MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Milwaukee volleyball team made quick work of its opponents last week, earning three sweeps. The Panthers have now won 12 consecutive contests, the most since 2007 and are off to their best start since 1999 when the team started the year 21-1. Milwaukee is on the road for two more Horizon League matches this week before hosting five of the next six at the Klotsche Center, where it is 5-0 this year.
 
Scouting the Competition
One of the hottest teams in the Horizon League, Milwaukee will next head to Ohio to take on Cleveland State and Youngstown State.
 
Cleveland State has struggled so far this season and come into the week with an overall record of 4-9 and Horizon League mark of 0-2. During the first week of league play, the Vikings fell in five to IUPUI before dropping a 3-1 decision at Northern Kentucky.
 
As a team, Cleveland State is averaging 17 digs per set, which ranks second in the Horizon League. The Vikings back line is led by Lindsey Tout, who has 214 digs total, followed by Emily DeGeorge with 163. Senior Trinniti Hall leads the offense, averaging 3.43 kills per set, hitting at a .287 clip and ranks second in the Horizon League with 4.45 points per set.
 
Youngstown State also dropped its opening two Horizon League matches, falling to 6-9 overall. The Penguins started the year red hot, winning four straight, but have since dropped nine of 11 contests.
 
Brooklen Pe'a and Aleah Hughes each have over 130 kills for Youngstown, totaling 131 and 137, respectively. As a team, the Penguins are hitting just .159, averaging 11.58 kills per frame.
 
September to Remember
The Panthers finished the month of September with a 12-1 record and have already surpassed last year's win total as they have won 15 of the first 16 contests this season. With the 15-1 start, Milwaukee is of to its best start since 1999 when the team started 21-1. That year, the Panthers finished 25-4 and won the MCC regular season title and reached the NCAA Tournament.
 
League Openers No Problem
With a victory over UIC, Milwaukee is now 12-1 in Horizon League openers during head coach Susie Johnson's tenure. Johnson is 133-64 all-time against league opponents.
 
Bring the Brooms
Milwaukee has swept four straight opponents, the longest stretch of 3-0 wins since 2013. The Panthers have 10 sweeps already this season, the most since recording 10 in 2013. 
 
Home Cooking
In total, the Panthers host 13 home games in 2019 including four straight from October 18 to October 26. Milwaukee is 237-101 overall and 142-46 in league play all-time at home. In Susie Johnson's 22 years with the Panthers, MKE is 208-61 in the Klotsche Center.
 
Ferocious Freshmen
Ari Miller has been a force in her first year for Milwaukee and leads the Panthers with 173 kills. The Jackson, Wis. native is landing kills at a .317 clip and has reached double digits in 10 contests this year. In a 3-2 comeback win over South Dakota State on September 20, Miller put away a career-high 21 kills.
 
Mati Jakscht has been a vital part of the Panthers' defense, totaling 142 digs, which is fourth most on the team. Jakscht has posted at least 10 digs in five different matches. Additionally, Jakscht has found a niche serving, ranking fourth on the team with 13 service aces.
 
Grindin' Grabowski
Sophomore Jess Grabowski has been tremendous for the Panthers, leading the team with 304 total digs. Thanks to a spectacular showing at the Panther Invitational, Grabowski earned the Nike Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week honor. Grabowski has recorded double-digit dig totals in each of Milwaukee's 16 contests this year. The Greendale, Wis. native has reached the 20-dig plateau eight times this year including a season-high 32 against Drake.
 
Joining the 1K Club
With 33 digs at the Panther Invitational, Kylie Wilks surpassed 1,000 digs for her career. The dual-threat senior is on pace to become just the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career digs and kills. Wilks is just outside the top 10 in digs and ranks 15th with 899 kills.
 
The Heilemann Hammer
Carmen Heilemann has been solid all season for Milwaukee and has totaled 166 kills and a .302 attack percentage. The junior recorded a season-high 19 kills in a 3-2 win over Drake and has reached double digit kills in nine matches  this season. Heilemann is on pace to put up the best statistical line of her career for the black and gold.
 
Double Trouble
Setters Jenn Dore and Rylie Vaughn have been a nightmare for the opposition in 2019. In a 3-1 win over Butler, each recorded a double-double, the second time that has happened this season. The two have combined for 11 double-doubles this year and are each averaging over 5.0 assists per set. Thanks to their outstanding play September 13-14, Dore and Vaughn were named to the Panther Invitational All-Tournament team.
 
It's Miller Time!
Ari and Jenna Miller were huge offensive assets for Milwaukee at the Jackrabbit Invitational. Both earned a spot on the all-tournament team as they combined for 69 kills. Ari was named Tournament MVP as she hit .391, averaging 4.45 per set while Jenna totaled 20 kills with a .390 attack percentage.
 
Panther Invite Success
For the 21st season, Milwaukee hosted the Panther Invitational. With its seventh sweep of the invitational, the Panthers are 46-25 at the home tournament since its inception in 1995.
 
Exuding Experience
Of the 18 players on the 2019 roster, 15 of them have collegiate experience including 12 who played at least 50 sets a season ago. Milwaukee has six seniors and four juniors on the roster to make up the upperclassmen.
 
Sophomore Studs
This year's sophomore class had an impactful freshmen campaign. Rylie Vaughn's 592 assists stand eighth on the freshman record board. Jess Grabowksi's 561 digs was a record for a Panthers freshman as was her 4.92 digs per set. Abby Koenen appeared in all 30 matches, totaling 217 kills and 64 blocks. Kleja Cerniauskaite started 25 matches for the Panthers and recorded 169 kills and 60 blocks. Lauren Spalding had an injury-plagued season but made the most of her appearances, tallying 101 digs and 10 service aces in 14 matches.
 
The Big 2-0-0
Entering her 13th season as head coach for Milwaukee, Susie Johnson had 198 victories. Thanks to an opening weekend sweep, Johnson earned win number 200 and even added another for good measure. Johnson became the third Panthers' volleyball coach to record at least 200 victories, joining Kathy Litzau  ('93 - '06) and Tom Pleyte ('78 - '92). Johnson has been a part of the coaching staff for 22 total years and has helped the Panthers to 13 20-win seasons.
 
I'll Take Milwaukee For 500
With the 3-2 win over Arkansas State in the season opener, the Milwaukee volleyball team earned their 500th program victory, adding to their rich history. Since entering into NCAA Division 1, the Panthers have 13 league titles and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Catch All the Action
Thanks to ESPN+, Milwaukee volleyball will be readily available for viewers. The Panthers have nine home games scheduled for streaming on ESPN+. The Horizon League and ESPN have an agreement that includes ESPN hosting the league's digital network on the ESPN+ platform.
 
ESPN+, which will host the Horizon League women's soccer, men's soccer, and volleyball championships this fall, offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content, and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
 
For road games, visit www.MKEPanthers.com for live coverage links.