NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team split its matches at the St. Olaf/Carleton Tournament on Friday night, falling 3-0 (15-25, 21-25, 14-25) to Wartburg College before defeating Carleton College 3-2 (14-25, 25-22, 26-24, 19-25, 15-13).
 
In the opener against Wartburg, Clara Holden set up Tori Scheler for the first point of the match. The Cougars and Knights traded early points with Bella Nelson and Ella Johnson tallying kills. Mary Cate Ziembiec sparked a three-point run, capped off by a Holden service ace. However, Wartburg responded with an 8-1 run to take control. Anna Molstad ended the run, but the Knights scored the next five points to extend their lead and ultimately took the first set, 25-15.
 
Ziembiec recorded the first Cougar kill in the second set to even the score at 5-5. Back-to-back attacking errors by Wartburg gave UMM a two-point lead, but the Knights answered with a five-point run to regain control. Their lead grew to 15-10 before a four-point Cougar rally, featuring a Johnson kill and a Lexi Coon ace, closed the gap. UMM continued to battle, pulling within 23-21 with kills from Ziembiec, Scheler, and Nelson, but couldn't complete the comeback, falling 25-21.
 
Early in the third set, Ziembiec registered a kill and Allison Dornseif added a service ace. Wartburg then went on an eight-point run to take a commanding lead. Ziembiec broke the streak with a kill assisted by Dornseif. Though Nelson and Scheler landed kills, the Knights extended their lead to double digits. The Cougars went on a late four-point run but ultimately dropped the set, 25-14.
 
Ziembiec led the Cougar offense with 11 kills, while Nelson and Scheler each had five. Holden totaled 13 assists, followed by Dornseif with nine. UMM served four aces, one each from Dornseif, Ziembiec, Coon, and Holden. Defensively, Coon tallied a team-high 13 digs. The Cougars recorded four blocks, with Johnson, Scheler, and Braxtyn Meyer each contributing two.
 
In the second match of the day, Nelson scored the first two Cougar points with a kill and an ace. Carleton went on a four-point run, including three aces, to gain an early advantage. Despite efforts from Payton Merth, Nelson, and Scheler, the Cougars couldn't rally and dropped the first set, 25-14.
 
The Cougars started strong in set two, jumping out to a 3-1 lead with kills from Ziembiec and Merth. Holden and Scheler added successful attacks to extend the lead to four. A 4-1 run from UMM, highlighted by a Meyer kill and Nelson ace, pushed the lead to five. Though Carleton cut the deficit to one, UMM responded with back-to-back points to go up 18-15. Each time Carleton got close, the Cougars answered, and Merth sealed the set with a kill from Holden to win 25-22.
 
Set three was tightly contested. UMM took an early 7-4 lead, aided by Carleton errors. Nelson delivered the first Cougar kill at 11-7, followed by Ziembiec two points later. Carleton tied it at 14-14, but Meyer responded with a kill, and Rocky Menesini-Baden followed with an ace to regain the lead. The set was tied again at 18-18 and 19-19 before Holden's back-to-back service points gave UMM a 21-19 edge. A Scheler kill made it 22-20. Though Carleton briefly led at 24-23, the Cougars closed on a three-point run, featuring an Ashley Rogers ace and Merth kill, to win 26-24.
 
Set four opened evenly, with Merth, Molstad, and Scheler each contributing kills. A Carleton run put them up 14-11, but UMM answered with a five-point surge, including kills from Scheler and Molstad and a Merth block, to take the lead. The Knights regained control late, however, and closed on a five-point rally to win 25-19.
 
In the deciding fifth set, Carleton led early, 4-1. UMM answered with five straight points—capped by a Coon ace—to take a 6-4 lead. The teams traded points, with Holden keeping UMM ahead with a kill. Carleton briefly retook the lead at 11-10, but a Knight error tied it, and a Holden ace put UMM ahead again. Scheler and Ziembiec combined for a block to make it 13-11. Scheler brought the Cougars to match point with her 10th kill, then sealed the 15-13 win one point later.
 
Ziembiec again led the attack with 11 kills, while Merth and Scheler each notched season highs with 10. Holden had a career-best 44 assists and led the team with four of UMM's nine service aces. Ziembiec and Coon paced the defense with 21 and 19 digs, respectively—Ziembiec's a career high and Coon's fifth match with 19 digs this season. At the net, UMM recorded five blocks, with Scheler and Ziembiec posting a team-high two.
 
The Cougars have their home opener on Sept. 23 as they host Crown College to start Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play.