The Winona State volleyball team dives into NSIC play this week, traveling to Minnesota State Thursday night for a 7 p.m. match before hosting No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul in the team's home opener Saturday at 4 p.m. in McCown Gymnasium.


ANOTHER HOT START: The Warriors are off to a 6-1 start for the second consecutive year under second-year head coach Joe Getzin.

AN EARLY REMATCH: The Warriors will get a second shot at the Golden Bears Saturday after a hard-fought 3-1 loss two weekends ago on CSP's home floor. The Warriors have not beaten Concordia since Oct. 24, 2000. 

A LOOK AT THE MAVERICKS: The Mavericks have assembled a 6-2 record under first-year coach Lori Rittenhouse-Wollmuth. The Mavericks are receiving seven votes in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. MSU currently ranks fourth in the NSIC in hitting percentage with a .265 mark. The Mavericks are also fourth in the NSIC in opponent hitting percentage, allowing the other team to hit .141. Minnesota State junior Krista Hassing is off to a big start, as she leads the NSIC in kills with 139, an average of 4.96 per game. Haley Fogarty is third in the NSIC in digs at 5.36 per game, while setter Ellie Van De Steeg is sixth in the league with 11.43 assists per set.

A LOOK AT THE GOLDEN BEARS: The third-ranked Golden Bears are off to a 5-2 start this season. Head Coach Brady Starkey is in his 13th season with a record of 406-41, including a 211-9 mark in NSIC play. Concordia saw their record streak of seven straight NCAA National championships come to an end last season but still posted a mark of 27-6 with an 18-2 league record. The Golden Bears are eighth in the NSIC in hitting percentage at .236, while opponents are hitting .173 against CSP. The Golden Bears are second in the league in both assists per game (14.15) and kills per game (14.81). Anna Schlaak is second in the NSIC in kills per game at 4.62 and has 120 on the season. Heather Schiller leads the NSIC in blocks per game at 1.62.

THE ROCKHURST SWEEP: WSU had little trouble at last weekend's four-match Rockhurst Volleyball Classic, sweeping its way through four 3-0 wins over Pittsburg State, McKendree, Christian Brothers and Henderson State.

A HIGH PERCENTAGE: The Warriors currently are third in the NSIC in hitting percentage at a .271 clip, behind only Northern State's .404 and Minnesota Duluth's .279. On the flip side, the Warriors are eighth in the league in opponent hitting percentage, allowing the other teams to hit .165.

TOUGH SERVES: The Warriors are at the top of the league when it comes to aces, serving up an NSIC-best 1.80 per game. As a team, the Warriors have 45 in just 25 sets on the season.

A FIRST UNDER GETZIN: Winona State won their first match versus a ranked opponent during the Joe Getzin era. The Warriors knocked off No. 15 Palm Beach Atlantic 3-2 at the Concordia-St. Paul Tournament. WSU won the first two sets and finished off the Sailfish 15-5 in the final set to come away with the victory. It was Winona State's first win against a ranked opponent since the Warriors defeated No. 15 Wayne State on Oct. 19, 2013 in McCown Gymnasium.

BALANCED ATTACK: In the Warriors' season opening victory against Central Washington, five Warriors recorded double digit kills. Sophomore Danielle Rampart led the way with 19 kills, followed by sophomore Taylor Goar with 13, sophomore transfer Maria Fruechte with 11, and sophomores Lauren Kudronowicz and McKenna Larsen with 10.

TRIPLE DOUBLE: Larsen recorded her first career triple double against No. 15 Palm Beach Atlantic. The sophomore setter recorded 12 kills and 11 digs to go with her 44 assists. Her 12 kills is the most she's recorded in a single match since tallying 13 against Wisconsin-Parkside last season, her first match in her Winona State career.

HANGING WITH THE GOLDEN BEARS: Despite a 3-1 loss, the Warriors gave No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul a challenging match. Winona State didn't lose a single set by more than four points. Winona State had a lead late in two of the lost sets and held a 14-13 lead in the fourth set before the Golden Bears pulled away. The Warriors will play the Golden Bears again on Sept. 19 as they will host Concordia-St. Paul in McCown Gymnasium in an NSIC conference match.