Oct. 1, 2010

Box Score

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MILWAUKEE - Natalie Schmitting had 14 kills and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee limited Valparaiso to a .086 hitting percentage in claiming a thrilling 19-25, 25-13, 25-22, 19-25, 15-13 win Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (7-7, 4-0 Horizon) collected 16 total blocks and forced 46 Crusader hitting errors. Milwaukee also came up with 91 digs, led by a collegiate-best 28 from Morgan Potter.

In the deciding fifth set, the Panthers rebounded from a 10-8 deficit to claim a 14-11 lead on a kill by Schmitting. After two-straight Valparaiso points cut the edge to 14-13, the 46th Crusader hitting error of the night gave Milwaukee the victory.

Kerri Schuh added 10 kills for Milwaukee, which never really found its stride on offense, either. The Panthers hit .124 in the match and had just 45 kills. Schmitting was the clear offensive star, hitting .464 with just one error in 28 attempts.

But, it was the Milwaukee defense that showed the way, as freshman Rachel Neuberger collecting nine blocks while Schmitting and Jena Berg had six apiece. And, in addition to Potter's 28 digs, four other Panthers reached double figures.

"Sixteen blocks is pretty impressive and that's a lot of it," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "It's blocking, it's digging the ball, it's giving it back and giving it back. If you're not attacking well, that's all you can do."

Sarah Dooms had 18 kills and was one of five Valparaiso (13-3, 2-2) players in double figures offensively. Taylor Root had a match-best 34 digs.

The Panthers have now won four of their six 5-set contests this season, including a pair in league play.

"It's a character-building kind of thing and it's a toughness kind of thing and it's staying focused the whole time," Johnson said. "Having experience in a lot of them probably does help at these moments."

Valpo pulled out a hard-fought win in the first set. The Crusaders led 8-4 in the early going before UWM rallied to claim a 16-14 lead on a Valpo error. But, the Crusaders scored eight of the next nine points to regain control and go up by a set.

Milwaukee then dominated the second set, bolting out to leads of 9-1 and 15-4. The Panthers forced 13 Valpo hitting errors in the set, limiting the Crusaders to a -.132 hitting clip. UWM final run of three points included kills by Neuberger and Mary Beth O'Brien plus a block by Neuberger and Berg.

UWM pulled out a tight third set. The Panthers led 10-4 in the early going but wound up in a 22-all tie late in the frame. Then, a kill from Schmitting started the winning surge, with a kill by Schuh and a Valpo error pushing Milwaukee back ahead in the match.

The Panthers seemed to be in good shape in the fourth set, building leads of 7-4, 14-11 and 16-14. But Valpo used a seven-point run to claim a 21-16 advantage. The Panthers did pull back within 21-19 after two-straight blocks by Schmitting and Schuh before the Crusaders countered with four-straight points to again even the match.

UWM wraps up its weekend homestand with a Saturday afternoon contest against Loyola. The match begins at 4 p.m.