Box Score
Mankato, Minn. – The University of Minnesota, Morris volleyball team scored a 3-0 win over Bethany Lutheran today (Oct. 8), winning their fourth straight to move back over the .500 mark.
In a tightly contested match, the Cougars took the three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-21 and 25-23. The Cougars hit a combined .252 in the match, with the Vikings not far behind at .237.
In the first set, the Cougars were actually out hit by the Vikings, as Bethany Lutheran knocked down 15 kills while making just three errors and had a percentage of .364. Conversely, Minnesota Morris hit only .308, but still got the opening win.
The Cougars also overcame better numbers by the Vikings up front to win the deciding third set, as their .167 mark was slightly below the .241 put up by Bethany Lutheran. Despite the stat disparity, the Cougars had enough for the two point win, to take their fourth straight match.
Megan Theis (Shakopee, Minn.) and Kaylie Clark (Garden Plains, Neb.) each led the way for the Cougars, finishing with 12 and 11 kills respectively.
For Clark it ties as the second best mark of her young career, and just the sixth time she has been in double digits. In those 11 kills, she hit a game high .381 making just three errors in 21 attempts. She also added eight digs to her stat line, tying with three others for the team high.
Theis, meanwhile, continues her current tear, notching double-digit kills for the fifth straight match. The team leader, this also marks her 12th time overall on the season notching 10 or more as well as her fourth best mark of the year.
Setter Natalie Thomas (Champlin, Minn.) dished out 38 assists, as six different players charted an attack. In one of her best marks of the season for a three-set match, Thomas also was among the dig leaders with eight on the night.
The Cougars now move to 11-10 on the year and 4-2 in UMAC play, while Bethany Luther falls to 6-11 on the season and 2-4 in conference play.
Now UMM must take on Martin Luther, who sports an identical 4-2 conference record. The first serve for the Cougars and Knights is set for 1:00 p.m. on Oct. 9.
