SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Milwaukee volleyball team improved each frame on Saturday but could not keep pace with Texas Tech and fell 3-0 at the Irish Invitational.
 
"We competed a lot better. We were able to get out offense going a little more," head coach Susie Johnson said. "Texas Tech is a great team - also an NCAA Tournament team last year. I felt like the team grew a lot today and we hope to continue to grow for tomorrow."
 
The Panthers cut down on the errors from Friday and increased their attack percentage in each frame on Saturday morning, but Texas Tech hit a blistering .408 for the match.
 
Texas Tech (2-0) was efficient early, connecting on six straight kills without an error to open the match and put the Panthers in a hole.
 
Madi Malone put away consecutive kills to help close the gap, but TTU's Maddie O'Brien landed two of her own to help the Red Raiders take the first 25-15.
 
In the second, Texas Tech again took control early on with an 8-3 run before a kill from Bri Geurts settled it down.
 
MKE (0-2) pushed late, forcing five set-points behind TTU errors and a Natalie Schmitz kill, but on their fifth shot, the Red Raiders put away a slam to end it 25-19.
 
Ari Miller and Malone got it going for the Panthers in the third with four kills in the first eight points before Texas Tech responded to even it up 8-8.
 
TTU took the lead and pushed it to 15-11 but MKE quickly bounced back with three straight kills from Schmitz and Malone.
 
A pair of MKE errors and a Red Raiders had the deficit back to four and Texas Tech fought off the Panthers from there for a 25-17 win.
 
Malone led MKE with a season-high 12 kills and added eight digs. Miller put away seven kills with just one error, hitting .462.
 
Kaley Blake totaled 19 assists while Josie Johnson added 12 assists and three digs.
 
Sarah Schrader once again reached double figure digs, leading the team with 12.
 
Milwaukee faces host Notre Dame tomorrow to wrap up the Irish Invitational at 1:00 pm CT.
 
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