WINONA, Minn. -  The Winona State University volleyball team will take the court against another nationally-ranked opponent this week, as the Warriors host the University of Minnesota Duluth on Wednesday, Sep. 25 at 6 p.m. 

WSU will host the Bulldogs in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court with the opportunity to move up the highly competitive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) ladder.  UMD will arrive in Winona on a two-match losing skid while Winona State is coming off a NSIC sweep last weekend on the road.

Winona State has won two of the last three matchups with Minnesota Duluth claiming a 3-0 victory on Nov. 16, 2019 and a 3-1 win on Oct. 8, 2021, but falling 3-0 on Oct. 7, 2022. 

GAME & FAN INFORMATION 

• Live stats and live video are available at the links above.  

WINONA STATE STORYLINES 

• Winona State is 16-5 overall and 8-4 in the NSIC.

• WSU dropped the 2022 matchup with UMD 3-0 in Duluth. 

• Winona State has a two-match home winning streak against the Bulldogs, beating UMD in both 2019 and 2021. 

•  Rylee Vaughn, Gianna Vollrath, Sidney Paulson and Jaci Winchell all earned All-Tournament honors during the Warriors early season contests at Northern Michigan and Wisconsin Parkside, respectively. 

• WSU was picked ninth in the 2023 NSIC Volleyball Coaches Poll. 

• WSU narrowly missed out on an NSIC postseason bid last fall, finishing ninth with a 12-15 overall mark and 8-12 NSIC record.   

• The Warriors played their first eight matches on the road, racking up a 7-1 record. 

• WSU will feature seniors Rylee Vaughn, Lydia Lange, Sidney Paulson, and Taylor Pagel this season.   

• Sidney Paulson was selected as 2023 WSU's Player to Watch by the NSIC.  

• Two seasons ago, the Warriors qualified for the 2021 NSIC Tournament and the 2021 NCAA Division II postseason, finishing 28-5 overall and 17-3 in league play. 

• Winona State features five freshmen: Sophia Armstrong, Ashlyn Steding, Quinn Robak, Kenna Kornely, and Jayda Berg. WSU also added transfer Leah Mach, a junior from Emporia State University.   

• In his tenth year at Winona State, Getzin had previous stops at Embry Riddle (AZ), Portland and Ole Miss. 

• Heading into 2023, Getzin is No. 1 all-time at Winona State in winning percentage (.682) and second all-time in seasons at the school (9).  

• WSU returns assistant coaches Kristine Fisch, Jackie Kiecker, and Mara Quam to the Warrior sideline this fall. 

Minnesota Duluth STORYLINES 

• The Mustangs enter the match with an overall record of 14-7 overall and NSIC mark of 7-6

• Minnesota Duluth has been ranked as high as No. 10 in the 2023 AVCA NCAA Division II poll and is currenlty 14th.

• UMD lost 3-1 to Minnesota State on Friday, Oct. 20 and 3-0 to No. 2  Concordia, St. Paul on Saturday, Oct. 21. 

• The Bulldogs' Cianna Selbitschka has 272 kills on the season, good for a 3.68 kill/set mark.
• Madison Gordon is averaging 10.61 assists per set for UMD. 
• Head coach Jim Boos has been the coach at Minnesota Duluth since 2002. 

WARRIOR NOTABLES: 

• Earlier this summer, Winona State earned its 17th consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award. 

• WSU's 7-1 start fell just one win short of matching the 8-0 opening run of the 2021 NCAA Tournament Warrior team.  

• Gianna Vollrath is currently 6th in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.348). 

• Sidney Paulson is 10th in the league in kills per set (3.41). 

• Jaci Winchell is 8th in the NSIC in assists per set (9.86). 

• Rylee Vaughn is 8th in the NSIC in digs-per-set (4.57).  

• Paulson is 11th in total points across the league with 283.5 on the year.  

• Head coach Joe Getzin coached assistant coach Jackie Kiecker when Kiecker was a student-athlete at Ole Miss.  

For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.