MORRIS, Minn. –  The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team enters the second week of Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play with a pair of home matches during Homecoming Week. The Cougars will host North Central University at 7 p.m. on Friday, followed by a matchup against (RV) University of Northwestern on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
  
The streams can be found on the UMAC Sports Network or by clicking here. To follow the live stats click here.
 
The Cougars opened UMAC play last week with three matches. In their home opener, Minnesota Morris defeated Crown College 3-1. The team then hit the road for two matches, falling 3-1 to Bethany Lutheran College before bouncing back with a 3-1 win over Martin Luther College.
 
Lexi Coon anchored the defense with 61 digs across the three matches, earning UMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Ella Johnson led the offense with a team-high 32 kills, including a standout performance against MLC where she tallied 14 kills, hit .519, and committed no errors.
 
Mary Cate Ziembiec leads the Cougar offense this season with 119 kills (2.43 kills/set). Johnson follows with 99 kills, while Bella Nelson rounds out the top three with 90. At setter, Clara Holden and Allison Dornseif have split duties, recording 286 and 152 assists respectively. As a team, the Cougars lead the UMAC with 2.39 service aces per set, with Holden ranking second in the conference with 32 total aces.
 
Defensively, Coon leads the team with 227 digs. Ziembiec (160), Holden (140), and Johnson (126) have also surpassed the 100-dig mark this season. At the net, Tori Scheler has been a force with 33 total blocks, ranking sixth in the conference.
 
North Central enters with a 5-6 overall record and is 0-2 in the UMAC. Last week, the Rams fell to the University of Wisconsin-Superior and Northwestern, both by 3-0 scores to start conference play. Jessica Curry is in her first season as head coach. Maggie Kohl leads NCU with 80 kills, while Maci Tripp ranks third in the UMAC with 154 digs.
 
In the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, Northwestern received votes. The Eagles hold a 9-5 record and are 2-0 in conference play. UNW defeated UW-Superior 3-1 and North Central 3-0 last week. In their most recent match, the Eagles earned a 3-1 victory over No. 20 Gustavus Adolphus College. Beth Wilmeth is in her 22nd year as head coach at UNW. Lilly Mehrkens averages 3.81 kills per set, ranking first in the UMAC. Addeson Jenniges and Marley Aune are also conference leaders in assists and blocks, respectively.