MILWAUKEE - Junior Maggie Dunbar set a career-high with 20 kills and senior Hannah Blanchard played a key role with 12 kills and four blocks to spark the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over Western Michigan University Tuesday night at the Klotsche Center.
 
The Panthers (10-9) and Broncos (12-8) were tied at one set apiece, only to see UWM take off from there in a 25-20, 18-25, 25-17, 25-20 victory that marked a first-ever win over WMU. Milwaukee brought an 0-6 record all-time into play tonight and earned the decision by holding its opponent to .149 hitting and adding nine team blocks.
 
"Maggie is really getting hot right now," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "The last two matches, she has been really good and this was the best of the three. I am really excited about Maggie. She is coming into her own and is a really an exciting player for us right now."
 
Dunbar, who equaled her career-high with 17 kills this past Saturday at Youngstown State, ended the night with 20 and did it on an impressive .500 hitting percentage. That gives her double-figures in kills for the sixth game in a row and also marks the third time this season she has hit .500 or better for a match.
 
Blanchard's dozen kills came on a .435 hitting percentage and her four blocks tied for the team lead.
 
"Hannah played great for us," Johnson said. "We changed the position for her and this was her first time out doing it. She had a great attitude about it, worked hard and I was excited that we got her involved in the offense."
 
Sophomore Kaisa Mattson chipped in with six kills (.364) and four blocks, with senior Taylor Golabowski just missing her second double-double of the season by recording 17 digs and nine assists. Junior Kayla Price did register a double-double of her own, picking up 13 digs to go with a match-high 44 assists.

Ave Stout (12 kills) and Alysia Baznik (11 kills) paced the Broncos on the evening. Stout added five blocks.

The first set saw three early ties, with a Dunbar kill making it 7-6. Milwaukee would lead the rest of the way in claiming the first set.

In the second, it looked like the Panthers would control the match, opening up a 13-8 lead. But, the Broncos would rally in impressive fashion, rolling up a 10-0 run to take an 18-13 advantage and never looking back in taking the 25-18 decision.
 
"Well what happened that set was we made 10 errors in a row," Johnson said. "So that is what the struggle was. For some reason, we lost it for a while and really needed to get a grip and realize it was on our control. So, that was what we were able to do for the third set."

Set three was back-and-forth early, but Blanchard would take over. Her block tied the frame at 10-10 and, after a kill by junior Sammi Herron, would add three kills of her own to make it 14-10 on the scoreboard and force a Western Michigan timeout. Dunbar closed it out with a powerful showing, accounting for five kills over UWM's final six points.

It was Dunbar again in the fourth. Six ties and one lead change in, a WMU service error gave Milwaukee a 15-14 edge. Dunbar then posted three impressive kills in a row to make it 18-14, force another timeout and give the Panthers the momentum they would need the rest of the way.

Up next, Milwaukee continues a busy week at home by hosting Wright State Friday, set for a 7 p.m. start.