MORRIS, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team closed out the home portion of its 2024 schedule with a 3-0 sweep (25-17, 25-15, 25-14) of Northland College on Saturday at James Gremmels Court. Improving to 15-9 (10-2 UMAC), the Cougars keep pace near the top of the conference standings in a tie for second place entering the final weekend of the regular season.

Holding a 10-9 edge midway through the first set, Minnesota Morris took command by winning seven of the next eight points, getting kills from five different players and an ace from Mary Cate Ziembiec along the way. 

The second set was competitive much of the way, but Northland eventually ran out of steam in the late stages. Leading 17-14, the Cougars won eight of the final nine points, helped along by two Ziembiec kills and two Sydney Petersen aces.

A five-point run in the third set spurred by a pair of Lacie O'Leary kills blew things open at 16-9. In the closing stages of the victory, Minnesota Morris notched back-to-back kills – first from the tandem of Anna Molstad and Madeline Monaco, followed by Jada Lego and Tori Scheler. Molstad had the match-clinching kill two points later as the Cougars made quick work of the LumberJills.

Getting contributions up and down the lineup, only two Cougars reached double-figure kills on the day. O'Leary finished with 11 while hitting .625 from the floor. Laura Wellbrock added 10. Petersen had team highs of 25 assists and nine digs. 

Next weekend takes Minnesota Morris to the Twin Cities, wrapping up the regular season with matches at the University of Northwestern and North Central University. First up on Friday night is a date with the Eagles in St. Paul starting at 7 p.m.