DULUTH, Minn. - Winona State volleyball closed out the regular season with a 3-1 victory over (RV) Minnesota Duluth by scores of 22-25, 29-27, 25-21, and 25-13.
With the win, the Warriors earned a sixth-place finish in the NSIC regular season and a berth in the 2024 NSIC Volleyball Tournament. WSU will travel to Wayne State (3 seed) for the first-round contest on Tuesday, November 19 at 6:00pm.
Set One:
UMD scored the first two points of the match and did not look back in the opening frame. Winona State was able to bring the set to a tie at 3-3 and 14-14 but the Warriors were unable to get ahead. The Bulldogs closed out the set with a 25-22 advantage.
Set Two:
The Bulldogs jumped out to commanding 15-3 lead, but a Kenna Kornely kill followed by a Minnesota Duluth hitting error then a Sidney Paulson kill catapulted WSU to a 9-2 run to get back into the set. The Warriors still trailed 19-14 before another 10-3 run gave them two set points. UMD fought off WSU's set points and grabbed one of their own, but Winona State earned a hard-fought 29-27 set victory to tie the match at one apiece.
Set Three:
Winona State used the momentum from the second set to take control of the third frame halfway through and held on for a 25-21 win after Jayda Berg knocked down a kill on an assist from Ashlyn Steding to take the 2-1 match lead.
Set Four:
It was WSU's turn to get a great start as they tallied seven of the set's first eight points and held a commanding lead throughout the entirety of the set. Paulson closed out the match with a kill from the right side to give the Warriors a 25-13 win in the fourth set.
Individual Leaders:
The Warriors finish the regular season with an 18-11 overall record and an 11-7 NSIC record. Winona State will now turn their attention to the first round of 2024 NSIC Volleyball Tournament at Wayne State on Tuesday, November 19.
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