Box Score ST PAUL – Minnesota Morris (23-12) fell 3-1 on Saturday night to the Northwestern Eagles (23-12) in the UMAC Championship. The team finishes as the runners up in the UMAC Conference. Kaylie Clark had 29 digs on the night keeping the Cougars alive throughout the match.
 
The match featured 33 ties and 13 lead changes as both teams battled back and forth. Three different players had 10+ kills for UMM. Abby Tietz had 17 kills, Emily Auch had 14 and Alyssa Haugen had 12. Mandy Allman and Tietz each had a double-double. Tietz had 13 digs to go with her 17 kills and Allman had 11 digs and 25 assists. Kayley Siekmann had 18 assists and eight digs.
 
Northwestern lead 10-7 early in the first set but UMM battled to tie the set at 12. Morris held a 17-15 lead and it caused Northwestern to use a timeout. The stoppage of play worked and UNW would tie the set at 20 and then take a 22-21 lead. Morris tried to stop the momentum by using a timeout but the Eagles scored three straight points to take the set 25-22.
 
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the second set. Slowly Minnesota Morris worked themselves back in the set pulling to within three at 21-18. The Cougars would get as close as 22-20 but Northwestern took the set 25-21.
 
Set three was back and forth, featuring 13 ties and six lead changes alone. Leading by two at 15-13 the Cougars tried to take control but UNW scored three straight and took the lead back. That lead did not last long as Morris forced a timeout after taking a 19-17 lead. Northwestern would never lead again in the set and UMM held on for a 25-23 win.
 
The Cougars rode the momentum from the third set to a 12-9 lead in the fourth set. That lead was quickly erased and the Eagles took a 13-12 lead forcing UMM to take a timeout. Morris tied the score at 13 and again at 14 but they could not find a way to take the lead. Northwestern dug in and found a way to take an 18-15 lead and did not look back as they finished the match with a 25-18 win in set four.