MORRIS, Minn. –  The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team will continue their road swing with four matches on the schedule this week.
 
The Cougars begin the week with a 6 p.m. match on Tuesday against Concordia College (Minn.). They will then travel to Houston, Texas, for the First Responders Tournament. UMM opens the tournament on Friday against the host school, the University of St. Thomas (Texas), at 12:15 p.m., followed by a match against Austin College at 4:45 p.m. On Saturday, the Cougars will face Howard Payne University at 12:15 p.m.
  
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Minnesota Morris competed at the Augsburg Tournament last week, finishing 1-1. The win came in a five-set thriller over Augsburg University (25-13, 15-25, 20-25, 25-23, 18-16). Ella Johnson, Mary Cate Ziembiec, and Braxtyn Meyer led UMM's attack, each recording double-digit kills. Defensively, Lexi Coon and Johnson posted 18 digs apiece, while Anna Molstad recorded a match-high five blocks.
 
Johnson leads UMM with 41 kills through five matches, followed by Molstad with 31. Clara Holden and Allison Dornseif have set up the Minnesota Morris offense with Holden totaling 72 assists and Dornseif following with 63. Minnesota Morris leads the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) with an average of 2.61 service aces per set. Meyer and Holden rank among the top five in the conference with 0.61 and 0.56 aces per set, respectively.
 
On defense, Lexi Coon has anchored the back row with 76 digs (4.22 per set), ranking second in the UMAC. Tori Scheler is fourth in the conference in blocks with 15 (three solo, 12 assisted).
 
Concordia College enters the week with a 1-3 record. The Cobbers played one match last week, falling 3-1 to Bethany Lutheran College. Faith Radermacher is in her seventh season as head coach. Mallory Leitner leads the team with 34 kills, followed by Annie Horan with 30. Betsy Schiltz has a team-high 41 digs.
 
St. Thomas is off to a perfect 8-0 start to the 2025 season. Last weekend, the Celts went 4-0 at a tournament in Montgomery, Ala., dropping only three sets in total. Head coach Keanna Burt is in her 12th season with the program. Alexis Bodunrin has already surpassed the 100-kill mark in just eight matches, tallying 103. Carly Lange leads UST with 169 digs.

Austin College enters the tournament with a 5-2 record. Last week, the Kangaroos went 1-2, with their win coming in straight sets over Lyon University. Head coach Ed Garza is in his 30th season at the helm. Rachel Sadler and Selah Coleman lead the attack with 75 and 66 kills, respectively. Madisin Hartsfield leads the team with 26 blocks.

Howard Payne begins the week at 6-2. The Lady Jackets went 2-2 at the Huston-Tillotson University Tournament last week, earning wins over Paul Quinn College and Huston-Tillotson. Nick Noll is serving as the program's interim head coach this season.