Panthers Can Clinch Postseason Berth Saturday

UWM to honor senior class Saturday

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball team has one match left on its regular season schedule - a matchup against in-state rival Green Bay Saturday at 4 p.m. from the Klotsche Center.

Panther Points
• There are quite a few scenarios possible the involve the Panthers making this year's Horizon League Tournament, with the simplest being win and they're in. A win over Green Bay Saturday would five Milwaukee an 8-8 league record and guarantee them a spot in the post season. In fact, the Panthers could still finish as high as the No. 4 seed in this year's league tournament.

• UWM claimed two vital wins at home last weekend over teams that were both then ahead of them in the league standings. With wins over UIC and Valparaiso, the Panthers leaped over the Flames in the league standings into a tie with Green Bay for fifth place in the league standings, with the Phoenix currently holding the tiebreaker.

• Saturday is the final time five Panthers will play at the Klotsche Center. Maggie Dunbar, Taylor Gruber, Sammi Herron Nicole Latzig and Kayla Price all will play in front of the Klotsche Krazies for the final time in their collegiate careers, looking to close things out with a win and a berth to the post season.

• The Week Ahead
The Panthers have just one match on this weekend's schedule - a Saturday contest against in-state rival Green Bay. A win would put Milwaukee in the league tournament, with the possibility to finish as high as the No. 4 seed.

• Scouting Notebook
Green Bay sits tied in the league standings with Milwaukee at the No. 5 spot with a 7-8 league record, with the Phoenix currently holding the tie breaker ... GB is 16-12 overall heading into Saturday's match ... Green Bay won in three the first time these two teams met in mid October ... the Phoenix split last weekend - falling to Valparaiso in three before sweeping UIC on Saturday ... GB is in the top half of quite a few of the league statistical categories, including ranking second in digs with 17.47 per set ... Jillian Bauer leads the league in digs with 5.47/set, which is also one of the top marks in the nation ... Lydia DeWeese leads the league in blocks pet set with 1.13, while Megan Powers has a slight edge over DeWeese in kills on the season at 2.60/set.

• Series History
Milwaukee enters the weekend with a 52-14 record all-time, including at 45-14 mark since moving to Division I.

• League Tournament
A lot can happen in the league standings between now and the end of the regular season Saturday. Milwaukee can technically finish anywhere from fourth to seventh, but a win guaranties them a spot in the Horizon League Tournament. In fact, the league host still has yet to be determined, with both Cleveland State and Oakland still battling for the No. 1 spot.

• Leading The League
Senior Kayla Price and junior Myanna Ruiz swept the Horizon League Player of the week honors this past week after helping the Panthers sweep their competition over the weekend. Price combined for a whopping 104 assists in the two wins, while Ruiz racked up 52 digs over the weekend - including 31 in the four-set win Saturday.

• Making A Career Of It
Fifth-year senior Kayla Price broke the all time matches played record in Milwaukee history last weekend. By playing in both matches at home last weekend, it marked the 124th and 125th times Price has taken the court for Milwaukee - tying and breaking the mark previous set by Julie Schloemer from 1992-95.

• She Can Dig It
Myanna Ruiz moved from outside to libero this season and has made a seamless transition. In fact, the junior's average of 5.06 digs per set would be a single-season school record - with Lauren Felsing's mark of 5.04 back in 2008 currently the top mark. Additionally, her digs-per-set average also ranks 24th in the nation.

Ruiz also is on pace to finish in the top-10 in total digs for a season. With at least one match left on the schedule, she currently has 546 digs on the season. Felsing is also the record-holder in that category with 645, also in 2008.

• Hitting The Century Mark
A pair of Panthers have reached milestone marks in their collegiate careers this season as both senior Kayla Price and junior Myanna Ruiz reached 1,000 digs for their Milwaukee careers. Ruiz was first to crack the list, accomplishing the feat Oct. 10th at UIC. Then, Price reached the century mark Oct. 23 in a home match against Youngstown State. The two become the 12th and 13th players in program history to achieve the remarkable accomplishment.

