WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University volleyball team hosted the third-ranked NCAA Division II program in the country, as Wayne State College brought an unblemished13-0 record into McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court, on Saturday, Sept. 17.
When the dust settled, the Wildcats escaped unscathed, but just barely, as Winona State gave WSC everything they could handle in a 3-1 loss.
Sidney Paulson led the way for the Warrior attack, hitting .220 overall and racking up 15 kills to lead the team. The Jackson, Wis. product also turned in a strong defensive performance, collecting 28 digs and recording three blocks. Joining Paulson on the attacking front was
Madison Larson with 13 kills and
Lydia Lange with 11. Feeding the WSU offense was
Jaci Winchell who had 43 assists in the contest; Winchell also picked up a pair of service aces.
The tightly contested match saw Wayne State win set one 25-21, but the Warriors responded with a emphatic set two victory, 25-17. After the Wildcats claimed the third set, 25-16, the McCown crowd provided energy for Winona State to battle back in set four. The final frame saw the scored tied between the two teams on seven different occasions and featured four lead changes. In the end, Winona State fell just short, dropping set four, 26-24. With the win, Wayne State moved to 14-0 on the year and 4-0 in NSIC play.
Winona State (4-7 overall, 0-4 NSIC) will look to regroup in the upcoming week and prepare to travel to Minot State for a Friday, Sept. 23 contest. WSU will then take on the University of Mary on Saturday, Sept. 24 in the second matchup of an important NSIC weekend.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit:
www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and
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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.
