Sept. 11, 2009

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Michelle Moore had 20 kills to lead three players in double figures as Western Michigan claimed a 25-19, 25-15, 23-25, 25-16 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

Jena Berg had 13 kills and Maddie Sueppel added 11 to lead Milwaukee, which got back in the match with a solid third-set effort but could not overcome the Broncos, who reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Western Michigan (3-5) wound up winning the match in large part thanks to a big edge on offense. The Broncos had 59 kills to 44 for the Panthers, while Western hit .222 and Milwaukee hit just .128.

"That's a really, really good team," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "They are used to winning. They are very athletic and they showed it tonight. We really pushed them, we made them play and we made them earn it, and I am really proud of that."

The Broncos staged a rally midway through the first set to take the lead in the match. The Panthers jumped out to a 7-5 lead on a kill by Sueppel and then scored five-straight points to claim a 14-11 advantage. But it was all Western Michigan from there, as the Broncos used a 9-2 run to build a 20-16 lead. After UWM scored back-to-back points to pull within two, Western ended the set with a 5-1 burst.

Western Michigan controlled the second frame. The Broncos scored seven-straight points to build a 14-5 advantage and UWM never got closer than four points after that. Milwaukee's final surge brought it within 18-14 after a WMU error, but the Broncos finished the set on a 7-1 run to take a commanding lead in the match.

UWM bounced back in the third set. In fact, Milwaukee took an 11-6 lead on a WMU error and extended its edge to 15-7 on a block by Sueppel and Kerri Schuh. The Broncos wound up fighting all the way back into a 19-all tie and still had the set tied at 23 after a kill from Moore. But, the Panthers countered with a pair of kills from Berg to get back in the match.

The Broncos then found a way to reclaim control in the fourth set. Western took an 11-6 lead on a block by Kate Corbett and Allyson Doyle and eventually led 16-10 on a kill by Moore. The Panthers did battle back to within 18-14 on a kill by Sueppel, but UWM could get no closer than that. A kill from Jessica Brown pushed the Broncos to match point and a UWM error ended the match.

In the first match of the evening session, Marquette rolled past South Dakota, 25-19, 25-15, 25-16. The Golden Eagles hit .373 in the contest.

Day two of the Panther Invitational starts at 11 a.m. Saturday when Ohio State takes on Western Michigan. UWM returns to action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against Marquette. The rest of the schedule Saturday includes South Dakota vs. Western Michigan at 5 p.m. and Milwaukee vs. Ohio State at 7:30 p.m.