MORRIS, Minn. –  The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team begins Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play this week with three matches. The Cougars will host their home opener on Tuesday against Crown College at 7 p.m., followed by road contests at Bethany Lutheran College on Friday at 7 p.m. and Martin Luther College on Saturday at 1 p.m.
  
The streams can be found on the UMAC Sports Network or by clicking here. To follow the live stats of UMM vs CC click here, to follow live stats of UMM at BLC click here and to follow UMM at MLC click here.
 
Last week, the Cougars competed in the St. Olaf/Carleton Tournament and went 1-1. Their win came in a five-set thriller against Carleton College (14-25, 25-22, 26-24, 19-25, 15-13). Mary Cate Ziembiec led the offense with 11 kills in each match. Clara Holden recorded a career-high 44 assists in the win, while Lexi Coon anchored the defense with 30 digs.
 
Minnesota Morris enters conference play with a 5-6 overall record and was picked to finish third in the UMAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Ziembiec leads the team with 89 kills through 10 matches. Ella Johnson and Bella Nelson follow with 67 and 63 kills, respectively. Holden leads the team in assists (214) and service aces (24).
 
On defense, Coon leads the Cougars with 166 digs, ranking sixth in the UMAC. Ziembiec (112) and Holden (104) have also surpassed the 100-dig mark. At the net, Tori Scheler leads the team with 26 blocks (five solo, 21 assisted), followed by Braxtyn Meyer with 15.
 
Crown enters UMAC play with a 4-6 record. Last week, the Polars went 1-2 at the Faith Volleyball Classic, finishing with a three-set victory over Maranatha Baptist University. Head Coach Celia Blattner is in her fourth season. Delaney Boone leads the attack with 68 kills and a .225 hitting percentage. On defense, Ari Klein (145), Kiana Kendall (125), and Kalah Worm (109) have each surpassed 100 digs.
Bethany Lutheran holds an 8-5 record entering conference play. The Vikings won three matches last week, defeating Buena Vista University (3-1) and sweeping both Luther College and Saint Mary's University. Head Coach Laura Evans is in her third season. Lilly Mehkens leads the UMAC in kills, averaging 3.72 per set with 175 total. Maddie Meyer leads BLC with 27 blocks, followed by Lexiss Trygg with 23.
 
Martin Luther is 1-11 overall and enters UMAC play on a 10-match losing streak, including recent three-set losses to Saint Mary's and Luther. Head Coach Emma Holzhueter is in her fourth season. Lydia Feidt leads the team with 91 kills, while Great Nolte has added 75. Anna Kieselhorst paces the defense with a team-high 135 digs.