Nov. 20, 2011

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Johnson Interview |  Schuh Interview |  Egerer Interview

MILWAUKEE - Tournament most valuable player Elizabeth Egerer had 15 kills and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee controlled the contest from start to finish in claiming a 25-15, 25-21, 25-16 win over Cleveland State in the Horizon League Tournament championship match Sunday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (25-4) have now won the league tournament title for the seventh time and clinched their ninth NCAA Tournament berth.

UWM, which won the league regular season crown and swept both of its tournament matches, has also won a school-record 18-straight matches overall.

Plus, Milwaukee erased the memories of a semifinal loss to Valparaiso a season ago, giving this senior class its third NCAA trip in four seasons.

"This year, it wasn't going to happen like that," League Player of the Year Kerri Schuh said. "We had to do the work, we had to put ourselves out there and take risks and that's what we did."

Sunday's outcome was never really in doubt as the Panthers led by at least nine points in each of the three sets. UWM hit .308 in the contest while limiting second-seeded Cleveland State (21-7) to a .102 hitting clip. In fact, Milwaukee controlled nearly every statistical category, including kills (47-29), digs (45-37) and blocks (6-4).

"Our team was really efficient and we were able to figure out how to pass the ball well, serve the ball tough and just finish plays more quickly than they did," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "Our defense is always the thing that carries us through but our offense was so good today and I think that's why it wound up looking like an easy win."

Freshman Julie Kolinske added 13 kills and joined Egerer on the all-tournament team. Freshman Kayla Price was also on the all-tournament squad after tallying 36 assists to go with three kills and six digs in the victory. Morgan Potter had 16 digs to lead the defense.

"We had a tough break last year losing in the semifinals so we've had a year to really prepare and think about it. It probably was a lesson learned. This team came back working but mentally was way tougher," Johnson said. "They were calm, cool and collected in this match and they just took care of business. Yesterday was the tough one because it was a mental hurdle also, having lost to them (Valparaiso) last year. Today was just so great because it was the best we've played."

The tournament also showed off Milwaukee's depth and options, especially on offense. With opponents focused on Schuh, the Panthers got contributions from a number of other sources on offense.

"I have so much trust in my teammates," Schuh said. "Our team is so diverse and everyone does their job on the court. We don't have just one person who can just bang the ball and we have to rely on them. We have a solid front row every time."

The Panthers pulled away to win the first set. Milwaukee went up 11-6 with a run of five-straight points and then extended the lead to 17-8 on a kill by Kolinske. A kill by Schuh pushed the edge to 20-9 and UWM never looked back. The Panthers closed things out on a kill by Egerer, an ace by Potter and a CSU service error.

Milwaukee built up a big lead in the second set and then had to hang on late. UWM jumped out to a 6-1 lead and then led 12-5 after a kill by Price. The lead grew to 17-9 after two-straight kills from Kolinske and was 20-12 after a Neuberger kill. Cleveland State fought back to within 22-18 on a block and to within 24-21 on a kill by Jackie Dabbelt. But CSU's next attack sailed out of bounds and the Panthers went ahead by two sets.

UWM then pulled away once more to win the third set and clinch the title. After trailing 4-1 in the early going, Milwaukee took the lead for good at 8-7 on a kill by Egerer. The advantage grew to 13-8 on another Egerer kill and the Panthers were ahead 19-13 after a CSU error. The lead eventually hit 22-14 as Egerer collected another kill before her 15th and final kill of the afternoon officially sealed the championship for Milwaukee, extending a winning run that dates back to mid-September.

"From day one, every single match has been that we are earning it and taking one match at a time," Egerer said. "I think that's why we've had so much success because everything is serious. So I think earning it kind of builds confidence in and of itself. There were a few five-game matches we won because we were determined."

Now, Milwaukee will look ahead to the NCAA Tournament and will try to become the first Horizon League school to win a postseason match. UWM's last trip in 2009 ended with a five-set loss to Dayton and the Panthers, and Schuh says her team knows what they need to do to make this trip victorious.

"We have to take risks. If we're going to play safe we're not going to win."

The NCAA Tournament pairings are next Sunday (Nov. 27) at 5 p.m. on ESPNU. The tournament itself then begins on either Dec. 1, 2 or 3.