Nov. 15, 2003

Box Score

DAYTON, Ohio - Karen Fruit had 20 kills and Larissa Cattanach added 19 as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee wrapped up the regular season with a 30-23, 24-30, 31-29, 30-24 win over Wright State Saturday afternoon at the McLin Gymnasium.

The Panthers (24-4, 13-1 Horizon), regular season champions in the Horizon League, will be the top seed for next week's League Volleyball Championship in Indianapolis.

Fruit added 23 digs while Cattanach contributed five blocks as part of a solid all-around effort by the Panthers. Setter Lindsey Spoden had eight kills, seven blocks, 20 digs and 53 assists. Four other players had at least five kills in a balanced UWM attack.

Tricia Naseman had 16 kills to lead five Raiders (15-14, 6-8) in double figures.

"Obviously Karen has been a mainstay and she was very steady, but Larissa was really the story of the weekend," UWM head coach Kathy Litzau said. "She worked her heart out and those are the best back-to-back matches she has put together."

For the second night in a row, the Panther defense was also a story as UWM collected 106 digs and 13 blocks, including crucial blocks late in the match-changing third game. Along with the numbers of Cattanach, Fruit and Spoden, Melissa Lange had 18 digs, Sarah Potts 17 and Robin Alt 16.

"Our defense was very good. Wright State is one of the top defensive teams in the country so I was very happy we were able to outdig them," Litzau said. "We played very well in games one and four and in the other two they pushed us but we had enough to push back and win."

UWM had to overcome two late deficits, including two game points, to win the third game and seize control of the match after the teams had split the first two games. Wright State overcame an early deficit to build a 24-19 lead following a service ace by McKenzie Tiffin. But the Panthers scored the next six points to recover, with Spoden collecting a block and a kill and Cattanach two kills in the run. Wright State again pushed ahead, claiming game point at 29-27 following a UWM hitting error. The Panthers then ran off the next four points to win the game, with the final two points coming thanks to blocks by Fruit and Cheryl Hegemann and then Hegemann and Sarah Moore.

None of the other three games were close down the stretch. UWM bolted to a 20-11 lead in game one and never looked back. In game two, Wright State broke a 21-all tie by scoring seven of the next eight points to even the match at a game apiece. In the clinching fourth game for the Panthers, a Lange service ace gave UWM a 20-11 lead and the Raiders could never get closer than five points the rest of the way.

As the top seed, UWM will receive a bye into the semifinals of the Horizon League Tourmament. The Panthers will play Saturday afternoon at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse against an opponent to be determined, though the homestanding Bulldogs will be in UWM's part of the bracket.