MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Defense was key for the Milwaukee volleyball team on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers held Oakland to a .124 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep at the Klotsche Center.
 
"It was a really good win. We closed out the match really well," head coach Susie Johnson commented. "Our blocking came on strong, in particularly Bri [Geurts] having nine blocks. We were very locked in and that's the goal. Grow and get better every time we play."  
 
The Panthers (6-13, 5-3 Horizon League) totaled 43 digs and recorded 10 blocks to force 22 Golden Grizzlies' errors in the win.
 
Neither team created separation in the first set until the midway mark when the blocks came alive. Bri Geurts put away a kill and followed with a pair of blocks in a 5-0 MKE run to put the Panthers in front 18-14.
 
Oakland (7-12, 3-4 Horizon League) brought it back to a one-point game but kills from Ari Miller and Geurts finished the frame 25-23.
 
In the second, MKE and Oakland battled to 13 ties and nine lead changes, but it was the Panthers that prevailed. Down 23-22, Madi Malone recorded a kill, and a pair of Golden Grizzlies' errors ended it 25-23 to put MKE up 2-0.
 
It was all Milwaukee in the third as the Panthers finished with 15 kills in 28 swings with just one error. MKE got off to a 5-0 start and later pushed it to 18-5 as they rolled to a 25-9 victory, the largest margin this season.
 
Geurts put away six kills and recorded a career-high nine blocks in the win.
 
Natalie Schmitz led the Panthers with 11 kills while Miller totaled eight and hit .438.
 
Josie Johnson finished with 17 assists and six digs while Kaley Blake added 13 assists, eight digs, and two aces. Sarah Schrader totaled 12 digs to lead the back line.
 
Milwaukee next heads to Green Bay on October 14 before beginning the second half of the Horizon League schedule at home on October 18 against IUPUI.
 
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