MENOMONIE, Wis. - Playing in their final non-conference tilt of the season, the Minnesota Morris volleyball team led 2 sets to 1 at UW-Stout, but the Blue Devils fought back to take the final two sets to hand the Cougars a five-set defeat (22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 11-15).

After losing the first set, the Cougars trailed early in the second before rallying to tie the match. UMM was down by as many as six (13-7), but went on a 12-4 run to take a 19-17 lead. Kills from Layne Herrmann and Morgan Miller helped close out the set with three straight points.

The Cougars used that momentum to take a 15-9 edge in the third set. UWS pulled within two at 20-18, but UMM scored the final three points again to close it out aided by kills from Miller and Mia Frick.

Minnesota Morris led the fourth set 22-21, but the Blue Devils scored four of the final five points to even the match at two sets a piece. The Cougars led 10-6 in the fifth set, but UW-Stout rallied again by scoring nine of the final ten points to take the match from the Cougars.

The Cougars put up impressive numbers in defeat. Herrmann amassed 50 assists and Katie Reitsma recorded 49 digs. She now stands 15 shy of tying the program's all-time digs record of 1,972. Marissa Ekness led with 17 kills and added 10 digs. Rachel Mathias added 14 kills and Miller had 12.

Minnesota Morris (23-7) stays in Wisconsin for a UMAC matchup at UW-Superior Saturday.