• The Price Is Right
Kayla Price enters her senior season as one of the top setters in Milwaukee history. A starter from her first season on campus, the fifth-year senior has racked up a whopping 4,930 assists. That mark is good for third in program history. Katie Schneider holds the program record with 5,276 from 1996-99.

• Gimme Five
Milwaukee has played in some thrilling matches this season, including eight that have gone the full five sets. The Panthers are 6-3 thus far this season when playing five, claiming wins over Furman, Oakland, Wright State, Youngstown State, Northern Kentucky and UIC.

• Flying High
The Panthers were statistically dominant in their five-set win at Oakland this season. In fact, four Panthers set career highs during the win. Kaisa Mattson had a career-high 21 kills, surpassing her old mark of 14. Myanna Ruiz (36), Maggie Dunbar (17) and Mykie Olsen (14) all tallied career bests in digs, while Kayla Price was just shy of PRs in both digs (18 - one away) and assists (58 - four away).

• Getting It Dun-Bar
Maggie Dunbar has put together quite a few memorable performances this season. The senior started the year coming off the bench to notch a then-career-high 25 kills in the five-set win over Furman. Dunbar hit a whopping .465 to lead UWM to the comeback win. Then, Dunbar upped her career-high to 28 against Cleveland State Oct. 24. That total equals the most in the Horizon League this season. Just for perspective, that tied for the second-most kills in program history for a five-set match.

• On The Road Again
After opening the season with three-straight home matches as part of the Pepsi Panther Invitational, Milwaukee didn't play another home game the whole month of September. UWM faced 12-straight road matches, including playing away from home every weekend during the first month of school. Tournaments in North Dakota, Iowa and Illinois started the big road swing before a three-game road trip to Oakland, Youngstown State and Cleveland State to start conference play ended the month-long stretch.

• It's Good To Be Home
When it comes to home court advantage, Milwaukee has proven to make the Klotsche Center one of the toughest places to play. The Panthers posted a 9-3 mark a season ago to up their home record to 75-24 under head coach Susie Johnson, good for a winning percentage of .758. Here's Milwaukee's year-by-year home record under Johnson:

2014: 9-3
2013: 8-1
2012: 5-7
2011: 12-2
2010: 10-4
2009: 8-4
2008: 10-2
2007: 13-1

• All-Tourney Team
The Panthers played in four non-conference tournaments this year and boasted some great individual performances to start the season. Kayla Price and Myanna Ruiz were both named to the all-tournament team following the season-opening Pepsi Panther Invitational. Then, Price was at it again after the tournament in North Dakota. Maggie Dunbar was named to the all-tourney team in Iowa before freshman Maddie Williams got the nod after a strong showing at the Wildcat Invitational at Northwestern.

• Up Next
The Horizon League Tournament starts next Friday, Nov. 20 and runs until Nov. 22. The top seed hosts the league tournament, with Cleveland State or Oakland still battling it out for this year's No. 1 seed. The Vikings enter the weekend with a one-game lead over the Golden Grizzlies.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Maggie Dunbar: RS; 6' 2"; Senior

#10 Taylor Gruber: S; 5' 11"; Senior

#3 Sammi Herron: OH; 5' 10"; Senior

#7 Nicole Latzig: MB/RS; 6' 0"; Senior

#13 Kaisa Mattson: MB; 6' 2"; Junior

#11 Mykie Olsen: DS; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#5 Kayla Price: S; 5' 9"; Senior

#2 Myanna Ruiz: L; 5' 8"; Junior

#15 Maddie Williams: MB; 5' 11"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#12 Maggie Dunbar
: 6' 2"; Senior
: RS

#10 Taylor Gruber
: 5' 11"; Senior
: S

#3 Sammi Herron
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OH

#7 Nicole Latzig
: 6' 0"; Senior
: MB/RS

#13 Kaisa Mattson
: 6' 2"; Junior
: MB

#11 Mykie Olsen
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: DS

#5 Kayla Price
: 5' 9"; Senior
: S

#2 Myanna Ruiz
: 5' 8"; Junior
: L

#15 Maddie Williams
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: MB