The No. 19 University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball team won its 12th-consecutive match Saturday afternoon as it swept Winona State, 25-21, 25-11, 25-19, on the road at McCown Gymnasium. The victory moved the Bulldogs to 16-1 overall and 9-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play, while the Warriors fell to 2-13 overall and 1-8 in league action. UMD is one of only two teams, along with No. 2 Wayne State, that remains undefeated in NSIC play.
One day after posting its most service aces in 21 years, UMD once again posted double-digit service aces with 10 against WSU.
Madeline Guetzkow led the team with three service aces, while
Ella Chandler,
Georgia Koscielak and
Madison Reed each added two.
Brietta Tims, who ranks second in the NSIC in aces per set, tallied one in the match.
Guetzkow paced the team with 11 kills and had three block assists and six digs. Paige Deck hit .667 with 10 kills and three total blocks, while
Elyse Karrels hit .583 with eight kills and a match-best five block assists.
Ava Jones distributed 34 assists to help the Bulldogs hit .315 as a team, which included a .455 clip in the second set. UMD also had 40 kills, 39 assists, 34 digs and nine total blocks, while holding the Warriors to a .138 hitting percentage, 29 kills, 28 assists, 28 digs and three total blocks.
The first set remained close through the first 34 points, but a kill from
Xada Johnson sparked a 5-0 run to put the Bulldogs ahead, 22-17. The run included back-to-back service aces from Chandler and kills from Jones and Decker. The Warriors pulled within two points, 23-21, but a kill from Karrels and an error by WSU closed out the set. Guetzkow hit .750 with six kills in the opening stanza.
UMD went ahead 6-1 early in the second set and never relinquished its lead, going on to win 25-11. The Bulldogs had six service aces and four total blocks in the set, while Decker led the squad with four kills on .667 hitting. The team posted a .455 hitting percentage with 11 kills and only one attack error and posted a .910 sideout percentage in the set.
The Bulldogs trailed early in the third set, 12-11, following a 5-0 run from WSU, but out of its timeout UMD rattled off six-straight points to regain the lead 16-12. A kill from
Karsyn Winchell extended its lead to five points, 21-16, and forced the Warriors to take a timeout. Kills from Decker and Tims and a block from Tims and Karrels made up the 3-0 run that wrapped the set and the match.
The 16-1 start to the season is the best for the Maroon and Gold since 2022, when it started the season 19-1.
The Bulldogs return to the friendly confines of Romano Gymnasium Oct. 9-10 for Homecoming/Alumni Weekend. They will host Minnesota State Friday at 6 p.m., before facing No. 15 St. Cloud State Saturday at 4 p.m.
