WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University volleyball teams hits the road this weekend needing a pair of wins in hopes of climbing up the conference standings as teams enter the final four matches of the 2018 regular season.
The Warriors travel to (RV) Wayne State on Friday for a 6 p.m. tilt followed by a 2 p.m. match on Saturday at the Augustana University.
Winona State (11-13, 8-8 NSIC) is currently on the outside looking into the playoff picture, sitting in a tie for ninth in the conference. Along with St. Cloud, who is tied for ninth, the two teams ahead of the Warriors in an eighth-place tie for the final playoff spot both hold tiebreakers over WSU – Upper Iowa and Minnesota State Mankato.
The Warriors enter the weekend ranked sixth in the NSIC in blocks/set (2.01). Senior Sophie Wilker leads the teams in total blocks (73) and ranks fourth in the league in blocks/set (1.03). Freshman Madison Rizner is close behind with 70 total blocks, including a team-best 13 solo blocks. Rizner ranks fourth on the team in total kills (130) and fellow rookie Paige Christopher is fourth in kills/set (2.40).
Sophomore Megan Floms leads the team in kills (218) and kills/set (3.32), followed by freshman Cori Meyers with 188 kills and 2.86 kills/set. Senior Taylor Goar has floored 166 kills this season and is averaging 3.4 kills/set over her last 12 matches.
Goar enters the final road trip of the regular season ranked fifth all-time in career kills (1,227), ninth in aces (120) and 12th in digs (1,279). She is one of just four players in program history with at least 1,200 digs and kills.
Setter Bre Maloney leads the team with 13 double-doubles (assists/digs) this year. She recorded a career-best 55 assists against Northern State earlier this season and ranks 10th in the NSIC in assists/set (9.93). Maloney is hitting .302 while recording 94 kills.
Libero Becca Pagel leads the team with 332 digs and ranks 12th in the NSIC in digs/set (3.86).
Following the road trip, the Warriors close the regular season at home with Parents Night next Friday vs. Sioux Falls and Senior Day on Saturday vs. No. 12 Southwest Minnesota State.
Scouting Wayne State
The Wildcats (20-6, 11-5 NSIC) have won four straight and are 7-2 at home this season. Wayne State is currently receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches' Poll. Winona State defeated then-No. 18 Wayne State earlier this season, 3-1. Goar (14), Meyers (13), Rizner (11) and Flom (10) combined for 48 of the Warriors' 57 kills while the Wildcats were held to just 37.
Wayne State leads the NSIC in opponent hitting percentage (.137) and blocks/set (2.57), and ranks fifth in digs/set (17.0). Tarrin Beller (1.22) and Jaci Brahmer (1.17) rank first and second, respectively, in the league in blocks/set.
Brahmer leads the Wildcats in attacking percentage (.331). Katie Stephens leads the team in kills (256) and kills/set (2.94). Haley Kauth ranks eighth in the NSIC in digs/set (4.43). Maddie Duffy's 39 service aces rank third in the conference.
Scouting Augustana
The Vikings (10-14, 5-11 NSIC) host Upper Iowa before Saturday's match with Winona State. The Warriors also hold a 3-1 win over Augustana from earlier this season that was part of a 10-match losing streak for the Vikings.
Augustana's .198 team hitting percentage ranks 11th in the league just below Winona State's .201 clip. The Vikings rank sixth in the NSIC in service aces (138) and are seventh in digs/set (16.84).
Courtney Place ranks third in the NSIC in kills/set (4.33) and ranks eighth in aces (33). Kaylea Ahrens is 10th in the conference in digs/set (4.16). Abby Benson has a team-high 61 blocks.
