Sept. 3, 2011

Box Score  |  Match Report

DES MOINES, Iowa - Kerri Schuh had a collegiate-best 24 kills to lead four players in double figures as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee opened the second day of the Sheraton West Des Moines Drake Invitational with a 25-15, 25-22, 23-25, 31-29 win over IPFW Saturday morning.

Mary Beth O'Brien added 12 kills, Rachel Neuberger 11 and Mackenzie Millis 10 for Milwaukee (4-1), which won its third-straight match and will play for the tournament title against Drake at 7:30 tonight.

The Panthers (4-1) hit a stellar .299 in the match, with Kayla Price tallying 46 assists. UWM also handled itself well defensively, outblocking IPFW, 8-4, while outdigging the Mastodons, 71-62. Price led the way with 18 digs.

Emily Spencer led IPFW (3-3) with 17 kills.

Milwaukee looked to be in complete control after winning the first two sets. But the Panthers let the third set slip away and then had six match-point chances in the fourth set before finally converting on their seventh try

"We were able to hang in there and fight through it," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "(IPFW) really dug the ball well, but our players kept coming back. Our defense was excellent and our passing was excellent, so it was a really good team effort."

Milwaukee used a big late surge to pull away in the first set. The Panthers trailed 6-4 in the early going but took the lead for good at 14-13 on an IPFW error. The lead was still just 17-15 before UWM turned it on, scoring the final eight points of the frame behind the serving of Price. Schuh had two kills and two blocks during the run, which also included a kill and a block by Millis.

UWM again made the final surge to claim the second set. The Panthers trailed by as many as four points in the early going, then fought back to claim a 12-11 lead on a kill by O'Brien. IPFW took its final lead of the set at 19-18 on a block by Alli Hook and Megan Steenhuysen but Milwaukee settled in from there. The Panthers went up 23-22 on a kill by Schuh and forced two-straight Mastodon errors to go up two sets in the match.

IPFW built a lead in the third set and hung on late for the win. The Mastodons jumped out to a 12-6 lead and still led 14-9 before Milwaukee struck back. In fact, five-straight points by the Panthers tied the frame at 14 and UWM took a 16-15 lead on an ace by Schuh. Milwaukee would never lead again, though, with IPFW going ahead for good at 22-21 on a kill by Jen Milligan. The lead hit 24-21 befor a kill by Schuh followed by a block from Schuh and Neuberger brought the Panthers within 24-23. But, a kill by Spencer finished things off for the Mastodons, keeping them alive in the match.

The fourth set looked like it might produce a convincing Panther win, as UWM jumped out to leads of 6-1, 15-10 and 18-12. Three kills by Millis helped Milwaukee limit the first IPFW rally, with the Panthers hanging on to a 21-18 lead. And, after the Mastodons tied the set at 22, UWM would never let them take the lead. IPFW didn't give in, though, fighting off six match-point chances, with things eventually tied at 29. But a service error pushed Milwaukee ahead again and then a kill by Price finally finished off the match.