MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran volleyball team hosted Morris on Saturday afternoon and fell by a score of 3-0. With the loss the Vikings fall to 7-16 overall and 5-7 in the UMAC while the Cougars move to 11-12 overall and 8-4 in the conference.



A 9-1 run early on in set one gave the visitors a 12-6 lead before Bethany would answer with a run of their own to even things at 14. Each team would then go on another small run before the Vikings took a 21-20 lead. Morris though, would score five of the last six points to take the set one victory 25-22. 

Set two was much of the same early on except it was the Vikings who made a run early to go up 8-3. The Cougars scored five straight points to even things up and would continue to push their momentum en rout to a 15-12 lead. The teams would then go back and forth with neither team gaining much traction until Bethany scored four of five to tie the set at 21 apiece. Morris then took three straight and although Bethany got a kill, a Morris kill would end set two at 25-22. 

In the third, the visitors seemed to be cruising towards a three set victory as they would push out to a lead of 19-12. The Vikings would answer, as they gained momentum and were able to take nine of the next 14 points to cut the deficit to 23-21. Morris however, got a pair of kills to end the set 25-21 and the match 3-0. 

Rilee Hohbein led the Bethany attack in this one, notching seven kills to just one error while hitting .316. Maddie Meyer also contributed at the net with two solo blocks and four assisted blocks to go along with her four kills in the match. Esther Peeters dished out 16 assists in the match that was complimented by eight digs, while Lex Morsching posted a team-best 12 digs and also had seven kills.

The Vikings will be back in action on Friday when they travel to Northwestern for a 7 p.m. contest.