SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The eighth-ranked and second-seeded Warriors open the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Volleyball Tournament against seventh-seeded Upper Iowa at noon today, Nov. 18 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Winona State (26-3, 17-3 NSIC) set a program record with 17 conference wins this season, earning them a second-place finish in the NSIC during the regular season.
WSU's first round opponent, Upper Iowa (20-9, 13-7 NSIC), is the seventh seed in the tournament after finishing in a four-way tie for fifth in the conference.
The Warriors and Peacocks faced off on Oct. 28 in Fayette, Iowa and Winona State won the match 3-1 after dropping the opening set. A balanced attack offensively, in which four Warriors recorded nine or more kills, helped WSU defeat UIU (22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-17).
Winona State is led by NSIC Player of the Year,
Megan Flom, who has been a nightmare to other teams hitting at a percentage of .429 and averaging 3.96 kills per set in the conference.
NSIC First Team All-Conference honorees,
Bre Maloney and
Becca Pagel, have been equally as impressive. Maloney has orchestrated a high-powered and effective offense this season, averaging 11.39 assists per set within NSIC play. Pagel has been instrumental for the Warriors defense as she averages a league-leading 5.25 digs per set.
Madison Rizner earned NSIC Second Team All-Conference accolades for her astounding play at the middle hitter position.
Sidney Paulson and
Madison Larson have shown off their cannons from the right side and outside throughout the season, providing a balanced attack for the Warriors as they lead the conference in team kills.
The winner of today's match will take on either third-seeded Concordia-St. Paul or sixth-seeded Augustana in the semifinals. The semifinal round will be on Friday, Nov. 19 at 4:30pm and the championship match will be Saturday, Nov. 20 at 3pm. All matches are held at the Sanford Pentagon.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit:
www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and
@WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words:
Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
