MORRIS, Minn. –  The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team will host its final two home matches of the regular season this weekend, beginning with Martin Luther College on Friday at 7 p.m. and followed by Bethany Lutheran College on Saturday at noon in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action.
  
The stream can be found on the UMAC Sports Network or by clicking here. To follow the live stats click here.
 
Last week, the Cougars went 2-1 in conference play, starting off with a 3-0 sweep of Crown College. UMM then fell to (RV) University of Northwestern, 3-0, but bounced back to finish the week with another straight-sets road victory against North Central University. Mary Cate Ziembiec led the attack throughout the week with 28 kills. In the win over NCU, the Cougars tallied 15 service aces, with Ella Johnson recording a career-high five.
 
Ziembiec leads the UMM offense with 203 kills, followed by Johnson and Bella Nelson with 140 and 137, respectively. Senior Anna Molstad has added 119 kills, while Tori Scheler has totaled 87 and leads the team with a .277 hitting percentage. Clara Holden has a team-high 417 assists, with Allison Dornseif close behind at 231. The Cougars lead the UMAC in service aces, averaging 2.33 per set, with Holden ranking third in the conference with 43 aces.
 
In her first season with the Cougars, Lexi Coon leads the team in digs with 351, ranking second in the UMAC at 4.44 per set. Ziembiec and Holden follow with 217 and 198 digs, respectively. At the net, Scheler has recorded 45 blocks, placing her in the conference top 10 at 0.59 per set. Braxtyn Meyer is second on the team with 32 blocks.
 
The Knights enter the weekend 3-18 overall and 2-6 in UMAC play. Last week, MLC played four matches, falling in straight sets to Northwestern, Bethany Lutheran, the University of Wisconsin–Superior, and Buena Vista University. Martin Luther is led by head coach Emma Holzhueter, now in her fourth season. Lydia Feidt and Greta Nolte pace the MLC offense with 157 and 129 kills, respectively, while Anna Kieselhorst leads the defense with 230 digs.
 
Bethany Lutheran holds an overall record of 14-9 and stands 6-3 in the conference. Last week, the Vikings went 2-1, defeating Martin Luther and Crown in three sets before falling to UW–Superior in straight sets. Head coach Laura Evans, in her third season, leads the program. Lily Mehrkens has posted a team-leading 302 kills in her sophomore campaign, while Kylie Smidt anchors the defense with 322 digs.