MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee volleyball team finished off yet another conference weekend sweep as the Panthers defeated the Robert Morris Colonials by a 3-0 score on Saturday afternoon inside the Klotsche Center.
 
With the win, Milwaukee improved to 19-8 overall on the season, while maintaining first place in the Horizon League standings as the team improved to 11-2 in league matches.
 
The sweep was Milwaukee's seventh of the season, and the fifth time this year that the Panthers swept a weekend set of league contests in six tries this fall season.
 
Behind a team effort, which included a .378 hitting percentage on the match, including a .433 hitting percentage in the third set, the Panthers charged past the Colonials by 25-19, 25-20, and 25-18 scores.
 
"Offensively we were clean, we had a 46-35 kill advantage while also committing fewer errors," noted head coach Susie Johnson on the team's win. "It was well balanced offense attack with Madi [Malone], Natalie [Schmitz], and Bri [Geurts] all getting 10 or more kills and hitting better than .400 each."
 
"Our goal today was to be intentional, focused, and competitive," Johnson added. "We needed to fend off Robert Morris who came to compete, but we stayed the course and won in three."
 
Madi Malone led the team with 14 kills, while Natalie Schmitz had 11 kills against no errors for a .647 hitting percentage. Bri Geurts had 10 kills in the effort with a .571 hitting percent. Ari Miller had six kills, while Josie Johnson had a season-best three kills and Lakyn Graves chipped in offensively with a pair of kills.
 
Kaley Blake led Milwaukee's setters with 19 assists, with Johnson notching 13 and Kati Goba adding eight of her own in the effort. The Panthers had another seven service aces on the match including a season-best four from Sarah Schrader.
 
Miller led the defensive front with three blocks including one solo block, while Graves and Schmitz each had solo blocks on the afternoon. Goba had 10 digs to lead the Panthers while Blake was second with eight followed by Malone and Schrader with six digs apiece.

Milwaukee came out of the gates firing on all cylinders against the Robert Morris squad as Schrader opened the match with an ace, while Malone chipped in with a pair of kills as the Panthers led by a 7-1 score. The largest lead of the set came at 15-6 after an ace by Blake and an error by the Colonials put the home team ahead by nine.
 
Robert Morris did not go away quietly and slowly fought their way back, punctuated by a late six-point rally to get back within two at 19-17. The Panthers regrouped after a kill by Miller before Schmitz gave MKE another point to regain a four-point lead. After a point by RMU, the Panthers closed out the opening set with three-straight points capped off by a Panther block.
Robert Morris jumped ahead first in the second set at 4-2, as Milwaukee was only able to tie the set on nine occasions before overtaking the Colonials at 16-15 on a kill by Geurts. The Colonials returned offense with the next two points and tied the match at 18 with a block.
 
The Panthers scored the next six points, which included an ace by Goba and a kill by Miller to set MKE up for set point at 24-18. After RMU was able to fight off the next two points, Malone put the ribbon on the set off a pass by Blake to win the second set, 25-20.
 
It was again Robert Morris to take the early lead in the third set at 6-3, before Milwaukee was able to tie the score at 13 aside. After the two sides were equal at 16, a service ace by Blake gave the Panthers their first lead since 3-2. The Colonials tied the score at 17 before Milwaukee's offensive attack got going again.
 
An attacking error by the Colonials gave Milwaukee service, which was followed by an ace from Schrader to put the Panthers ahead by a 19-17 score. Geurts got a kill ahead of another ace from Schrader before three kills by Geurts, Malone, and Geurts again put the Panthers ahead 24-18. Milwaukee was able to secure the win on an error by RMU on the final rally.
 
Milwaukee will have a busy week ahead as the Panthers will be on the road for the next three matches beginning with Green Bay on Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Kress Center.