WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University volleyball team gave nationally-ranked St. Cloud State all the Huskies could handle on Saturday, Oct. 28, with the Warriors battling back to force a five-frame match in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
Buoyed by the WSU band and an energetic crowd, Winona State nearly knocked off SCSU, currently ranked 9th in the nation in the latest AVCA DII poll. WSU fell just short in the upset bid, succumbing to the Huskies 3-2.
Key Details: St. Cloud State 3, Winona State 2 (22-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-22, 9-15)
Attendance: 370
How It Happened
The opening set was indicative of how the afternoon would play out in McCown Gymnasium, as the two teams traded points and leads throughout the first frame. A kill by
Gianna Vollrath contributed to a bright start for WSU as they established a 6-1 lead. SCSU slowly chipped away at the Warrior advantage, tying the set at 9-9 and moving into a three-point lead at 17-14. WSU battled back, thanks in part to a pair of assists by
Sidney Paulson and a kill by
Lydia Lange. However, SCSU would eventually claim two of the final three points for a narrow 25-22 set one win over WSU.
In the second stanza, Winona State strung together an impressive run of points, including a five-point strech to claim a 12-7 lead midway through the set.
Rylee Vaughn racked up a service ace and
Taylor Pagel delivered a kill in the momentum-shifting moment for the Warriors. WSU would go on to claim their first set victory of the day at 25-17, with
Kenna Kornely claiming kill off an assist by
Jaci Winchell.
The third set saw SCSU turn the tables on the Warriors, producing a series of point streaks to win 25-21. The Huskies had a slow start with a pair of
Gianna Vollrath kills staking WSU to a 2-1 early lead, but the Huskies reeled off five straight points to take a 10-7 lead and then used a four-point run to reach a 20-14 advantage. Despite a kill by
Jayda Berg, a Kornely service ace, and two late kills by
Lydia Lange, St. Cloud State went on to win set three 25-21.
In the fourth frame, the McCown crowd energized the Warriors, helping WSU see to several small runs and earn a 25-22 win.
Taylor Pagel and
Lydia Lange combined for a handful of kills early on and
Jaci Winchell, normally the provider for her Warrior teammates, racked up a kill of her own midway through the set. After SCSU rallied to tie the set at 22-22,
Lydia Lange helped close out the 25-22 Winona State set victory.
The fifth and final set saw St. Cloud State establish a 11-5 lead early on. The Huskies only allowed one multi-point run for WSU in that time, with
Jayda Berg notching back-to-back kills to tie the set at 2-2, following a SCSU 2-0 lead. The Huskies would go on to win four of the final six points, and despite a kill by
Gianna Vollrath off a
Jaci Winchell assist, Winona State would drop the fifth set 15-9, and the subsequently the match, 3-2.
Statistical Standouts
Taylor Pagel, 12 kills, .455 hitting %, 14.5 points
Kenna Kornely, 11 kills, 10 digs, 12.5 points
Sidney Paulson, 23 digs, six kills
Rylee Vaughn, 23 digs
Jaci Winchell, 39 assists
Beyond the Boxscore
The five-set match was the first time WSU has gone to five sets against a NSIC opponent this year.
WSU won their first two five-set matchups of the season, defeating Michigan Tech and Hillsdale by 3-2 scorelines.
Winona State saw SCSU stretch their win streak over the Warriors to seven consecutive victories.
Up Next
Winona State (16-7, 8-6 NSIC) will host Minnesota State Moorhead and Northern State University for an NSIC weekend on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4. WSU will take on the Dragons at 6 p.m. on Friday and face the Wolves at 4 p.m. on Saturday with both contests occuring in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
