WINONA, Minn. --- The Winona State volleyball team battled through three competitive sets on Friday night, sweeping Sioux Falls 27-25, 25-20, 25-22 at McCown Gymnasium.
The Warriors improved to 2-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play with the victory, while the Cougars fell to 4-5 and 0-1. Winona State finished with 43 kills, 40 assists, 35 digs, eight service aces and six blocks.
Abby Ongna led the Warriors with 13 kills while hitting .526, while
Zoe Haan added 12 kills with a .370 hitting percentage.
Gracie Clary contributed seven kills,
Callie Carr added six and
Hailee Peters paced the offense with 18 assists.
Sylvia Marlock added 15 assists, while
Lily Shields anchored the defensive effort with 14 digs.
Winona State overcame an early deficit in the opening set. Sioux Falls built an 18-13 lead before the Warriors chipped away and eventually took a 21-20 advantage after a kill from Adyson Knake. The Cougars answered to tie the set at 24-24, but Ongna and Clary delivered back-to-back kills to give Winona State a 27-25 victory.
The Warriors carried their momentum into the second set, but Sioux Falls stayed within striking distance throughout the early stages. Winona State opened an 18-14 advantage after a service ace from
Ellie Bruns and held a 20-17 lead before the Cougars pulled even at 22-22. Ongna put the Warriors back in front with a kill, and Peters followed with another kill before serving an ace to close out the 25-22 set.
Winona State jumped ahead 8-3 in the third set behind kills from Haan and Clary, along with a service ace from Marlock. Sioux Falls responded with a 6-0 run to tie the set at 9-9, but the Warriors regained control and pushed their lead to 17-11. The Cougars cut the deficit to 23-20, but Carr delivered the final two points for Winona State to secure the 25-22 victory and complete the sweep.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Winona State defeated Sioux Falls 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-22)
- Abby Ongna led Winona State with 13 kills while hitting .526.
- Zoe Haan added 12 kills and hit .370.
- Gracie Clary recorded seven kills.
- Callie Carr finished with six kills.
- Hailee Peters and Sylvia Marlock combined for 33 assists, with Peters recording 18 and Marlock adding 15.
- Lily Shields led the Warriors with 14 digs.
- Winona State finished with 43 kills, 40 assists, eight service aces and six blocks.
- The Warriors hit .195 as a team across the three sets.
NEWS & NOTES
- Winona State improved to 2-5 with a 1-0 record in NSIC Play
- Sioux Falls fell to 4-5 on the season with a 0-1 record in NSIC Play
- USF still leads the all-time series 11-10
- WSU has swept USF in two of the last three meetings
UP NEXT
Winona State will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 12, hosting No. 12 Southwest Minnesota State at 4 p.m.
Stay connected with Winona State University Athletics all season long — follow the Warriors on social media at @WinonaStateATH (X/Instagram), @winonastatewarriors (YouTube), and Winona State Warrior Athletics (Facebook). Catch full schedules, scores and stories at winonastatewarriors.com.
