MILWAUKEE, Wis. - With two more wins this past weekend and a 5-1 record, the Milwaukee volleyball team is out to its best start since 2016. The Panthers showed resiliency at the Drake Invitational, topping St. Louis and earning a huge come-from-behind 3-2 win over Drake. Carmen Heilemann was named Tournament MVP while Jess Grabwoski also earned all-tournament honors.
 
Scouting the Competition
After a pair of road tournaments to open the season, Milwaukee will host the Panther Invitational this weekend, welcoming Western Michigan, Butler, and SEMO to the Klotsche center.
 
Most recently, SEMO dropped a 3-2 decision to Southern Illinois, but prior to that, the Redhawks swept their home invitational and sit at 4-3 on the year. Coached by former Panther ('98-01) Julie Yankus, the Redhawks currently sit third in the Ohio Valley Conference behind Morehead State and SIUE. Junior Laney Malloy leads the offense averaging 3.26 kills per set. As a team, SEMO is hitting .207 with 12.07 kills per frame. Defensively, Tara Beilsmith has totaled 115 digs, averaging 4.26 per set this season. The Redhawks also have solid blocking numbers, averaging 2.44 per set led by Krista Berns, who has 28 on the year. SEMO has held opponents to a .144 hitting percentage, which ranks 13th in the nation.
 
Butler took down Tennessee State in its opening weekend tournament, but has struggled since, dropping four straight to sit at 1-5.  The Bulldogs have a trio of attackers they rely on, each of which averages at least two kills per set. Redshirt senior Anna Logan leads the team with 76 total kills. Butler has struggled with serving in 2019 as they have totaled 58 errors and just 23 aces. Elizabeth LaBue has been impressive on the defensive end, averaging 4.42 digs per set (106 total). On Friday, September 6, the Bulldogs dropped a 3-2 decision to the Horizon League's Cleveland State.
 
Western Michigan could not have asked for a better start to the season as they are 6-0. With a win on Friday, the Broncos earned the program's 1,000th victory, becoming the only MAC school and just 26th in NCAA history to accomplish that feat. It has not been easy for WMU, however, as have gone at least four sets in five of the six wins. Averaging 13.96 kills per set and hitting at a .270 clip, WMU boasts an efficient offense. Rachel Bontrager leads the team with 100 kills, averaging 3.85 per set and hitting .367 for the Broncos.
 
Panther Invite Success
This marks the 21st season Milwaukee will host the Panther Invitational. Since its inception in 1995, MKE is 43-25 at its home tournament and has swept the competition six times.
 
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 at home. In Susie Johnson's 22 years with the Panthers, MKE is 203-61 in the Klotsche Center.
 
The Panthers have not hosted their home opener this late in the season since 2013 when their first game at the Klotsche Center was on September 17.
 
The Heilemann Hammer
Carmen Heilemann was stellar for the second straight weekend, earning the Drake Invitational Most Valuable Player. The junior recorded a season-high 19 kills in a 3-2 win over Drake and has reached double digit kills in five of the six matches  this season. Heilemann leads the team with 71 total kills and an attack percentage of .314.
 
Serving Up Success
Through six matches, Milwaukee has 47 total service aces, averaging 1.88 per set which leads the Horizon League. The Panthers have had at least seven aces in five of six matches this season. Currently, the Panthers' best program average to date is 1.88 service aces per frame, set in 1999.
 
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.
 
So far in 2019, Dore and Vaughn already have six double-doubles combined. In the 3-2 win over Drake, both reached the 30-assist plateau, each recording a double-double.
 
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 3,212 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, now at 996 digs (ranking 16th) and 848 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 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.