NORTH MANKATO, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Morris Volleyball team took on the Bethany Lutheran College Vikings in their second game of the weekend. The Cougars came away with a 3-2 win, forcing the game to go to the deciding set. Minnesota Morris Volleyball advances to 8-2 in conference play after the victory, with a 13-9 record overall on the season.

The Cougars got the scoring going with a kill from Lacie O'Leary, assisted by Sydney Petersen, and followed that up with a block from Madeline Monaco and O'Leary to earn the first two points of the game. Bethany Lutheran responded by jumping out to a 12-6 lead over Minnesota Morris thanks to a nine-point run. The Cougars closed the scoring gap to 13-19, but remained down. A five point scoring run that was kicked off with a kill from Laura Wellbrock and ended with a kill from Anna Molstad, both assisted by Melanie Monaco brought the Cougars to within one point of the Vikings at 18-19. Unfortunately, Minnesota Morris struggled to keep their offense going and fell in the first set down 19-25.

The second set of the match went point for point to start out, with both teams responding quickly with points. The Cougars took the first true lead of the set with a three point scoring run that featured two attack errors from the Vikings and a block from O'Leary and Tori Scheler. A second three point scoring run with kills from O'Leary, Molstad, and Wellbrock earned Minnesota Morris a 14-10 lead. Continuing to find their momentum on both offense and defense, the Cougars shared the wealth on the floor. Wellbrock, Molstad, Mary Cate Ziembiec, and Madeline Monaco, all assisted by either Clara Holden or Petersen, threw down kills that kept the Cougars in the lead. Wellbrock served up the final point for the Cougars, earning an ace and retiring the set at 25-20.

Minnesota Morris jumped out to a 6-4 lead early in the set from two service aces by Madeline Monaco and a kill from Wellbrock in a five-point run. Bethany Luthern responded with offensive possessions of their own that kept the score close. The Cougars briefly lost their lead late in the set, getting down 16-18. A kill from Scheler, followed by a service ace from Holden and a kill from Wellbrock gave Minnesota Morris the lead back at 19-18. Tied up at 21-21, the Vikings committed three errors and Melanie Monaco served up an ace to wrap up the set with the Cougars up 25-22.

The fourth set of this intense battle started off close, with both teams going back and forth. The Cougars' offense showed their depth, with kills coming from Molstad, Braxtyn Meyer, and Ziembeic, assisted by Holden and Wellbrock respectively. The Vikings established the first significant lead of the game, getting up 12-9 on Minnesota Morris. Ziembiec and O'Leary responded with kills assisted by Petersen to get within one point at 12-13, but the Cougar defense was unable to stop the five point scoring run that followed. O'Leary was able to put one final point on the board for Minnesota Morris, but Bethany Lutheran dominated the set to win 25-14.

In the final set to 15, the Cougars once again showed their depth on offense. Kills in the first five points for Minnesota Morris came from Ziembiec, Wellbrock, Madeline Monaco, and O'Leary. A five point scoring run thrust the Cougars into a 10-4 lead which soon became a 13-8 lead. The final two points for Minnesota Morris to win the set came from a block by Ziembiec and Scheler, and a kill by O'Leary from Petersen to win 15-9.

Wellbrock led the Cougars in kills with eleven on the day. Madeline Monaco and Holden each earned three aces, which O'Leary and Scheler totaled up three blocks each. Petersen assisted 23 kills for Minnesota Morris. Melanie Monaco totaled up twenty digs on the day.

The Cougars will return home for a 7 pm matchup against the University of Wisconsin - Superior Nov. 1.