WINONA, Minn. --- Winona State Athletics looks ahead to another week of Warrior competition, highlighted by home volleyball and football matchups and the NSIC Cross Country Championships. Here's a look at the week ahead and a recap of last week's action.
This Week's Warrior Athletics Calendar
Volleyball – Friday, Nov. 6 vs. Augustana – 6 p.m. – Winona, Minn.
Men's and Women's Cross Country – Saturday, Nov. 7 at NSIC Championships – 10 a.m. (Men), 11:15 a.m. (Women) – Yankton Trails Park – Sioux Falls, S.D.
Football – Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. UMary – 1 p.m. – Winona, Minn.
Volleyball – Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. Wayne State – 4 p.m. – Winona, Minn.
Weekly Rewind
Football
Winona State fell 21-14 to Sioux Falls on Saturday at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.
Jacob Sampson threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, both to
James Durst, while
Ethan Doucette paced the defense with 14 tackles, a forced fumble and a half-sack. The Warriors held a 7-0 halftime lead before Sioux Falls rallied in the second half.
Women's Basketball
Winona State opened its 2026-27 season at the Hoops in Hawaii Classic, finishing the weekend with a 2-1 record. The Warriors defeated Lubbock Christian 58-54 and Hawaii Pacific 71-56 before falling 64-57 to No. 2 Colorado Mesa in the championship game.
Vivica Bretton led WSU with 15 points against Lubbock Christian, 14 against Hawaii Pacific and 12 against Colorado Mesa.
Men's Basketball
Winona State finished its opening weekend at the Hoops in Hawaii Classic with a 1-2 record. The Warriors opened with a 73-72 overtime loss to Lake Erie before bouncing back with an 83-74 victory over Chaminade, then closed the tournament with a 72-65 setback against St. Edward's.
Ryan Heise led WSU with 17 points against Chaminade, while
Kaiden Space paced the Warriors with 13 points against St. Edward's.
Volleyball
Winona State closed its final road trip of the season with three losses, falling to No. 13 St. Cloud State, Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls.
Abby Ongna and
Zoe Haan each recorded 11 kills against Sioux Falls, while
Hailee Peters finished with 25 assists. The Warriors finished the week 5-19 overall and 4-14 in NSIC play.
Soccer
Winona State closed its 2026 season Thursday with a 4-0 loss to Concordia-St. Paul at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium. The Warriors finished the season 2-14-1 overall and 2-12-1 in NSIC play after concluding their final campaign against the Golden Bears.
SAAC / Community Engagement
Winona State student-athletes collected a record 5,015 pounds of food during the annual Trick or Treat for Cans event on Monday, Oct. 26. The Warriors collected 3,221 pounds of food through door-to-door donations, along with financial contributions equivalent to 1,794 pounds. Donations will benefit Winona Volunteer Services and the Warrior Cupboard, marking the second consecutive year Winona State has set a new collection record.
Women's Cross Country
Winona State junior
Stella Rusch earned her fourth NSIC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week honor of the season following her performance at the Warrior Invitational. Rusch captured her second career individual victory, winning the 6K race in 21:02.50 by nearly 45 seconds while leading the Warriors to the team championship.
Stay connected with Winona State University Athletics throughout the season by following the Warriors on social media at @WinonaStateATH (X/Instagram), @winonastatewarriors (YouTube) and Winona State Warrior Athletics (Facebook). Find schedules, scores and the latest news at winonastatewarriors.com.
