MILWAUKEE, Wis. - For the first time since 2013, the Milwaukee volleyball team will open the season on the road. The Panthers travel to Nashville, Tenn. for the Bruiser Showcase, hosted by Belmont University. The 2019 campaign begins with a 9:30 am contest against Arkansas State followed by an evening matchup with the host school at 6:00 pm. The Panthers will then close the tournament with a 11:00 am match against North Alabama on Saturday, August 31.
Scouting the Competition
The Panthers hit the road to open the regular season, taking part in the Bruiser Showcase which is hosted by Belmont University.
Milwaukee opens with a 9:30 am bout against Arkansas State on Friday, the teams' first meeting. Last year, the Red Wolves finished 19-14 overall and reached the Sun Belt Conference Semifinals before falling to Appalachian State. Arkansas State graduated its top threat, Carlisa May, a three-time SBC Offensive Player of the Year, but still has plenty of firepower behind Macey Putt, who averaged 2.88 kills per set. As a team, the Red Wolves averaged 12.90 kills per set, hitting .207 for the year.
On Friday evening, Milwaukee will face Belmont, who recorded a 5-23 record in 2018. The Bruins ran a two-setter offense last season with Carly Mason and Akia Warrior at point and both return for the 2019 campaign. Mason dished up 561 assists while Warrior tallied 339. Belmont struggled offensively last season, hitting .134 with 10.97 kills per set.
The Panthers' Nashville trip concludes on Saturday with an 11:00 am matchup against North Alabama, another first-time meeting between teams. Last season, the Lions finished 4-21, going winless on the road. North Alabama has a much different look this year, with just two returners in Christina Ellwanger and Nura Abakar. Ellwanger led the team last year with 210 kills while Abakar appeared in 20 matches, recording 42 total blocks.
200 Watch
Entering her 13th season as head coach for Milwaukee,
Susie Johnson has 198 victories. Johnson has been a part of the coaching staff for 22 total years and has helped the Panthers to 13 20-win seasons and 424 total victories.
I'll Take Milwaukee For 500
Milwaukee has a very rich volleyball history with 13 league titles and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. Now in its 30th season at the Division I level, the Panthers are on the verge of notching win No. 500 in program history. MKE enters the weekend with 499 total wins.
Double Trouble
Setters
Jenn Dore and
Rylie Vaughn keep opponents on their toes running a two-setter offense. The two combined for 20 double-doubles in 2018 and have the potential to put up big numbers every night. Dore finished the year with 634 assists while Vaughn totaled 592, eighth most in school history for a freshman.
Rising in the Record Books
With a handful of seniors and multiple year starters, this year's Panther squad has a number of student-athletes that are well on their way to etching their names in the Panthers record books. Dore has 3,083 career assists, fourth most in program history.
Kylie Wilks is on pace to become just the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career digs and kills, entering the season with 939 digs (ranking 16th) and 797 kills (ranking 15th).
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 Panther freshmen 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.
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.
Home Cooking
In total, the Panthers host 13 home games in 2019 including four straight from October 18 to October 26. Milwaukee is 232-101 overall and 141-46 in league play all-time. In
Susie Johnson's 22 years with the Panthers, MKE is 203-61 in the Klotsche Center.
Mark Your Calendars
After a pair of road tournaments to open the 2019 season, the Panthers will settle in at home with the Panther Invitational. Milwaukee will face SEMO, Butler, and Western Michigan on September 13-14.
