MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team won its UMAC opener on Tuesday night with a 3-1 (25-5, 25-18, 23-25, 25-14) victory over Crown College. The victory improves the Cougars to 4-8 (1-0 UMAC) on the season.

The first set was over practically before it started. Minnesota Morris had 11 kills on 19 attacks with no errors for a .579 team hitting percentage in the set while Crown was held to -.087 as a team. The lead for the Cougars was 5-2 before they scored 10 straight points for a 15-2 cushion. The Polars finally earned a sideout but that 15-3 score was the closest they would come the rest of the way.

The second set was close early and Crown tied the score at 10-10 before Minnesota Morris scored four straight to take the lead for good. Madeline Monaco and Macey Bosard had two kills each in that four-point run to put the Cougars on top. Though UMN Morris committed eight attack errors in the set, they still slammed down 18 kills for a .256 hitting percentage while the Polars hit .000 as a team.

Things took a turn in the third set as Crown was able to extend the match. Fighting back from a 6-2 deficit, the Polars took the lead at 14-13 and began to pull away. Trailing 24-20, Minnesota Morris tried to rally as Monaco and Sydney Eckhoff combined for a block and Monaco then delivered consecutive aces. However, at 24-23, a serve into the net gave Crown the set and made it 2-1.

Order was restored in the fourth set with Minnesota Morris taking control by winning six out of seven points to extend a 10-9 lead out to 16-10. The Polars simply ran out of gas down the stretch, with the Cougars finishing out the match on a 9-2 run. 

Kills were distributed throughout the team on Tuesday for Minnesota Morris, with Monaco leading the way with eight. Anna Molstad had seven, Laura Wellbrock added six, and Eckhoff, Bosard, Brooke Christensen, Maggie Jones, Sydney Petersen, and Mary Cate Ziembiec each had five. Eckhoff led UMN Morris with 24 assists and tied for the team lead with nine digs. McKenzie Newton added 18 assists and nine digs. Jones had five aces, while Monaco added three more. 

Minnesota Morris is back home on Thursday night at 7 p.m., hosting No. 3 University of Northwestern.