Sept. 17, 2013

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MILWAUKEE - Alex Lovell had 17 kills, including six in the decisive fifth set, to lift Iowa to a 25-23, 20-25, 18-25, 25-19, 17-15 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Tuesday night at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (4-6) battled back from a 12-8 deficit in the fifth frame to grab a 13-12 lead on an Iowa error. Milwaukee then had match-point chances at 14-13 and 15-14 before the Hawkeyes (9-2) surged to the victory.

Julie Kolinske had 21 kills, Myanna Ruiz 18 and Rachel Neuberger 15 for Milwaukee, which won the offensive (70-57 advantage in kills) and back-row defensive (84-77 edge in digs) statistical battles but came up just short in its third crack at a Big Ten foe this season.

Taylor Golabowski led five Panthers in double figures in digs with 25, with Ruiz and Maisey Mulvey adding 16 apiece.

Rachael Bedell added 13 kills and Erin Radke 10 for Iowa, which helped itself by committing just 20 hitting errors compared to 33 for Milwaukee.

"There were a lot of really good moments in that match but there were a lot of not-so-good moments," Milwaukee head coach Susie Johnson said. "It was a little up and down and a little flat. Our team has gotten better throughout the season but we need to close things out."

After dropping the first set, Milwaukee used a big late run to draw even in the match. In fact, the Panthers turned a 16-15 lead into a 23-16 advantage thanks to a 7-1 run that included a pair of kills by Ruiz and two kills from Kayla Price. The Hawkeyes did close to within 23-19 and 24-20, but a kill by Kolinske finished things off for Milwaukee.

The Panthers rode that momentum to a dominating win in the third set. Milwaukee took the lead for good at 14-13 on an Iowa error and never looked back. The advantage grew to 19-16 on two-straight kills from Neuberger and hit 24-17 after a five-point burst that included three more kills from Neuberger. UWM then finished things off on yet another Neuberger kill, her sixth of the frame.

Iowa answered in similar fashion in the fourth set, building a 16-9 lead midway through the frame and then allowing Milwaukee to get closer than five points the rest of the way.

That set the stage for an exciting fifth set. Iowa grabbed a 7-5 lead before Milwaukee tied the set at 8 on a Hawkeye error. Iowa responded with the next four points to seemingly take control, only to see the Panthers rally behind two kills from Ruiz and a kill and block from Neuberger. UWM then went ahead 14-13 on a Ruiz kill and 15-14 on a Neuberger kill, but could not close things out. Instead, a kill by Lovell evened the set at 15 before a block by Lauren Brobst and Erin Leppek followed by another Lovell kill gave the Hawkeyes the victory.

"We aren't winning those long rallies. The good thing is we're keeping them going but we need to finish them," Johnson said. "We've been working really hard on that so we just need to keep going on that and keep chugging along."

Things get no easier for Milwaukee this weekend. The Panthers face #4 Florida Saturday at 6 p.m. at Marquette's Al McGuire Center before taking on the host Golden Eagles Sunday at 2 p.m.