Box Score ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - After starting their season out in California, the Minnesota Morris volleyball team played its first match in the state of Minnesota against a nationally ranked opponent on the road in Bethel. The Cougars played the No. 12 Royals tight, but the home-standing MIAC school topped the Cougars in straight sets.

UMM jumped out early on Bethel in the first set. A pair of Marissa Ekness kills gave the Cougars a 3-0 lead. The lead swelled to 11-5 after another Ekness strike and a Bethel error. The Royals pulled within 14-13 before a Kathryn Auger kill gave the Cougars a two point lead. From there it was all Bethel as they scored the final 12 points of the set to win 25-15.

The Cougars got another early lead in the second stanza. Kills from Auger, Ekness, and Morgan Miller helped give UMM a 5-2 advantage. That margin would remain at 3 before a Bethel spurt gave them an 11-9 edge. A trio of Ekness kills gave the lead back to the Cougars at 15-13. Just like in the first set, Bethel would go on a sizable run, to take a lead though at 19-15. UMM would pull within one at 20-19, but Bethel closed out the set on a 5-2 run to go up two sets.

Unlike the first two sets, Bethel jumped out to the early lead in the third set and would maintain an edge throughout. The Cougars trailed 19-8 at one point, but would fight back to within 5 at 20-15 with the teams splitting the remaining points down the stretch.

Ekness led the Cougars with 13 kills while Layne Herrmann totaled 27 assists and Katie Reitsma had 20 digs.

Minnesota Morris (2-3) travels back to the Twin Cities area Friday and Saturday to take part in the Augsburg Tournament.