MORRIS, Minn. – Trailing 4-1 in the fifth set, Head Coach Joe Sussenguth used the majority of his first timeout to refill his water bottle while his Cougar volleyball team worked things out in the huddle. Having rallied from 0-2 down to take the match the distance, the team needed a moment to collect itself more than it needed a tactical overhaul. He wouldn't need a second timeout. Spurred on by a loud home crowd cheering them on, Minnesota Morris rallied past the University of Wisconsin Superior – co-leaders in the UMAC entering the weekend – on Friday night for an electric 3-2 (20-25, 24-26, 26-24, 26-24, 15-7) victory that took the Cougars to 14-9 (9-2 UMAC) on the season and dropped the Yellowjackets out of their share of first place.

Coming in on the heels of a victory over the University of Northwestern that was the first loss for the Eagles in conference play since 2018, the Yellowjackets were rightfully confident and that carried over into a 2-0 lead to start. Tied at 12-12, UW-Superior gradually pulled away to take the first set comfortably. After erasing a five-point deficit in the second set, Minnesota Morris would earn three set points at 24-21 following a block from Madeline Monaco and Mary Cate Ziembiec, only for the Yellowjackets to reel off five straight points to stun the Cougars with a 26- 24 victory and a two-set margin.

Things weren't looking great for Minnesota Morris in the third set, with UW-Superior earning a match point at 24-23. Down to their last chance, a kill from Laura Wellbrock knotted it up at 24- 24, with a Monaco ace suddenly flipping the script and giving the Cougars a set point. Minnesota Morris didn't waste the opportunity, with a Lacie O'Leary kill giving UMN Morris a 26-24 victory and life entering the fourth set.

After withstanding an early 6-2 opening to the fourth from UW-Superior, Minnesota Morris drew level and then overtook the Yellowjackets with a four-point spurt that turned a 16-14 deficit into an 18-16 lead. With the score knotted at 24-24 and the match hanging in the balance, the Cougars used kills from Ziembiec and Wellbrock to take the 26-24 decision and send the match to the fifth.

Minnesota Morris scored the first point of the fifth set, only to see UW-Superior score four in a row and force Sussenguth into a stoppage. The break in action at least slowed the momentum of the Yellowjackets and things swung in favor of the Cougars for good with a six-point run helped along on by two kills from Anna Molstad and two aces from Clara Holden. At 9-7, Minnesota Morris shifted into high gear and scored another six in a row to close out the match. After kills from Wellbrock and Molstad, Tori Scheler and Molstad combined on a block, followed by two more UW-Superior errors and a match-winning block from Scheler and Ziembiec to finish the victory in style.

It was a big night offensively for a number of players, with Molstad and Ziembiec leading the way with 14 kills each. O'Leary finished the night with 11 kills. Wellbrock added a double-double of 13 kills and 22 digs, while setters Sydney Petersen (27 assists, 11 digs) and Holden (27 assists, 14 digs) each made their impact on the match. Defensively, the Cougars were led by Madeline Monaco's eight blocks, while Melanie Monaco chipped in 19 digs.

Minnesota Morris closes out the home portion of its schedule tomorrow morning with a Senior Day match against Northland College beginning at 11 a.m.