going into their fourth set, having their best game of the night. Mankato got the first point of the game, but Winona quickly recovered and would not trail again. The team hit a match-high hitting of .375 in the fourth game.

Going into the fifth set with the match on the line, the Warriors were unable to get ahead. The Mavericks started with a 4-1 lead and did not let up, not allowing Winona to get any closer than that for the rest of the set, taking the win with a score of 15-8.

Sophomore Megan Flom led the team in kills yet again, with 19,

She was followed by first-year players, Cori Meyers with 17, and Paige Christopher with 13.

The Warriors had a short turnaround from the loss against Mankato, heading into a match against the defending national champions, Concordia University, on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The team went on to be swept in three sets against the Golden Bears.

With the losses during the week, the team’s record falls to three wins and seven losses, having yet to win a conference game.

The Warriors have a chance for redemption as they return to conference action at home on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in McCown Gymnasium looking to put an end to their two-game losing streak.*

*At the time that this article was written, the Warriors had not played their Sept.11th game.