MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team was defeated 3-1 (23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 19-25) by Bethany Lutheran College in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon in Morris, Minn.
 
The Vikings improved to 15-9 overall and 7-3 in the UMAC, while the Cougars fell to 12-11 and 6-5 in the conference. UMM will finish in fourth place in the standings.
 
Bella Nelson recorded the first UMM kill of the match for the team's second point of set one. Lexi Coon followed with a kill that found the back corner of the court. The Vikings began to gain separation early, going up 9-5. Anna Molstad connected on an attack to spark a UMM rally that leveled the set. The next eight points were traded back and forth. A kill from Mary Cate Ziembiec put the Cougars back in front, but a 7–1 run by the Vikings gave them their largest lead at five. Minnesota Morris closed the gap by scoring six of the next seven points, including an ace from Clara Holden. The set was tied 23-23, but BLC claimed the final two points to win 25-23.
 
Bethany Lutheran opened set two with an early 8-2 advantage. The Cougars fought back, pulling within two thanks to a kill from Ziembiec and an ace from Coon. UMM strung together five straight points to take its first lead of the set, highlighted by a kill from Ziembiec, a block by Tori Scheler and Ziembiec, and an ace from Payton Merth. The lead shifted back to BLC after a five-point run that put the Vikings ahead 22-18. The Cougars pulled within one but ultimately dropped the set 25-23.
 
Merth tallied the first UMM kill of the third set. After a Bethany Lutheran service error, the Cougars built a six-point edge with six consecutive points, highlighted by two kills from Ziembiec and two aces from Allison Dornseif. Ziembiec sparked another short run that Scheler capped off. A block by Braxtyn Meyer and Nelson down the stretch put UMM ahead 19-10. Minnesota Morris continued to roll, with Meyer scoring off the serve and Ziembiec adding the final two points of the set for a 25-14 win.
 
The opening point of set four came on a kill from Meyer off a setup by Holden. The Cougars carried momentum from the third set, jumping out to a 7-2 lead with kills from Nelson, Dornseif, and Meyer. The next two points came from blocks by Ziembiec, Scheler, and Meyer. Bethany Lutheran responded, taking a 10-9 lead. A five-point rally extended the margin. Meyer and Molstad recorded kills to help UMM pull within two, but the Vikings answered with five straight points to create a seven-point cushion. Kills from Ziembiec and Merth were not enough to close the gap, and the Vikings secured the match with a 25-19 win in the fourth.

Ziembiec posted a match-high 17 kills while hitting .289 to lead the Cougar offense. Meyer followed with five kills, while Molstad and Nelson added four each. Holden led the team with 21 assists, and Dornseif added 14. The Cougars had seven service aces, with Dornseif and Meyer recording two apiece.
 
Defensively, Coon tallied a career-high 32 digs. Ziembiec and Merth also reached double figures with 13 and 10, respectively. Minnesota Morris totaled six blocks, with Scheler leading the way with four.
 
The Cougars close out the regular season next week as they travel to the University of Wisconsin–Superior on Nov. 7 for a 7 p.m. start.