ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team fell 3-0 (10-25, 22-25, 17-25) to the (RV) University of Northwestern in the semifinals of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament on Wednesday night in St. Paul, Minn.
 
The Cougars conclude the 2025 season with a 13-12 overall record and a 7-5 mark in UMAC play.
 
The first set was all Northwestern, as the Eagles jumped out to an early 9-1 lead. Clara Holden recorded the first kill for UMM, followed by back-to-back points from Braxtyn Meyer, including one off the serve. Late in the set, Anna Molstad scored off an assist from Allison Dornseif, and Holden added an ace, but the deficit proved too large as the Cougars dropped the opening set, 25-10.
 
Minnesota Morris started stronger in the second set. Bella Nelson notched an early kill, and Ella Johnson followed with an ace to give the Cougars a quick lead. A kill from Mary Cate Ziembiec and an ace from Meyer extended the advantage before Northwestern rallied to take a 7-5 lead. UMM responded with six straight points, highlighted by kills from Ziembiec and Molstad, blocks from Molstad and Tori Scheler, and capped off with an ace from Ziembiec. The teams traded points until Northwestern pulled ahead late at 20-19. The Eagles reached set point, and although the Cougars scored back-to-back points, Northwestern held on for a 25-22 win.
 
The third set opened with both teams trading points, with Johnson earning the first UMM kill. Meyer sparked a three-point rally with a kill and an ace to give the Cougars an early edge. Neither side gained much separation until a seven-point Northwestern run put the Eagles ahead 18-12. Johnson connected on another attack, and a UNW error cut the lead to four, but five straight points from Northwestern sealed the 25-17 win and the match.
 
Ziembiec led the Cougars with nine kills while hitting .242, followed by Molstad with six kills and a .214 hitting percentage. Nelson added three kills. Dornseif led the team with 10 assists, while Holden added eight. Meyer paced the Cougars at the service line with three of the team's six aces.
 
Defensively, Holden and Lexi Coon each tallied 10 digs, with Payton Merth close behind with nine. At the net, Molstad led with three blocks, while Scheler and Meyer combined for two.