University of Minnesota Morris Athletics

MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team fell 3-0 (19-25, 16-25, 18-25) to (RV) University of Northwestern in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Friday night in Morris, Minn.
 
The Eagles improve to 15-4 overall and 7-0 in conference play, while the Cougars fall to 10-10 overall and 5-3 in the UMAC.
 
The Eagles started the match by scoring four of the first five points. Tori Scheler scored the first point for the Cougars during that stretch, set up by Sella Fleming. Minnesota Morris would even the set at 5-5 after a block by Braxtyn Meyer and Fleming. Another block by Meyer and Natalie Wahl gave UMM its first lead of the set at 7-6. Points continued to be traded, with Bella Nelson and Ella Johnson scoring on attacks. The Cougars scored three consecutive points, capped off by a Meyer kill, to take another lead. Fleming added a kill to put UMM down by one, but the Eagles closed out the set with a 6-1 run to take the opening set, 25-19.
 
A service error gave Minnesota Morris the opening point of the second set. A kill from Scheler, a block by Nelson and Scheler, and an ace from Rachel Bopp added to the early scoring. The Eagles started to pull away, but kills from Wahl, Johnson, and Meyer kept UMM within one. Minnesota Morris tied the set after a four-point run highlighted by kills from Meyer and Fleming and an ace from Meyer. Northwestern went on a 6-1 run to build a five-point lead. Nelson added a kill down the stretch, but it was not enough as UNW took the second set, 25-16.
 
Kills from Johnson and Scheler and a block by Meyer and Nelson gave UMM an early 4-3 lead in the third set. Small runs by the Eagles began to separate them from the Cougars. Nelson scored on an attack set up by Fleming to end a rally, but UNW then scored four unanswered points to take an eight-point lead. A kill from Nelson sparked a four-point UMM run, with Johnson scoring on an attack and Bopp adding a service ace to cut into the lead. Northwestern held on to take the set, 25-18, and win the match.
 
Nelson led the Cougar attack with six kills, while Johnson and Wahl followed with four each. Scheler and Meyer added three kills apiece, and Fleming had two. Fleming set up the offense with 18 assists. The Cougars recorded four aces, with Bopp tallying two and Meyer and Wahl recording one each.
 
Defensively, Fleming and Bopp led the team with eight digs each, while Wahl and Clara Holden followed with seven apiece. UMM recorded five blocks, with Meyer contributing to three of them.
 
The Cougars hit the road tomorrow (Saturday) for a 1 p.m. match against North Central University.