MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team swept North Central University 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-21) in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action Friday night in Morris, Minn.
 
The Cougars improve to 7-6 overall and 3-1 in UMAC play, while the Rams fall to 5-7 overall and 0-3 in the conference. Minnesota Morris is now 2-0 at home.
 
The Cougars struck first with a kill from Ella Johnson, set up by Mary Cate Ziembiec. A seven-point rally for UMM, highlighted by kills from Ziembiec and an ace from Johnson, put the Cougars up 8-2. The Rams began to gain momentum, but a kill from Tori Scheler broke up their run. A pair of Ram kills cut the lead to 14-12, but the Cougars responded by taking 11 of the next 12 points to win set one, 25-13. During the run, Johnson and Clara Holden recorded aces, while Johnson, Ziembiec, and Anna Molstad added kills.
 
Minnesota Morris scored four of the first five points in set two, with Johnson and Ziembiec connecting on attacks. Midway through the set, the Rams went on a four-point run to take an 11-7 lead. The Cougars answered with a four-point rally of their own, featuring a service point from Holden. A kill from Braxtyn Meyer gave UMM a 13-12 lead, and a Johnson ace extended it to two. UMM then scored eight straight points to pull away. Ziembiec added two kills, and Allison Dornseif recorded her first service ace of the match. A kill from Bella Nelson sealed the set at 25-18.
 
An early rally put Minnesota Morris ahead in set three, with Oliviah Lorber, Scheler, and Nelson contributing kills. The Rams refused to go away, leveling the score and trading points until it reached 10-10. Johnson sparked an 8-2 run with a kill, with Ziembiec and Nelson adding to the momentum. The teams continued to trade points down the stretch, but UMM maintained the advantage. Nelson closed the match with a kill off a Holden assist, securing the 25-21 win.
 
Nelson led the Cougars with 10 kills, followed by Ziembiec with nine and Johnson with eight. Holden led the team with 21 assists, while Dornseif added six. The Cougars tallied six service aces, with Johnson accounting for three.
 
Defensively, Lexi Coon led the team with 15 digs, while Johnson and Holden each totaled 12. At the net, the Cougars recorded eight blocks. Ziembiec led with five (two solo, three assisted), and Scheler contributed three assisted blocks.
 
Minnesota Morris returns to action tomorrow (Saturday) as they host (RV) University of Northwestern at 3:30 p.m.