MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State Moorhead volleyball team delivered a dominant performance Saturday afternoon, sweeping Winona State 3-0 (25-9, 25-19, 25-19) inside Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse to close out Homecoming weekend in style.
The Dragons (11-9, 4-7 NSIC) controlled the match from the opening serve, putting together an impressive first set before holding off the Warriors in the final two frames to secure their fourth Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) victory of the season. MSUM's win over the Warriors is the first over Winona State since November 4, 2016.
MSUM came out firing in the opener, overwhelming Winona State with a balanced offensive attack and relentless pressure at the net. The Dragons limited the Warriors to just nine points in the first set, forcing 12 attack errors while committing only two of their own. MSUM hit .208 in the frame to seize early momentum. Moorhead's defense was absolutely dominant in the stanza, scoring five total blocks.
The Dragons continued to roll in the second set, recording 16 kills while hitting an outstanding .382. Ava Wild and Raiah Mandell led the charge offensively as MSUM built on its early advantage and moved within one set of the sweep with a 25-19 victory.
Winona State attempted to extend the match in the third set, but the Dragons had other plans. MSUM tallied 15 kills and hit .323 in the final frame, maintaining control to finish off the three-set triumph, 25-19.
Wild paced the Dragons with nine kills, while Mandell and Maci Martini added eight and six kills, respectively. Leah Laqua also contributed six kills while hitting an impressive .750, providing an efficient presence in the middle of the attack. Laqua also had three total blocks in the match, including two block solos.
Madi Colby orchestrated the offense with 16 assists, while Brooke Gillingham added 13 assists and a pair of service aces. The Dragons also made their presence felt defensively, totaling seven blocks, including four from Mya Pfeifer. Martini and Ellie Keuseman tied for the team lead with nine digs apiece.
As a team, MSUM outhit Winona State .315 to .085, showcasing its offensive efficiency while limiting the Warriors to 29 kills across three sets. The Dragons also held the advantage in service aces (4-1), blocks (7-4) and digs (40-36).
Up Next
MSUM (11-9, 4-7 NSIC) is back to the road for NSIC action next weekend, beginning with a trip to Sioux Falls, S.D. to battle the Coo of USF on Friday at 6 p.m.
