The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference is renowned for being one of the hardest volleyball conferences in all of Division II. The University of Minnesota Duluth and Winona State University found out once again how taxing the conference matches can be. Both clubs hit under .200 for the match and combined for 102 errors in a sloppy, grind-it-out free-for-all.

The Warriors came back to take the final two sets to down the No. 11 Bulldogs (25-23, 19-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-12) in the conference opener Thursday night inside the McCown Gymnasium in Winona, Minn. UMD (7-1, 0-1 NSIC) had its seven-match winning streak to begin the season come to an end while Winona State (7-3, 1-0 NSIC) captured its third straight victory.

Sophomore middle blocker Madeline Guetzkow and the Warriors' Sidney Paulsen each had 13 kills to lead their respective squads. Sophomore outside hitter Paige Decker was the other player to record double-digit kills, posting 11 on 24 attacks. Senior libero Kaylyn Madison notched her first 30-dig performance of the season, leading the Bulldogs, while freshman Ava Jones led all players with 25 assists for the first night in her young career. After previously recording a personal best in digs last match, graduate outside hitter Cianna Selbitschka one-upped herself with 28 digs in the loss and sophomore middle blocker Kylie Broten rejected a team-high four Warrior attacks.

Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Mary Satori saw an uptick in playing time and thumped home her first kill since the 2022 season after spending all of last year sidelined with an injury. Satori, the native of Manitowoc, Wis., also scooped up 10 digs in the contest, tying her career high, to go along with her pair of kills.

For the match, Winona State outhit UMD .122-.077, had more kills (52-45) and more blocks (14-11). The Bulldogs mustered more digs (95-91) and more aces (6-3). Offensely it was a rare off night for UMD as it hit a set-high .229 in the second. The Bulldogs, who hit over the .300-mark in six of the first seven matches, came into tonight's match hitting .334 for the season, the fourth best percentage in Division II. Head coach Jim Boos tried using different lineups, different hitters, different approaches late to turn the tide but the Warriors stifled the Bulldogs for their fifth win ever in school history over the maroon-and-gold.

The Bulldogs return to action for their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 21 versus No. 10 Concordia University, St. Paul. First serve from Romano Gymnasium is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.