WINONA, Minn. – No 16 Winona State University concludes the 2019 regular season inside McCown Gymnasium this weekend against No. 9 St. Cloud State on Friday and No. 5 Minnesota Duluth on Saturday.
The Warriors will not only look to avenge losses to both opponents on the road earlier this year, but improve their postseason position with the NSIC Tournament slated for next weekend and the NCAA Regional Selection Show on the horizon. WSU enters the final weekend tied for sixth in the NSIC standings.
Winona State will celebrate Parents Night prior Friday's 6 p.m. match and Senior Day after Saturday's 2 p.m. contest.
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REGIONAL ROUNDUP: Winona State remained No. 10 in this week's NCAA DII Central Region with the final ranking set to be released next week. Ahead of the Warriors from the NSIC are: No. 2 Duluth, No. 3 CSP, No. 4 Northern State, No. 5 SCSU and No. 9 Wayne State. The top eight teams qualifying for the Regional Tournament with automatic bids given to the winners of the NSIC, MIAA and GAC, and the final five spots awarded on an at-large basis.
SCOUTING ST. CLOUD: The Huskies (21-5, 13-5 NSIC) are tied for fourth in the conference standings. SCSU ranks ninth in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.223) and fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.164). In the Huskies' four-set win over WSU, they hit .318, flooring 64 kills for a 16 kills/set average. St. Cloud is among the best in the nation in kills/set (14.32 – 11th) and digs/set (19.04 – 13th). NSIC Libero of the Year, Clara Krenz, ranks ninth in the country in digs/set (5.9). Linsey Rachel ranks ninth in the NSIC in kills/set (3.96) and Phebie Rossi has a team-best .328 attacking percentage. Rossi also leads the way in blocks/set (1.00) for the Huskies who rank fifth in the NSIC in that category (1.98). Winona State has won six of the last seven matchups with SCSU dating back to 2014.
SCOUTING UMD: The Bulldogs travel to No. 21 Upper Iowa on Friday prior to Saturday's season finale in Winona. Duluth (23-3, 16-2 NSIC) enters the weekend with a one-game lead atop the NSIC standings. The Bulldogs lead all Division II teams with 15.26 kill/set and are paced by Kate Berg (4.28), who ranks ninth in the country in kills/set. UMD is fourth in the conference with a .264 hitting percentage and ranks fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.165). The Bulldogs floored 46 kills with a .327 attacking percentage in a sweep of WSU earlier this year. Abby Thor ranks fourth in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.363) and ninth in blocks/set (0.90), while Keena Seiffert is third in digs/set (5.12). Defensively, the Bulldogs rank fifth in the NSIC in digs/set (16.71).
SENIOR DAY: Following Saturday's match, Winona State will honor its lone 2019 senior, Alexis Bass. A four-year member of the Warriors, Bass has been a part of one of the most successful spans in program history. Entering the weekend, WSU has a combined 81-35 (53-25 NSIC) record over the past four seasons and reached the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2016. An excellent leader, and supportive teammate on the court, Bass has also served as the SAAC Vice President this school year.
AWARD SZN: On Thursday, Megan Flom (First Team) and Bre Maloney (Second Team) were named NSIC All-Conference for the first time in their respective careers. Flom, who was a candidate for NSIC Offensive Player of the Year, also become the first player in program history to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for her combined excellence on the court and in the classroom. Flom's career-high .408 hitting percentage ranks second in the NSIC and seventh among all DII players. Maloney, who has set the Warriors to a .264 attacking percentage (13th in the country), ranks fourth in the NSIC in assists/set (10.83), a mark which ranks 24th nationally.
SOPHOMORE STANDOUTS: Second-year players Paige Christopher and Madison Rizner have been a vital part of the Warriors' success this season on a roster that features a great mix of youth and veteran experience. Christopher has floored a career-best 175 kills and ranks second on the team in kills/set (2.73). Rizner is one of the top blockers in the league, ranking third in the NSIC in blocks/set (1.08), while setting career highs in solo blocks (19) and total blocks (100). Offensively, Rizner's career-best 190 kills rank second on the team.
20/20/20/20 VISION: Head coach Joe Getzin has guided WSU to its fourth 20-win season in the past five years, an accomplishment that has only occurred under one other coach in program history when the Warriors did so from 1986-90. Last season, Getzin became the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins at Winona State.
