Mavericks in a funk after falling to Winona State

The taste of defeat still lingers in the mouths of The Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks as the volleyball team embarks on their final road trip of the regular season. With the season about to reach its end, many people wonder if the team can build momentum before it’s too late. 

Thursday the Mavericks fell short, losing 3-1 to the Winona State Warriors at the Taylor Center falling to a record of 6-16.

It also comes with the misfortune of being on a three-game losing streak and the second longest after going on a nine-game losing streak earlier this year. 

One thing that did seem to be already hurting the Mavericks early was that junior middle blocker Sophie Tietz was not in action for the game. Instead, the team’s best player had to watch from the sidelines and try to motivate her team in the game. As a result, sophomore Emma Loveall got the nod and started the game in her place. The native of Spirt Lake, Iowa certainly played a huge role in giving the Mavericks thirteen kills and a block in the entire game. However, even for all her heroics on short notice, it wasn’t enough.

“It was a fine night; you can never really be super happy about personal stats after a tough loss. But I just played my hardest and it, unfortunately, was not enough to get the job done tonight,” said Loveall.

It was a tough night as the Mavericks struggled through most of the first set, falling behind early. They led a comeback in the second set to claim it and tie the series as both teams would go back to the locker rooms for the half. Afterward, all the momentum swung in favor of Winona State as they took sets three and four ending the night. 

As Winona State continues an impressive three-game win streak as they move to 12-9, they are still in the hunt for a shot at the postseason. As for the Mavericks, concerns are starting to creep in for the team as they prepare for a four-game road trip that starts against Upper Iowa. However, despite being in a funk, the team still looks to try and finish this season on a positive note and not get distracted about the future.

“Tomorrow is a new day, and we just need to get our mindset right and be ready to take on our next opponent. It’s another big game, and it will be big to knock off another opponent and try to get a win,” said Loveall.

Header Photo: The Minnesota State Volleyball team lost 3-1 against Winona State on Thursday. The team has three games remaining, two of which are at home. (Dylan Engel/The Reporter)

Write to Charlie Groebner at Charles.Groebner@msnu.edu