Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Senior Julie Kolinske came through with a match-high 19 kills but the offense of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball team could never get fully on track in falling, 3-0, to Oral Roberts University Friday afternoon at the University Plaza/Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational.

"We need to get in a better rhythm early on in matches with more than one or two people," Milwaukee head coach Susie Johnson said. "Oral Roberts was very steady and did not make a lot of errors. They were very calm and played hard and never allowed us to get in a rhythm in any set. We need to turn it around as soon as possible, learn from this and come back and be stronger tonight."

The Panthers (3-1) were in each game against the Golden Eagles (3-2), but fell short 25-20, 25-23, 25-21.

Kolinske's 19 kills were just outside of the school's top-five for a three-match set and gives her 45 in her past two outings. Sophomore Myanna Ruiz had eight kills and classmate Kaisa Mattson added seven on a .455 hitting percentage. Junior Kayla Price recorded 36 assists.

"Julie was awesome and Kaisa was very good offensively," Johnson said. "We need to play better as a team - we need more than just a few people playing at a high level to be successful."

Sara Pope led Oral Roberts with 15 kills, including back-to-back late in the third set that essentially decided the outcome.

The Panthers were in the first set despite hitting .029 as a team, trailing 11-8 early before getting to within one at 17-16 on a Mattson kill. ORU scored the next three points to take control and earn the 25-20 victory.

UWM responded well out of the box in the second set, jumping out to a lead of 7-1 to force a Golden Eagle timeout. That stemmed the tide and helped turn the set around, with ORU making it 10-7 en route to just a one-point deficit at 14-13.From there it was close all the way. The set had nine ties and three lead changes overall, with ties from 15-15 all the way to 22-22 with UWM never trailing. Pope came up big for her team at the end, with a pair of kills to make it 24-23 in front of a set-clinching ace.

In the third, UWM forced five early ties, but could never forge ahead. Trailing 19-15, the Panthers could get no closer the rest of the way in the 25-21 decision.Up next, it's a quick turnaround, taking on Incarnate Word at 5 p.m. today.