MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team posted its second sweep in as many home matches on Friday night with a 3-0 victory (25-16, 25-11, 25-16) over visiting Northland College. The win improves the Cougars to 9-4 (2-0 UMAC) on the season.

The first set ended up being the closest of the night, but Minnesota Morris felt in command the entire way. Leading 7-6, the Cougars scored four straight on Northland attack errors and eventually took eight of the next nine points to go up, 15-7. The teams mostly traded points from there, which gave UMN Morris plenty of wiggle room to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

The second set was tied at 5-5 before Minnesota Morris scored seven straight and 10 of the next 12 points to go on top, 17-7. Laura Wellbrock and Tori Scheler did much of the damage in the set, but the final two points went to Maggie Jones to finish things off for the 2-0 edge.

Consecutive Lydia Nash aces set the tone early in the third set as Minnesota Morris took a 5-1 lead. The cushion grew throughout the set and peaked at 23-10 before Northland was able to get slightly closer by the end. Kills from Madeline Monaco and Wellbrock ended the night for the Cougars to clinch the sweep.

Wellbrock notched a match-high 14 kills while hitting .429. Scheler added 10 kills with a .625 hitting percentage. McKenzie Newton finished with 31 assists and nine digs. Nash ended with four of the seven aces that the Cougars served up on the night. The back line was led by 12 digs from Sydney Eckhoff and 11 from Ava Brunn.

Minnesota Morris returns to James Gremmels Court tomorrow afternoon for a 1 p.m. start against fellow UMAC unbeaten University of Wisconsin-Superior.