MORRIS, Minn. - After a comeback win on Friday night, the Minnesota-Morris Cougars (19-7, 8-3 UMAC) were be back at it on Saturday morning for a match against the Bethany Lutheran Vikings (5-20, 4-7 UMAC). This would be the final home game of the regular season for the Cougars. Morris finished off their home season with a 25-17, 25-13, 25-16 sweep of the Vikings.
 
The Cougars came out in the first set trying to carry last night's momentum into this morning's game. Morris found themselves down early 11-6, forcing them to take a timeout to try and slow the Vikings down. The timeout would prove to make a difference as the Cougars would fight their way back into the game making it now a 12-11, with Morris losing. UMM eventually gained control of the match and took a lead at 13-12, after Kaylie Clark would get one of her two aces in the set. After taking the lead the Cougars would never look back as they would go up 23-17. After a timeout the
Cougars would come out and finish the first set 25-17.
 
UMM would again find themselves behind early down 4-2, and would look to rally and after a block by Addie Vancura the Cougars would tie the game back up, and eventually take the lead on the next serve. That block would lead to seven straight points for Morris, making it a 13 to 8. The Cougars then kept adding to their lead and slowly pulled away making it 18-12 at one point. Bethany Lutheran would need to take a timeout to see if they could stop the Cougars at all, with the score at 21-13. The Cougars kept the lead and add four more points to it and take the second set 25-13, and taking a two set lead.
 
In the third set the Cougars were once again be down early in the match, but UMM found a way again back into it, after being down 6-3 they went on a rally of five straight points to take a 8-6 lead, before the Vikings called a timeout. Morris wouldn't look back either, as they would extend that two point lead to eight, making it 15-7 before the Vikings were forced to use their final timeout of the set. Even a timeout couldn't slow the Cougars down as they would add to the lead making it 20-12. The Cougars would then go on to win the third and final set 25-16.
 
Morris was led by Abby Tietz who had 16 kills, while Emily Auch had 18 digs, and Clark was right behind her with 17 digs as well.
 
The Cougars will be back in action on Tuesday night as they travel to Crown.
 
By Zach Bidwell