MILWAUKEE, Wis. - For the first time in three years, the Milwaukee volleyball team opened the season 3-0 as it took all three matches at the Bruiser Showcase this past weekend. After a 3-2 come-from-behind victory in the opener, the Panthers tallied a pair of sweeps against Belmont and North Alabama. Ari Miller was named Tournament MVP while Carmen Heilemann and Jess Grabowski also earned a spot on the All-Tournament squad.
 
Scouting the Competition
For the second straight weekend, the Milwaukee volleyball team will be on the road. The Panthers take part in the Drake Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
 
Milwaukee looks for its fourth straight victory as it face Eastern Washington at 12:00 pm on Friday. The Panthers and Eagles have never met, marking the fourth straight contest against an unfamiliar opponent for MKE. Eastern Washington is 1-2 to open the year including a loss to Horizon League member UIC. The Eagles are led by Catelyn Linke, who has totaled 37 kills in three matches thus far. The junior has nearly twice as many attacks as anyone else on the team and is averaging 3.08 kills per set.
 
The Panthers continue with Saint Louis at 4:00 pm on Friday. The Billikens have put together a nice start to the season, earning three consecutive victories behind an efficient offense that is hitting .257. Saint Louis is also strong defensively, averaging 17.25 digs per set thanks to four players with over 30 digs apiece. Maya Taylor is a large piece of the Billikens' offense, averaging 4.50 kills per set (54 total).
 
The tournament concludes on Saturday, with the Panthers taking on host Drake University. After dropping the season opener, Drake knocked off South Dakota State and Eastern Illinois to improve to 2-1 on the year. Drake relies heavily on Haley Bush and Emily Plock, who have accounted for 92 of the team's 154 kills. Plock is hitting .327 while Bush is landing attacks at a .272 clip.
 
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.
 
Get Out the Brooms!
Milwaukee swept the season's first tournament, earning three straight victories to begin the year for just the third time in the last 15 years. The last time the Panthers won three straight to open was in 2014.
 
Fantastic Freshmen
First-year players Ari Miller and Mati Jakscht wasted no time getting into the mix in their collegiate debuts. Miller earned the title of Bruiser Showcase MVP as she totaled 26 kills and a .254 attack percentage in the three matches. Jakscht did a little bit of everything in her first action, recording 13 digs, five assists, two service aces, and an assist in a 3-2 win over Arkansas State.
 
The Heilemann Hammer
Carmen Heilemann was an offensive force for the Panthers during the opening weekend, totaling 29 kills, which was tied for the team lead. Heilemann recorded 10 kills two separate times and now has double-digit kills in six of the last nine contests she has appeared in. Additionally, Heilemann leads Milwaukee with a .345 attack percentage.
 
Serving Up Success
Through three matches, Milwaukee has 28 total service aces, averaging 2.55 per set, substantially better than any season they have ever had. The Panthers best average to date is 1.88 service aces per set which was set in 1999. On the defensive side, Milwaukee had just seven reception errors, an average of 0.64 per set, down from 1.30 per set a season ago.
 
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 3,133 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 961 digs (ranking 16th) and 819 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.
 
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.
 
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.