WINONA, Minn. — Winona State volleyball battled No. 15 St. Cloud State from start to finish on Tuesday night at McCown Gymnasium, but the Warriors ultimately fell to the Huskies in a five-set NSIC matchup, 3-2 (20-25, 25-9, 19-25, 25-12, 15-13).
Winona State came out aggressively in the opening set, hitting .289 as a team while collecting 17 kills. The Warriors built enough separation to take the opener 25-20 and grab an early 1-0 advantage.
St. Cloud State responded in the second set, hitting .400 and limiting the Warriors to just four kills. The Huskies evened the match with a 25-9 win.
The Warriors regained their momentum in the third. Winona State recorded 14 kills while hitting .256, controlling the set throughout and closing the set 25-19 to move within one set of the match victory.
St. Cloud State again answered in the fourth set, using an 11-kill, .219 hitting performance to force a fifth set with a 25-12 victory.
The final set featured the tight finish expected from a five-set match. Winona State produced eight kills while hitting .286, but St. Cloud State made enough plays late to claim the deciding set 15-13 and escape with the match.
Checking the Box Score:
- Outside hitter Abby Ongna led the Warriors offensively with 18 kills, while also contributing two service aces and 19 digs for a strong all-around performance.
- Middle blocker Maddie Brown provided a presence at the net with five blocks.
- Winona State's offense was directed by Hailee Peters, who finished with 34 assists.
- As a team, Winona State finished with 172 attacks, 50 kills, 23 errors, hitting .157 for the match. St. Cloud State recorded 181 attacks, 61 kills and hit .204.
News and Notes
- The loss moves Winona State to 2-11 overall and 1-6 in NSIC play
- St. Cloud State improved to 10-5 overall and 4-3 in conference action.
- St. Cloud's series record against Winona State is now 38-18.
- The game marked Winona State's first five set match this season.
Up Next
Winona State will host Bemidji State on Friday, Oct. 3 at 6:00 p.m.
Stay connected with Winona State University Athletics all season long by following 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.
