WINONA, Minn. – The No. 13-ranked Winona State University volleyball team gathered on campus Monday night in hopes of hearing their name announced as part of the 2017 NCAA DII Volleyball National Championship field as the tournament bracket was announced live.
There was a sense of anxiousness, but optimism in the room, as the Warriors were safely inside the Central Region bubble at No. 7 for each of the last three weeks after amassing a 21-win season in the most challenging conference in the country.
However, Winona's desire to reach the tournament in back-to-back years, and just the second time in program history, was snuffed out as the Central Region bracket was revealed in its entirety without mention of the Warriors.
Winona State was ranked inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 every week during the 2017 campaign, reaching as high as No. 5 in the preseason and never falling below No. 17. WSU steadily rose one spot in each of the final three weeks of the season, and moved from No. 14 to 13 on Monday prior to the tournament announcement.
In total, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) had seven teams ranked in the Top 25 of yesterday's AVCA poll, but only four were granted tournament berths with a chance at this year national championship in the 64-team tournament field.
The Warriors were one of the hottest teams in the conference at the conclusion of the regular season, having compiled a season-long seven match winning streak to the finish line, including four victories over Top 25 foes. Winona lost a grueling five-set match at No. 6 Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the NSIC tournament which proved to be the Warriors' final match of the year.
Senior Maria Fruechte floored a career-best 19 kills in that match.
Winona State (21-8, 15-5 NSIC) successfully posted its third straight 20-win season for just the second time in program history, having done so for the first time since 1986-88. It marked just the 10th 20-win season overall, three of which have come under current head coach Joe Getzin who's been at the helm for just four short years.
The 2017 senior class will go down as one of the most decorated in program history. Winona graduates Fruechte, Lauren Kudronowicz, McKenna Larsen, Meghan Seymour and Danielle Rampart. The four-year members of that class compiled a career 87-32 (57-23 NSIC) record at WSU and each have their place in the Warrior record book.
Kurdonowicz concludes her career ranked seventh all-time in block assists (237), 11th in solo blocks (40) and 14th in kills (865). Her .344 hitting percentage in 2016 ranks third all-time for a single season.
Larsen, Winona's first-ever NCAA All-American in 2016, ranks second all-time in career assists (4,399) and is seventh in service aces (136). Her .347 hitting percentage as a sophomore in 2015 ranks second on the single-season leaderboard.
Rampart closes her career ranked third all-time in kills (1,347) and 11th in digs (1,300). She is just the fourth player in program history to record at least 1,300 kills and digs.
Junior Maria Wrage set a new single-season record with her .357 attacking percentage this year.
