MILWAUKEE, Wis. - After 11 consecutive matches on the road, the Milwaukee volleyball team finally returns home to the Klotsche Center. The Panthers host Northern Kentucky on Thursday, September 30 before Wright State comes to town the following evening. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm.
 
The Panthers opened the Horizon League schedule last weekend and picked up a pair of wins to move to 8-6 overall. MKE has won five of its last six contests.
 
The Milwaukee Athletic Department recently announced that fans will be allowed at all home events this year. In accordance with current Milwaukee Public Health and CDC recommendations, fans will be required to wear a face covering indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Northern Kentucky had a strong start to its Horizon League schedule, knocking off preseason favorite Wright State 3-2 on Saturday evening. The win improved the Norse to 5-5 overall.
 
NKU, who was predicted to finished third in the preseason poll, built a tough non-conference slate, taking on No. 11 Ohio State and No. 12 Louisville earlier this season.
 
The Norse are led by Anna Brinkman and Miranda Wucherer, both of whom were named First Team All-Horizon League a year ago. Brinkman ranks second in the league in kills per set (3.92) and points per set (4.78) while Wucherer leads the team with 291 assists to go with 106 kills and 130 digs.
 
Wright State, defending Horizon League Champions and preseason favorites, enter the week at 8-5 after falling in five to Northern Kentucky to open the league slate.
 
The Raiders bring all sorts of experience back in 2021 including three fifth-year players and four seniors. Both 2020 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year (Jenna Story) and Setter of the Year (Lainey Stephenson) have been vital to WSU's success. Junior Megan Alders leads three players with at least 100 kills for Wright State.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky have met 13 times since 2015 with the Norse holding a 7-6 advantage. The Panthers had the upper hand early, but NKU has won four straight against MKE dating back to 2019.
 
The Panthers have dominated the all-time series against Wright State 43-18, but the Raiders have earned three consecutive sweeps against MKE.  Milwaukee is 23-6 all-time at home against WSU.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Milwaukee has seen plenty of success at the Klotsche Center, totaling a 257-110 (.700) record on its home court since 1990. The Panthers have totaled 24 winning seasons at the Klotsche Center including 10 double-digit victory campaigns at home.
 
The Panthers have seen Northern Kentucky two times in the last five home Horizon League openers and have won both matchups. MKE is a perfect 5-0 at home against the Norse and 23-6 against the Raiders at the Klotsche Center.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
Following the home tournament to open the year on August 27-29, Milwaukee had a stretch of 11 consecutive matches on the road, nine of which were at non-conference tournaments. The Panthers 8-3 during that stretch to finish in non-conference play. 
 
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
With the win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday, the Panthers improved to 13-2 in Horizon League openers under head coach Susie Johnson.
 
RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS
The Panthers offense has been impressive so far this year and that continued in Indiana last weekend as the team hit .307 in a pair of victories. Through 14 matches, MKE has recorded five contests with an attack percentage of at least .300, going 5-0 in those matches.
 
Milwaukee leads the Horizon League in hitting percentage (.250), kills per set (13.82), and assists per set (13.09).
 
The Panthers are fourth in the nation in total assists (734) and seventh in total kills (774). 
 
RARE COMPANY
Rylie Vaughn is having another impressive year for the black and gold, averaging a career-high 8.86 assists to go with 2.55 digs per game.
 
With just nine more assists, Vaughn would join a group of just nine Panthers' players to reach that milestone.
 
The senior is also only 70 digs away from 1,000 for her career and would be the 17th player in program history to reach that mark.
 
Vaughn would also be just the fifth member of Milwaukee's 2,000-assist, 1,000-dig club, joining Katie Schneider ('96-99), Lindsey Spoden ('00-03), Kayla Price ('11-15), and Leanne Felsing ('04-07).
 
CAN'T BE STOPPED
Ari Miller continues to prove why she is one of the best players in the Horizon League and should be in contention for Player of the Year. The junior middle added 32 kills (4.57 per set) and hit .400 in the two wins last week.
 
Miller leads the team and league with a .372 attack percentage.  That number also puts her 59th in NCAA Division I. She also ranks second in total kills (208) and total points (237).
 
Miller has already pulled in two Horizon League Player of the Week honors and is in consideration once again this week.
 
THE GREAT GRABOWSKI
With 34 more digs last week, Jess Grabowski now has 1,618 for her career to move up to fourth on the Panthers' all-time list. The senior is just 311 digs away from Lauren Felsing's school record of 1,929 digs per set which was set in 2009.
 
Grabowski currently owns the program's top digs per set mark of 4.89.
 
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
Head coach Susie Johnson added three new faces to this year's roster and the trio has been impressive so far this season.
 
Madi Malone is second on the team in kills (173) and third in attack percentage (.251) and digs (143).
 
Brianna Geurts has been tough at the net and is second on the team with 38 total blocks. Geurts has added 49 kills and 20 digs.
 
When on the court, Tatum Catalano has made the most of her opportunities. Catalano has totaled three kills and five blocks in four sets played.
 
TOURNAMENT RUNDOWN
Thanks to victories over Butler and Western Michigan on September 17, Milwaukee wrapped up another winning weekend and finished 2-1 in three consecutive non-conference tournaments.
 
The Panthers pulled in two All-Tournament honors each weekend.
 
Shamrock Invitational - Madi Malone and Jess Grabowski
South Dakota Classic - Ari Miller and Rylie Vaughn
Bulldog Brawl - Ari Miller and Carmen Heilemann
 
CAREER-HIGHS ALL AROUND
The 3-2 win over Western Michigan on September 17 was an impressive team effort thanks to a handful of individuals with career-bests. Ari Miller put away 30 kills, topping her previous career-best of 21 from 2019. Rylie Vaughn dished out 51 assists, well over her old career-high of 35. Carmen Heilemann also set a new career-best, recording 12 digs, her first time in double figures.
 
Miller's 30 kills marked the second most for a Panther in five sets behind only Jamie Gabrielsen's 31 from 2007. She was one off of Ericka Malterer's match record of 32 which was set in 1998.
 
Vaughn's 51 assists are the most for a Panther since Jenn Dore's 54 on October 29, 2017.
 
PRESEASON POLL
The Horizon League released the 2021 preseason poll on Wednesday afternoon and Milwaukee was predicted to finish fourth, voted by the league coaches.
 
The Panthers earned 94 total poll points. Two-time defending champions Wright State picked up nine of 11 first-place votes and 119 total points as they were predicted to finish on top. UIC, who finished 14-3 overall a season ago, edged Northern Kentucky by one poll point with 98 total. Both the Flames and Norse received one first-place vote.
 
CATCH ALL THE ACTION
Thanks to ESPN+, Milwaukee volleyball will be readily available for viewers. 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, 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 $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
 
For road games, visit MKEPanthers.com for live coverage links.