WINONA, Minn. - The No. 12 ranked Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team (7-2, 1-1 NSIC) recorded its first conference victory of 2026 over Winona State (2-6, 1-1 NSIC) on Saturday afternoon at McCown Gymnasium, winning by set scores of 25-12, 25-19, 19-25 and 25-14.
(STATS LIKELY TO CHANGE)
Leah Jones led SMSU offensively with 16 kills while hitting .389, while Mollie Rupp added 11 kills and hit .346. Mya Krystosek recorded 10 kills and hit .333, with Lindsay Kruse contributing nine kills while hitting a team-best .471.
Tatem Schmidt directed the SMSU offense with 24 assists and also collected a team-high 16 digs. Sydney Thein added 17 assists and six digs, while Ashlynn Schroeder finished with 14 digs. Paige Steinmetz contributed 11 digs and three aces.
The Mustangs finished the match hitting .317 as a team (60-9-161). The Warriors, led in kills by Abby Ongna with 18, hit .231 in the match (52-16-156).Â
SMSU controlled the opening set from the start, jumping to a 5-1 lead before extending the advantage to 10-5 and 14-6. The Mustangs then pushed their lead to 20-8 before closing the set 25-12. Rupp recorded multiple early kills, while Jones, Krystosek and Peltier also contributed offensively during the opening-set victory.
The second set remained close early before SMSU created separation. After Winona State tied the score at 3-3, the Mustangs scored four straight points to take a 7-3 lead. SMSU later led 22-14 before the Warriors rallied to within 23-19. The Mustangs answered with the final two points, including a service ace from Kennedy Drake, to take the set 25-19 and a 2-0 match lead.
Winona State responded in the third set, overcoming an early 5-2 SMSU advantage. The Warriors moved in front 10-8 and continued to build their lead, pushing ahead 20-15. Winona State reached set point at 24-17 and eventually claimed the set 25-19 to cut the SMSU lead to 2-1.
SMSU quickly regained control in the fourth set, taking an early 4-1 lead. SMSU then used a 5-0 run to move ahead 9-3, highlighted by a Sydney Thein service ace and a block from Jones and Kruse. The Mustangs extended the margin to 18-10 before closing the match on a 5-1 run. Josie Pundt recorded the final kill to give SMSU a 25-14 victory and the 3-1 match win.
The Mustangs return to action next week for their home debut against St. Cloud State on Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m., followed by a match against Minnesota State the next day at 2 p.m.
