Skip To Main Content

Milwaukee Athletics

Skip Ad
recap riverside
2
Milwaukee MKE 0-6
3
Winner UC Riverside UCR 4-1
Milwaukee MKE
0-6
2
Final
3
UC Riverside UCR
4-1
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Milwaukee MKE 20 24 26 25 13 (2)
UC Riverside UCR 25 26 24 22 15 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Highlanders Hand Milwaukee Another Heartbreaker

Grabowski finished with 24 digs

POCATELLO, Idaho – Three Milwaukee Panthers finished with double-digit kills but it wasn't enough as the MKE volleyball team dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to UC Riverside Friday evening in second of three matches at the Idaho State Invitational.
 
The Panthers – who finished a five-set marathon with powerhouse Boise State just over one hour before the start of the evening contest against the UCR – fell behind in the first two sets, only to force the match to five before coming up just short, 20-25, 24-26, 26-24, 25-22, 13-15.
 
"This was a tough day, losing a pair of five-setters by a total of four points. But, I'm very encouraged by this team," Milwaukee head coach Susie Johnson said. "They showed fight all day long. They showed resilience. They showed calmness in the face of adversity. No one on this sideline likes losing, but I'm confident in the direction we're heading."
 
Freshman libero Jess Grabowski – fresh off a career-high 27 digs against Boise State – tallied a game-high 24 digs in Friday's nightcap, while Kylie Wilks added a career-high 20 digs.
 
Kleja Cerniauskaite led a balanced attack for the young Panthers with a career-high 13 kills. Sophomore Makenzie Mroczenski had 12 kills and freshman Abby Koenen reached double-digits for the first time in her collegiate career with 10 kills.
 
Rylie Vaughn and Jenn Dore combined to run a solid offensive plan, dishing out a combined 49 assists on the night.
 
Reigning AVCA National Player of the Week Kaiulana Ahuna led the way for UC Riverside with 23 kills, though Milwaukee did more than keep her in check, limiting the talented outside to just a .086 hitting percentage with 17 errors on 70 attempts.
 
After a pair of close losses in the first two sets, Milwaukee flipped the script in the third. Down 24-23, Sara Kartalovic tallied one of her six kills on the day to tie things up before Cerniauskaite took over. The freshman middle turned in a solo block against UCR's standout hitter before hammering home her attempt and Milwaukee was on the board in the third.
 
MKE turned a close game in the fourth into a nice win late, with a block by Koenen and Cerniauskaite sealing the deal to force a second-straight decisive fifth set.
 
A back-and-forth affair the entire way, Milwaukee claimed a 9-8 lead after an ace from Dore just after the midway point. The lead continued to bounce back and forth, but UCR was able to do just enough at the end with a 15-13 final.
 
The Panthers will wrap up their busy weekend Saturday by taking on host Idaho State at 1 pm Central, scheduled to be streamed live on Watch Big Sky.
 
 
Print Friendly Version