MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team continues its busy schedule with five matches in one week.
 
The Cougars start the week with Upper Midwest Athletic Conference matches, beginning with Crown College on Tuesday at 7 p.m. UMN Morris will then host Bethany Lutheran College at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Minnesota Morris will then compete in the St. Olaf/Carleton Tournament. On Friday, the Cougars face host St. Olaf College at 5 p.m. On Saturday, they play Nebraska Wesleyan University and Simpson College at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
 
To find the links to watch the game and live stats click here.
 
After three classics, the Cougars hold a 5-4 record and started conference play 1-0. Last week, UMN Morris defeated Martin Luther College in its first conference game of the season, 3-0. The following day, UMM fell to undefeated Buena Vista University 3-0 and Concordia College (Minn.) 3-2. Over the weekend, Bella Nelson led the attack with 30 kills, Sella Fleming totaled 101 assists, and Ella Johnson had 41 digs and seven blocks.
 
Johnson and Nelson lead the team this season with 90 kills each, averaging 2.5 per set. Natalie Wahl is one kill behind the duo. Braxtyn Meyer and Tori Scheler round out the top five with 63 and 52, respectively. Fleming has set up the attack with 303 assists and has added 27 kills. From the service line, the Cougars have recorded 56 aces, with Meyer leading the team with 14.
 
Defensively, Rachel Bopp paces UMM with 165 digs, averaging 4.58 per set. Johnson is right behind her with 142, and Fleming is about to crack triple digits with 96. At the net, Scheler has recorded 21 blocks. Meyer, Nelson, and Johnson all have double-digit blocks.
 
Crown has started the season 5-4 and is 1-0 in the UMAC. Last week, the Polars went 1-1, falling to Carleton College 3-0 before defeating North Central University 3-0. Head coach Celia Blattner is in her fourth season leading the program. Lauren Burnett leads the attack with 98 kills, while Kaitlyn Drost has a team-high 142 digs.
 
Bethany Lutheran is 1-8 on the season and has not played a conference game yet. After winning the first match of the year, the Vikings have dropped their last eight. Laura Evans is in her fourth season as the head coach at BLC. The attack is led by Holly Hinderks with 64 kills, with Abby Maloney following with 59. Hinderks also has a team-leading 93 digs.
 
In the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, St. Olaf was ranked 21st. The Oles are 8-3 on the season, winning their most recent match 3-0 against St. Norbert College. Emma Nelson is in her 12th season as the head coach at St. Olaf. The Oles have four athletes with more than 90 kills on the season, with Evelyn Kreft pacing the team with 108. Zahara Johnson and Maren Miller have totaled 43 and 42 blocks on the season, respectively.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan is 5-4 on the season, winning its last match 3-0 against York University. Head coach Rayna Cain is in her 14th season with the program. Molly Ramirez has a team-high 133 kills to lead the Prairie Wolves. Defensively, Grayson Piening has tallied 133 digs, with Macy Plucker following with 100.
 
Simpson has a record of 6-4 and has lost its last two matches, 3-1 to Illinois Wesleyan University and Wittenberg University. Head coach Dani Kohut Lynch is in her second season with the Storm. Mackenzie Sloan has contributed 105 kills on the season to lead the team. Hannah Jansen paces the team with 146 digs.