Sep 7, 2013

Box Score

AKRON, Ohio - Tournament most valuable player Rachel Neuberger had 13 kills and Taylor Golabowski added a collegiate-high 25 digs as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claimed the championship of the Akron Invitational with a 25-17, 24-26, 25-21, 25-15 over the host Zips Saturday afternoon.

After letting the second set slip away, Milwaukee (3-3) was in control during nearly all of the third and fourth frames in capturing their fifth in-season tournament title under Susie Johnson.

UWM's defense was dominant throughout the match, as the Panthers forced 40 Akron hitting errors while collecting 11 blocks. The Zips (4-1) hit just .047 for the match, with Myanna Ruiz (12 digs) and Maisey Mulvey (11 digs) adding to Golabowski's efforts in the back row while Neuberger (six blocks) and Julie Kolinske (four blocks) led the way up front.

"We blocked them right away and I think that had some impact," Milwaukee head coach Susie Johnson said. "We had a game plan to control some of their key players and we did a very good job of executing that. Our defense is very important to us and today was a good example of what a big difference it can make."

Milwaukee's offense was also balanced. In addition to Neuberger's 13 kills, Kolinske added nine and Maggie Dunbar seven. Plus, Nicole Latzig and Ruiz added six kills apiece without committing an error.

Golabowski and Latzig joined Neuberger on the all-tournament team.

Alex Cocklin had 19 kills to lead Akron.

"We needed a lot of people to step up this weekend and they did. It was cool to watch," Johnson said. "Today was truly a team effort and we had positive things happen all the way around. Players like Nicole and Taylor Golabowski really earned their spots on the all-tournament team with defense and Taylor Gruber did a good job stepping in. She was very steady. Our offense grew a lot this weekend and our defense and passing continues to be very good."

The Panthers jumped ahead by winning the first set. Milwaukee scored five in a row for a 7-4 lead and still led 14-11 after a kill by Neuberger. UWM added a five-point run to go up 21-14, with the burst capped by solo block from Kolinske. The advantage grew to 23-16 on another Kolinske solo block before Milwaukee wrapped up the frame on an Akron hitting error.

Akron staged a big rally to win the second set. UWM led a number of times early in the frame, including advantages of 13-11 and 14-12. Akron rallied for 17-14 lead but the Panthers struck back with six-straight points, moving ahead 20-17 on a block by Neuberger and Kolinske. UWM was still up 23-19 and 24-21 before the Zips improbably came back. Three kills and two UWM errors made up the five-point run, with a kill by Cocklin finishing things and giving Akron new life.

Milwaukee wasted little time in bouncing back in the third set. The Panthers went up 6-3 on a kill by Neuberger and 10-5 on a kill by Kolinske. Akron fought back to grab a 19-18 lead but Panthers had the final surge. They took the lead for good on a kill by Neuberger, moved to set-point behind two more kills from Neuberger and then finished things off on a kill by Ruiz

Milwaukee was then dominant in the fourth set. The Panthers bolted to an 8-4 advantage and led 11-6 after a kill by Ruiz. The advantage grew to 15-7 on an Akron error and was 18-9 following kills by Neuberger and Ruiz. Milwaukee pushed the lead to double-digits and then finished things off with a run of four-straight points that included a block by Latzig and an ace by Ruiz.

"We're really beginning to see just how committed this entire team is, from our starters to those coming off the bench. Everyone is fighting for a spot and stepping up when being called upon. It's making a big difference," Johnson said. "Everyone is committed to the growth of the team and everyone is buying in to building toward being great."

The Panthers stay in state for the next three weeks, starting with a trip to Madison next Friday and Saturday for the InnTowner Invitational.