Nov. 7, 2003

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Loyola University took advantage of a pair of Panther attack errors to score the final two points of the deciding fifth game in a 30-28, 33-31, 27-30, 16-30, 18-16 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

The win was the eighth-straight for the Ramblers (16-13, 9-3 Horizon), while the Panthers (21-4, 10-1) saw their 11-match winning streak snapped.

UWM nearly overcame a 2-0 deficit in the match and did have two match points in the fifth game, but the Ramblers rallied to claim the win.

Neither team held more than a one-point lead for most of the fifth game, with Loyola eventually building a 13-11 advantage following a service ace by Ashlei Nofzinger. But the Panthers rallied with three-straight points for a 14-13 lead. Loyola then fought off two match-points before having one of their own at 16-15. A Lauren Holbrook serve failed to roll over the tape, tying the match at 16. But Loyola then rallied for the final two points and the win.

Karen Fruit had a career-high 26 kills while adding 23 digs to lead the Panthers. Cheryl Hegemann had 13 kills and Larissa Cattanach 11 to bolster the Panther attack, while Lindsey Spoden collected a career-high 22 digs to go with 56 assists and seven kills.

Jorie Miguel had 19 kills and Nichol Amberg 18 for Loyola, while five Ramblers reached double-figures in digs.

The Panthers actually built leads in each of the first two games but couldn't hang on to them. They then controlled games three and four before playing an even fifth frame.

"We can't come out that flat," UWM head coach Kathy Litzau said. "We were playing tentatively and holding back - trying not to make mistakes. I thought we did a lot of really nice things as the match went on, but we just needed someone to come up with the big play and we didn't have it."

The UWM leads were 21-14 in the first game and 21-17 in the second game, but in each frame Loyola outplayed the Panthers down the stretch. UWM never trailed in the third game, though Loyola did pull within a point late in the game. In the fourth game, the Panthers jumped out to a 14-5 lead and were never threatened.

UWM returns to action Saturday afternoon, welcoming UIC to the Klotsche Center for Senior Day. The match begins at 4 p.m.