MORRIS, Minn. – The No. 18 University of Northwestern volleyball team (27-3, 7-0) swept Minnesota Morris (14-14, 6-1) Wednesday night to take over sole possession of first place in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) standings. The Eagles – who were again ranked as the Central Regional's top team Wednesday – handed the Cougars their first conference loss this season after winning by scores of 25-23, 25-19, 27-25.

It was UNW holding an 11-3 advantage at the net in blocks. The Eagles compiled a .250 hitting percentage, while the Cougars finished the evening hitting .172.

Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) and Shanay Gonder (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) paced the offensive attack for UNW, flooring 16 and 12 kills, respectively. Toria Gillson (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Christian) made her presence felt at the net, racking up a match-high six blocks, while Jackie Doering (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) (22 digs) and Abby Vander Galien (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) (13 digs) also were strong contributors on the defensive front. Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) posted 27 assists and Freya Hanson (Otsego, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) recorded a pair of service aces.

The Eagles will close out the home portion of their regular season schedule Friday night with a UMAC contest with Martin Luther College. UNW will honor its three seniors prior to the 7 p.m. first serve inside the Ericksen Center. Fans can find more information at www.unweagles.com.