MANKATO, Minn. – The Winona State volleyball team dropped a back-and-forth affair in its NSIC opener, falling to Minnesota State in five sets (25-21, 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12) Thursday evening at the Taylor Center in Mankato.

Taylor Goar turned in a fine performance for the Warriors, compiling 21 kills and 15 digs while hitting a solid .300 to earn her fourth double-double of the season.

The match was one of many momentum swings, and the first set was a prime example. With the Mavericks ahead 14-12, the Warriors rattled off four straight points to take a 16-14 lead, but MSU countered with three points of its own to retake the lead. After a WSU point tied it up, the Mavericks went on a 6-0 spurt to take a 23-17 lead and close out the game 25-21.

The Warriors would rebound and have momentum on their side by taking the next two sets. The second set was another tight battle, as neither team led by more than two points after an early 9-6 WSU advantage until back-to-back kills from Goar tied the match at 1-1 with a 25-22 set victory.

Winona State was off offensively to start the third set, committing three attack errors in the first four points to quickly fall behind 4-0, but soon after a 6-0 WSU run put the Warriors up 12-9. Again it was Goar who came up with the clutch offense late in the set, as she closed the door with the team's final three kills for another 25-22 win. The Warriors won the set despite being outhit .308 to .172.

Set four was deadlocked at 15-15 when it appeared the Warriors had taken control of the match with a 4-0 run on kills from Maria Fruechte, Danielle Rampart, Goar and Lauren Kudronowicz to take a 19-15 lead, but WSU couldn't put the Mavericks away as MSU immediately countered with a 4-0 run of its own to tie it at 19 apiece. The teams traded points until 22-22 and were again tied at 23-all, but the final two points went the way of Minnesota State to force the decisive fifth set.

 After a quick 2-0 lead to open the final frame, neither team led by more than a point until an 11-9 advantage for the Mavericks. WSU cut the deficit to one on three occasions afterward, but couldn't even the score and eventually took the match 15-12.

Goar was one of four Warriors to reach double digit kills. Kudronowicz added 12 while hitting a strong .360, while Rampart and Fruechte each tallied 10 kills. Rampart also reached 12 digs for her third double double of the season.

McKenna Larsen came up one kill shy of her second career triple double, finishing with nine kills, 49 assists and 14 digs while hitting .286.

Jamie Cairncross nearly had a double double, digging a team-high 18 balls along with eight assists.

Winona State (6-2, 0-1 NSIC) heads home to prepare for its home opener Saturday at 4 p.m. in a rematch from two weeks ago with No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul in McCown Gymnasium.