Sept. 18, 2009

Box Score |  Notes

CHICAGO - Jena Berg, Natalie Schmitting and Kerri Schuh had 12 kills apiece to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to a 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-20 win over Loyola Friday night at Alumni Gym.

The Panthers (4-8, 1-0 Horizon) were steady throughout the match despite playing without starting middle blocker Maddie Sueppel, who was sidelined by injury.

So, Milwaukee relied on a little bit from everyone to come up with the win. Lauren Felsing had 18 digs to lead a defensive effort that limited Loyola (6-7, 0-1) to a .156 hitting clip. And, UWM had eight blocks over the final three sets to boost its defense, while hitting a solid .216 to steady its offense throughout the match.

Colleen Francis had 16 kills while Dana VanDiggelen added 15 for the Ramblers.

"That was such a true team effort," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "This team knew they had to work together (without Sueppel). Natalie Schmitting came out really strong, but we got a great effort from the whole team. The team stayed strong and really calm, but with an aggressiveness about them."

UWM was in control much of the first set. The Panthers took the lead for good at 11-10 on a Berg kill, with that point sparking a 7-0 run that gave Milwaukee a 17-10 advantage. Loyola did fight back to within 18-15 on a Panther error but the Ramblers would get no closer. A pair of Loyola errors and a kill by Schuh gave Milwaukee a 24-17 advantage before a tip-kill by Schuh put UWM ahead in the match.

Loyola pulled out a hard-fought win in the second set to knot the match. The Ramblers built an early 7-2 lead on a kill by Francis and still led 19-16 on a kill by Katie Johnson. Loyola eventually pushed its edge to 22-18 on a block by VanDiggelen and Dana Schulte before UWM mounted a big rally. The Panthers tied the set at 23 on a kill by Schuh and thought they took a 24-23 lead on another Schuh kill, but the ball was called out. Mallory Curran then won a battle at the net on the next point to tie the match.

Milwaukee regained control of the match with a solid performance in the third set. The Panthers took the lead for good at 11-10 on a kill by Schmitting and used that point to spark a 7-0 run. Loyola did eventually fight back to within 21-18, but UWM scored four-straight to wrap up the set. A kill by Schmitting and a block by Schmitting and Samantha Trawitzke highlighted the run.

The Panthers then finished things off with another strong effort in the fourth set. The Panthers took the lead for good at 7-6 and eventually led 14-10 on a Loyola error. The Ramblers didn't go away, though, pulling within a single point four times. The final time was at 20-19, and Milwaukee responded with the next four points to seize control. A block by Schuh and Mackenzie Millis started the deciding surge, with an ace from Lauren Hintze capping it off. Then, after one more Rambler point, a final Loyola error sent the Panthers to victory.

Milwaukee continues its weekend road swing in Chicago with a Saturday match at UIC. The contest begins at 4 p.m. at the Flames Athletic Center.