Sept. 28, 2012

Box Score

  

MILWAUKEE - Julie Kolinske had 22 kills and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee played error-free volleyball in the deciding fifth set to claim a 25-18, 25-22, 14-25, 19-25, 15-7 win over Green Bay Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (7-9, 2-1 Horizon) had 11 kills without an error in the fifth frame, bolting to leads of 5-0 and 10-3 in claiming the victory.

UWM also got 18 kills and 14 digs from Elizabeth Egerer while Rachel Neuberger contributed 11 kills. Milwaukee tallied 12 blocks as a team, including six from Amber Simonton, while Anna Bartz led the back row efforts with 26 digs.

Monica Anderson had 20 kills to lead Green Bay (9-7, 1-2).

The win was UWM's first in five tries in a five-set match this season, turning the tables on a Green Bay team that had won five of its six 5-set contests this year.

"We wanted to be as disciplined as we could be - as disciplined as we've ever been - because we have had a tough time with fifth sets," Milwaukee head coach Susie Johnson said. "But it was a very focused fifth set, and it was a determination I hadn't seen yet from the Panthers this whole season. I am very proud of that."

The decisive set was a runaway for Milwaukee. UWM bolted to a 5-0 lead only to see Green Bay cut the advantage to 5-3. But the Panthers would seize complete control from there. Milwaukee scored the next five points, capped by a pair of kills from Kolinske, in claiming a 10-3 advantage. UWM's lead went to 14-5 after two more Kolinske kills before a kill from Egerer wrapped up the match.

Milwaukee's offense was effective much of the evening, as the Panthers had 60 kills and just 15 errors. Hannah Blanchard collected 55 assists in directing the attack as UWM hit .263.

The Panthers controlled the first set from start to finish. Milwaukee scored six of the first eight points of the frame and led 11-7 after a block by Neuberger and Blanchard. The lead hit 16-11 on a Green Bay error and was still 19-14 following a kill by Egerer. Milwaukee then expanded its advantage to 23-16 on a block by Neuberger and Kolinske before finishing the frame out thanks to kills from Neuberger and Kolinske.

UWM then pulled out the second set with a late surge. The Panthers led 5-3 in the early going but fell behind 11-8 following a kill by Leah Van Zeeland. The Panthers fought back to tie things at 12 on a kill by Kolinske and then pushed ahead 17-14 on a block by Kolinske and Simonton. The Phoenix answered with its own surge, as a kill by Leah Poel put Green Bay up 21-20. UWM came back with five of the next six points, though, as two kills by Egerer and a kill and block from Neuberger highlighted the closing run.

It was all Green Bay in the third set. The Phoenix took the lead for good at 8-7 on a kill by Anderson and quickly went up 14-9 on a kill by Van Zeeland. The Green Bay lead grew to 19-11 on a UWM error and the Phoenix were never threatened after that.

Green Bay kept rolling in the fourth set. The Phoenix scored seven of the first 11 points of the frame and still led 12-10 following a kill by Carmen Leiterman. The lead grew to 17-12 after two-straight UWM errors and the Panthers were never able to recover.

UWM stemmed the tide quickly in the fifth set, though, retaking control of the contest to secure the victory.

The Panthers now have a full week off before heading to Chicago next weekend. UWM plays at Loyola next Friday night and at UIC next Saturday afternoon.