Sept. 16, 2011

Box Score

  

MILWAUKEE - Mackenzie Millis had a collegiate-best 17 kills to lead three players in double figures as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee opened Horizon League play with a 25-23, 25-15, 24-26, 25-23 win over Green Bay Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

Millis hit .556 and added five blocks and three digs in her best match as a Panther. Fellow middle Rachel Neuberger added 15 kills while hitting .353 and Kerri Schuh contributed 12 kills.

UWM (8-4, 1-0 Horizon) was solid on offense throughout the match, hitting .253 as a team while committing just 18 hitting errors. Defensively, Milwaukee had 83 digs and six blocks. Morgan Potter led the Panther defense with 24 digs and was one of four players in double figures.

Abbey Gitter and Lyndsay Zabkowicz led Green Bay (3-9, 0-1) with 17 kills apiece.

The Panthers looked to be in control after winning the first two sets. Milwaukee then let an early lead slip away in the third frame but rallied late in the fourth set to beat Green Bay for the 16th time in the last 17 meetings between the two teams.

"It's great to get a win," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "We wanted to get it in three because we were ahead. We got it in four and it was really tight because they were playing really well. We had to fight to the finish to win that match."

Millis was the star of the match for the Panthers.She got better as the match went along, tallying six kills in the third set and seven more in the deciding fourth frame.

"She had such confidence and drive tonight," Johnson said. "She was so determined and I had talked to her about upping the ante for herself and having higher goals. Man she did it. She went above and beyond so I am really, really proud of her."

The Panthers looked to be in control late in the first set, building a 21-16 lead on a kill by Melissa Jansen. The lead was still 23-18 after a kill by Neuberger but Green Bay rallied to score the next five points. Milwaukee recovered, though, with a pair of kills by Neuberger pushing UWM ahead in the match.

UWM had an easier time of it in the second set. The Panthers broke an 8-all tie by scoring seven of the next eight points. Two kills from Mary Beth O'Brien highlighted the run, giving UWM a 15-9 lead. The advantage was still 19-14 after a kill by Millis and grew to 22-14 on a Green Bay error. The Panthers then scored their final two points on a kill by Jansen and another Green Bay error, giving Milwaukee a 2-0 lead in the match.

Milwaukee looked like it might run away with things in the third set, bolting to leads of 6-0 and 8-2. But Green Bay quickly got back in the set, tying the score at 13 on a UWM error. The Phoenix then went ahead 20-18 before Milwaukee tie the frame at 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24. Two kills from Zabkowicz provided the final surge for Green Bay, getting the Phoenix back in the match.

The Panthers then had to battle to pull out the fourth set. In fact, Green Bay built an early 11-6 lead before Milwaukee recovered to take a 13-12 advantage on two-straight kills by Millis. The Panthers could never truly pull away, as the Phoenix tied things at 18, 19, 20 and 21. But, a kill from O'Brien and an ace by Price got Milwaukee's final surge started, with a kill from Schuh sealing the match for the Panthers.

UWM continues its weekend of Horizon League play Saturday, welcoming Loyola to the Klotsche Center for a 4 p.m. contest.