MARSHALL, Minn. – The No. 15 ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (20-4, 14-3 NSIC) earned a 3-0 sweep over Winona State (5-18, 4-13 NSIC) on Friday evening inside the PE Gym, winning by set scores of 25-15, 25-17 and 25-19.
Friday's match was celebrated as Senior Night for the Mustangs, honoring both Mya Krystosek and Ashley Peltier for their contributions to SMSU volleyball.
Friday's match also marked the 20th win of the Mustangs season. SMSU has now won 20 or more matches in six straight seasons, and 22 of the last 23 seasons.
Natalie Pilney led the Mustangs offensively with nine kills while hitting .500. Krystosek and Lindsay Kruse each added seven kills, while Peltier contributed six kills.
Ashlynn Schroeder paced the Mustang defense with 24 digs, while Tatem Schmidt directed the offense with 21 assists. Sydney Thein added 19 assists, while Paige Steinmetz contributed eight digs. Kruse led SMSU with four total blocks.
As a team, SMSU hit .281 (47-15-114), recording five service aces, 53 digs and seven total blocks. Winona State hit .120 (32-19-108), with Abby Ongna leading the Warriors with 10 kills.
The Mustangs took control of the opening set early, building an 8-6 advantage before extending their lead with a strong stretch of play. SMSU moved ahead 12-9 and continued to build momentum, pushing the margin to 21-13. The Mustangs maintained their advantage through the closing points, finishing the set with a 25-15 victory to take a 1-0 match lead.
SMSU carried its momentum into the second set, quickly building a 7-2 lead. The Mustangs continued to apply pressure, extending the advantage to 11-3 before Winona State worked to close the gap. SMSU maintained control through the middle portion of the set and moved ahead 20-12. The Warriors responded with a late push, but the Mustangs closed out the set 25-17 to take a 2-0 lead.
The third set featured a closer opening stretch, with the teams trading points before SMSU began to create separation. The Mustangs moved ahead 9-4 and continued to extend their lead, reaching a 13-8 advantage. Winona State worked to narrow the deficit, but SMSU maintained its control and moved ahead 19-14. The Mustangs closed out the match by winning six of the final 11 points, securing a 25-19 victory and completing the sweep.
The Mustangs continue their final regular season home weekend on Saturday, hosting Concordia-St. Paul at 3 p.m. inside the PE Gym.
