Winona State ranked 13th inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
The Winona State volleyball team is on a roll, with 2017 resulting in its third straight 20-win season (21-8), which last occurred in 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 with the team for just four years.
The 2017 senior class will also go down as one of the most decorated in program history. Winona graduates Lauren Kudronowicz, McKenna Larsen, and Danielle Rampart – all four-year members – who compiled career records of 87-32 and earned places in the Warrior record book.
Larsen, Winona’s first-ever NCAA All-American in 2016, garnered a Central Region Honorable Mention recognition, as did Rampart, for the 2017 NCAA Division II All-American Team.
Larsen concludes her Warrior career ranked second all-time in assists (4,399) and seventh in service aces (136). She hit .347 as a sophomore in 2015, which ranks second in WSU single-season history. She was named AVCA Division II Player of the Week earlier in 2017 and was a three-time NSIC All-Conference selection in her career, including first team honors in each of the last two seasons.
Rampart concludes her career ranked second all-time in program history in kills (1,347) and 11th in digs (1,300). She is just one of four players in WSU history to reach the 1,300 plateau in both kills and digs.
In 2016, the team arguably had the best season in program history. For the first time, the Warriors qualified for the NCAA Tournament, winning an NCAA Tournament match for the first time ever as well.
At the beginning of the 2017 season, the Warriors were predicted to finish the season in fifth place. At regular season’s end, they were one of the hottest teams in the conference, compiling a season-long seven match winning streak to the finish line, including four victories over Top 25 opponents. They ultimately lost a grueling five-set match to No. 6 Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the NSIC tournament, which proved to be the Warriors’ final match of the year.
Winona State ranked 13th inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association and seventh inside the Central Region, but ultimately did not reach the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive appearance. In total, the NSIC had seven teams ranked in the Top 25 of the AVCA poll, but only four were granted NCAA Tournament berths.
Danielle Rampart
Lauren Kudronowicz
McKenna Larsen
