ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris volleyball team had its season come to an end with a 3-0 loss (25-19, 25-22, 25-23) to the University of Northwestern. The Cougars wrap up the 2021 season with an overall record of 15-14.
Northwestern had its easiest time in the first set as Minnesota Morris recorded more attack errors (nine) than kills (eight). A quick 9-4 lead led to the first timeout of the match for the Cougars and they were forced into their second after falling behind, 19-11. The Eagles earned a match point at 24-15 before a four-point surge from the Cougars made the set closer than it was much of the way.
A pair of attack errors early in the second set from Northwestern gave UMN Morris its largest lead of the second set at 7-4. Kills from Maggie Jones and Jenna Howden gave the Cougars a 13-11 lead, but Northwestern answered with five points in a row to go on top, 16-13. Minnesota Morris three times got within a point after that, the last time at 23-22, before the Eagles closed it out with kills from Abby Glanzer and Kendra Hardy.
The third set was tightly contested throughout and a three-point run by the Cougars gave them an 18-16 lead with kills from Kennedy Geller and McKenzie Newton, followed by a block from Geller and Newton. That forced the Eagles into a timeout and they came back onto the court with five points in a row to go up, 21-18. Northwestern earned a match point after taking a 24-21 lead and though Lydia Nash had back-to-back kills to fight off two of them, the Eagles closed it out on their third attempt.
Jones ended the afternoon with team highs of eight kill and a .263 hitting percentage. Laura Wellbrock finished with seven kills and Nash added six. Newton ended with a double-double of 27 assists and 12 digs. Alyssa Ukestad also had 12 digs and Wellbrock tacked on another 10.
