WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University volleyball team - ranked #11 in the current American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll - hits the road this weekend for two matches and the opportunity to extend an impressive winning streak.
The Warriors (12-1 / 4-1 NSIC) have won their last four matches, three of which have been on the road and will face the University of Minnesota Crookston (1-9 / 0-5 NSIC) on Friday, Oct. 1 and Bemidji State University (0-13 / 0-5 NSIC) on Saturday, Oct. 2.
For Minnesota Crookston, the Golden Eagles are led offensively by Lauren Wallace, with 82 total kills on the year. Layne Whaley is tops for the team in digs with 74, while Mara Weisnesel has 20 blocks so far this season. Winona State will look to build on their recent success over UMC, having won the last ten meetings between the two teams. The Warriors are set to start at 6pm in Crookston.
Bemidji State has Anna Averkamp pacing the Beaver attack, with 112 kills on the year. Defensively, BSU has Rylie Bjerklie with 24 blocks this season and are led by Madison Weyker in digs with a season total of 167. Winona State and Bemidji State will start at 5pm on Saturday.
As NCAA Division II volleyball teams head into the heart of their conference schedules, the Warriors are found in several top 50 statistical categories.
Bre Maloney is third nationally in assists per set at 11.64 and a major factor in the Warriors' 10th place mark as a team with 13.33 assists per set.
Megan Flom is fourth in the country with a .461 hitting percentage. As team, Winona State's 14.76 kills per set mark is fifth-best overall. Defensively,
Becca Pagel is 44th in the NCAA Division II ranks with 5.02 digs per set mark.
Within the NSIC, Winona State leads several categories including owning the best team hitting percentage in the league at .292. Defensively, WSU has held opponents to a .123 hitting percentage, also tops in the NSIC. The Warriors also are averaging 13.33 assist per set, and 17.36 digs per set, the top NSIC average in both categories, respectively.
Individually,
Megan Flom and
Madison Rizner are No. 1 and No. 2 in hitting percentage across the NSIC at .461 and .407. Flom is also second in kills per set at 4.26.
Bre Maloney leads the league in helpers, averaging 11.64 assists per set while
Becca Pagel is second in digs per set at 5.02 in NSIC play.
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.
