Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MORRIS, Minn. - The Minnesota Morris volleyball squad was back in front of the home crowd her the second straight day at the UMAC Preview. The Cougars picked up one win yesterday and added two more Saturday in a pair of four-set victories over both St. Scholastica and Martin Luther.

The Cougars held a slim two-point edge in the first set against St. Scholastica before a surge led by Marissa Ekness' three kills gave UMM a 19-11 lead. The advantage would continue to grow until Lindsey Markel's kill ended the set 25-14.

Contrary to the first set, the remaining three were tightly contested. The Saints went overtime to even the match with a 28-26 second set win. The Cougars returned the favor with a tight two-point win in Set 3, 25-23. Ekness close out the set with two huge kills.

UMM jumped out to an 8-4 edge in the fourth set before the Saints battled back to tie it at 14. Later, the Cougars used a well-timed five-point spurt to take a 24-18 lead. A service error gave the Cougars the set and the match, 25-20.

Ekness (28 kills), Layne Herrmann (46 assists), and Katie Reitsma (31 digs) led the Cougars in their respective categories.

In their final match of the Preview, Minnesota Morris dropped the first set against Martin Luther 25-23, but rebounded to take the final three sets 25-16, 25-23, 25-17.

Herrmann went on a serving spree to end the second set as her ace ended a seven-point run and the second stanza. In the third set, Martin Luther led 21-20 before the Cougars ended the set on a 5-2 run. A late 9-0 run helped the Cougars take a big late lead en route to the four-set win.

Herrmann had another monster game leading her teammates with 45 assists. Ekness (17), Morgan Miller (12), and Markel (11) led the squad in kills and Ekness, Reitsma, and Lizzie Kaiser were all in double digits in digs.

Minnesota Morris (5-8) remains at home for their contest Friday against Concordia-Minn. at 6 p.m.