MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team maintained its perfect home record on Saturday with a 3-0 win (25-11, 28-26, 25-11) over Bethany Lutheran College. The Cougars move to 17-6 (9-1 UMAC) and lock up a UMAC Tournament bid with the win and the results of other matches around the conference on Saturday.

A 4-0 start to the first set set the stage for a wire-to-wire victory and a 1-0 lead in the match. Already on top, 14-9, six straight from the Cougars effectively ended any hope Bethany Lutheran had for a comeback. The Cougars held the Vikings to a -.065 hitting percentage in the set while notching 13 kills while on the attack.

The second set was a different story as BLC took a 3-0 lead to start out and proceeded to lead on six separate occasions. Minnesota Morris fought back late in the set from a 23-19 deficit. The rally began with a ball-handling error that was then followed up by two kills from Anna Molstad and another from Mary Cate Ziembiec to knot the score at 23-23. Bethany Lutheran still managed to rally from there and earn set points three times, only for Ziembiec, Molstad, and McKenzie Newton to come up with kills to keep the set going. Tied up at 26-26, an attack error from the Vikings and an ace from Ziembiec sealed the 28-26 win for the Cougars.

The third set was level at 3-3 when it suddenly went downhill for Bethany Lutheran. Eight straight points for Minnesota Morris featuring two kills each from Tori Scheler and Lydia Nash plus a block from the pair opened up an 11-3 advantage and the Cougars never looked back. Errors haunted the Vikings in the set as the visitors managed only three kills and committed eight errors for a -.147 hitting percentage. 

Laura Wellbrock finished with a match-high nine kills and added 12 digs and four aces. Molstad had seven kills and a .538 hitting percentage. Nash collected six kills and both Newton and Scheler added five each. Newton totaled 26 assists on the day. Scheler led Minnesota Morris with five block assists. Ava Brunn led the back line with 17 digs, while Sydney Eckhoff chipped in with 12.

Minnesota Morris makes a weekend trip to Wisconsin on Oct. 27-28 for a pair of matches. First up on Friday night is a 7 p.m. duel with the University of Wisconsin-Superior.