Nov. 3, 2006

Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE - Melissa David had 17 kills to lead five players in double figures as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claimed a thrilling 30-17, 28-30, 30-26, 27-30, 17-15 win over the University of Illinois at Chicago Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (18-5, 10-1 League) had to come from behind in the deciding fifth frame to claim their ninth-straight win and move to within one win of at least a share of their fourth-straight Horizon League title.

Jamie Gabrielsen added 16 kills and Cheryl Hegemann 15, including the match-winner for the Panthers. Becky Peters led the defensive effort with a season-high 28 digs, while Leanne Felsing just missed a triple-double in collecting eight kills, 18 digs and 62 assists.

Ambria Springer and Katarina Nedeljkovic led UIC (15-14, 8-4) with 20 kills apiece.

UIC jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the fifth game before UWM mounted its rally. The Panthers took their first lead of the game at 11-10 before UIC reclaimed a 13-12 edge. The Flames had a match point at 14-13 but a kill by Ferguson kept UWM alive, and the Panthers had a match point at 15-14 before a kill by Katerina Hanackova evened the game. UWM then had the final surge, as a kill by Gabrielsen and a kill by Hegemann wrapped up the thrilling win for the Panthers.

"I thought we played pretty well most of the night but UIC was just awesome," UWM head coach Kathy Litzau said. "There were a few times in that fifth game where we were able to get the ball back and score a crucial point. What we were focusing on was being aggressive in our approaches and in our swings, because UIC's defense was definitely making it hard for our hitters."

It certainly didn't look like the match would go five games after the Panthers dominated the first frame. UWM scored nine of the first 13 points and never looked back. A kill by Moore pushed the lead to 14-8 and a kill by Gabrielsen made it 17-9. The lead reached double figures at 25-15 on a kill by Felsing and another kill by Gabrielsen finished off the game for the Panthers.

But, once UIC pulled out a tight second game, it was apparent the night would last a while. That second game had 17 ties and eight lead changes, with UIC taking the lead for good at 27-26 on a UWM attack error. The Flames eventually led 29-27 after a block by Springer and Nedeljkovic and, after the Panthers pulled back within 29-28 on a kill by Moore, Nedeljkovic responded with a kill to even the match.

Games three and four were more of the same for both teams. UWM actually led nearly the entire third game but never could grow its lead to more than five points. UIC pulled within 25-23 on a UWM error and was still within 28-26 on a kill by Springer. But, a service error followed by a block from Gabrielsen and Hegemann put UWM back on top in the match.

UIC again responded in the fourth game, a frame that saw 12 ties and eight more lead changes. UWM looked like it was in good shape when it scored five-straight points behind the service of Felsing to turn a 22-19 deficit into a 24-22 lead. But, UIC scored the next three points to regain the lead and then used a UWM error and a kill by Springer to force the deciding fifth game.

Balance then made the difference for the Panthers in the fifth frame. Hegemann led the way with four kills while David, Moore and Ferguson all added two kills apiece.

UWM returns to action Saturday afternoon, wrapping up the home schedule with a contest against Loyola. The match begins at 4 p.m.