MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee volleyball team battled to 34 ties and 11 lead changes with Northern Kentucky but fell 3-1 to the Norse on Friday night.
 
The Panthers (8-16, 7-6 Horizon League) were held to a .179 attack percentage as NKU (12-11, 10-2 Horizon League) racked up 15 blocks and 51 digs.
 
After a back-and-forth battle in the first, an ace from Josie Johnson put MKE up 11-10, but the Norse responded with a 7-0 run to ice away the first set and put the Panthers in an early hole.
 
Bri Geurts and Madi Malone helped MKE bounce back in the second, combining for 10 kills in a 25-22 victory. The Panthers were in trouble down four at 20-16, but Geurts came up big with two kills in a 4-0 run to knot it at 20.
 
After trading kills, a quick 3-0 spurt had MKE in control and Malone finished off the set with a kill and a combined block with Lakyn Grave to tie the match at 1-1.
 
In the third, the Panthers were plagued with 10 errors as Northern Kentucky totaled six blocks in the frame. MKE kept it close until a 7-0 burst had the Norse up big. The Panthers fought late with three straight points, but back-to-back MKE errors had NKU up 2-1.
 
The Panthers racked up 18 kills and hit .282 in the fourth, but could not keep up with NKU, who hit .516 with just one miscue. A Malone kill had MKE within one at 22-21, but the Norse's Joy Banks landed three of the next four kills to give NKU a 25-22 victory.
 
Malone racked up 20 kills for the Panthers, her second time reaching the 20-figure mark this year. The sophomore added eight digs and a block.
 
Kara Erdmann led the back row with 16 digs in addition to four assists. Kaley Blake dished out 25 assists, putting her past 1,000 for her career with the black and gold.
 
Geurts hit .346 with 13 kills and added three digs and two blocks.
 
The Panthers are back in action tomorrow, hosting Wright State at 4:00 pm from the Klotsche Center. 
 
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