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Jess Kalous, block
2
Bradley BRAD 0-1
3
Winner Milwaukee UWM 1-0
Bradley BRAD
0-1
2
Final
3
Milwaukee UWM
1-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Bradley BRAD 25 25 13 22 11 (2)
Milwaukee UWM 18 22 25 25 15 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Panthers Roar Back For Season-Opening Win

Five Panthers reach double figures in digs

MILWAUKEE – Caitlin Schultz and Jess Kalous combined for 35 kills and the whole team chipped in defensively in a 3-2 come-from-behind win by the Milwaukee women's volleyball team in the season opener over Bradley Friday afternoon from the Klotsche Center.
 
Milwaukee – one of the youngest teams in the nation this year – dropped the first two sets before a momentum-changing third set, riding that wave all the way to the finish; 18-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-22, 15-11.
 
"It's so hard to come back when you're down 0-2, but the thing is that this team really came in in shape this year…It was hard. Bradley wasn't giving up and we had to make some adjustments and put some other people in and they were able to really produce," Milwaukee head coach Susie Johnson said.
 
"I was really proud of the whole team."
 
The win was the sixth in the last seven years in the season opener for the Panthers.
 
Schultz was a force all match long, hammering home 20 kills to shatter her previous career best of 11. Kalous was also dominant, collecting 15 kills on .357 hitting.
 
Defensively, five Panthers reached double figures in digs, led by freshman Jenn Dore with 19. Myanna Ruiz (16), Louise Kiekhofer (15), Teagan Taylor (14) and Mykie Olsen (10) all also had big performances.
 
UWM also tallied 11 total blocks for the match, including rejecting a Bradley attack for the deciding point of the match.
 
"Our defense did an awesome job," Johnson said. "We had a very balanced defense. This is the best defense as a group that I've seen in a lot of years tonight. We weren't digging or blocking as much early, and then the block ended up winning the match, which is awesome. That's what we were working through the whole match is adjustments on that and it seemed to work.
 
"What I love most about this group though is that they're coachable, and that makes all the difference."
 
After dropping the first two sets, it was all Milwaukee in the third. It was a quick start and a service by Dore made it 5-1 in no time. Three-straight Bradley errors quickly jumped the score to 11-4 and the route was on. A pair of kills by Kalous and Schultz each sparked a 5-0 run to make it 16-5. Newcomers Kiekhofer, Sydney Book and Bridget Wallenberger all also got in the mix before a kill and then a block by Kalous on consecutive plays sealed the deal and swung the momentum back in Milwaukee's favor.
 
After a slow start in the fourth saw Milwaukee trail 4-1, they quickly responded and grabbed their first lead at 6-5. A BU 4-0 run made it 18-16, but UWM responded with four straight of their own to reclaim the lead at 20-18 on another Kalous kill. Down 22-21, the Panthers would not drop another point with kills from Kiekhofer, Schultz and Kalous closing it out to knot things up at 2-2.
 
It was a back-and-forth fifth set early, with both teams splitting the first 16 points. From there however, the Panthers took control. Schultz drilled home a pair of kills and Milwaukee forced two Bradley errors to jump up 12-8. The Braves tried to come back, but UWM slammed those hopes shut with a match-clinching block by Book and Wallenberger.
 
Milwaukee is right back at it Friday night, hosting Akron at 7:30 p.m. All hot dogs are just $1 and all fans can grab their 2016 Milwaukee volleyball schedule poster at the match.
 
 
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