University of Minnesota Morris Athletics

MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team won its penultimate match of the regular season, defeating Bethany Lutheran College 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-17) in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon in Mankato, Minn.
 
The Cougars improve to 13-10 overall and 8-3 in the UMAC, while the Vikings fall to 4-20 overall and 3-7 in conference play.
 
Natalie Wahl got the match started, scoring the first point on a successful attack. The Cougars began to build their lead with kills from Bella Nelson and Ella Johnson. Tori Scheler scored three of the next four points to push the lead to five. The lead grew to seven after a five-point run by UMM, highlighted by three aces from Nelson. The Cougars won the first set with Wahl scoring the final three points for UMM to give Minnesota Morris a 25-18 victory.
 
The Cougars started the second set by scoring the first four points on a block by Scheler and Nelson and kills from Wahl and Nelson. Minnesota Morris continued to hold the lead as Nelson, Johnson and Scheler all converted on attacks. The Vikings started to cut into the lead, but UMM answered with a four-point run, with Wahl and Braxtyn Meyer adding kills. BLC pulled within two, but Wahl and Nelson scored back-to-back points to regain some separation. The Vikings would eventually draw even at 18-18. The teams traded points until the match was tied at 21-21. The Cougars scored four of the final five points to win the set 25-22, with Scheler scoring the final point.
 
Scheler started the third set the same way she finished the second, scoring off a set from Sella Fleming. Johnson scored on three early attacks to make the score 7-5 in favor of Minnesota Morris. BLC scored four straight points to take a 9-8 lead. The lead changed hands following a block by Scheler and Nelson. A 7-1 run by the Cougars helped create separation, with Nelson capping off the run with a kill. Rachel Bopp scored on a service ace, followed by a kill from Johnson to extend the lead to six. UMM held onto the lead, taking the final set 25-17.
 
As a team, the Cougars hit .219, with their best set coming in the second at .250. Wahl led the attack with 10 kills. Nelson and Johnson followed with nine and eight, respectively. Scheler added seven kills while hitting a team-high .462. Fleming assisted on 32 points. UMM added eight aces, with Nelson recording four.
 
Defensively, Bopp tallied 13 digs, while Wahl also reached double digits with 10. The Cougars had five blocks in the contest. Scheler was part of all five, recording one solo block and four assisted blocks.
 
The Cougars play their final match of the regular season next Saturday as they host the University of Wisconsin-Superior at 1 p.m.