DALLAS – Behind a match-best 17 kills from Natalie Schmitz, the Milwaukee volleyball team wrapped up its weekend in Texas with a 3-1 win over the Weber State Wildcats.
 
The Panthers dropped the opening set in extra serves, 27-25, but responded with wins in the next three, 25-20, 25-21, and 25-13.
 
Schmitz tied her career-best kill total as she finished the match hitting .327. Lakyn Graves connected on a team-best .409 hitting percentage and tied a career best with 11 kills in the effort. Josie Johnson dished out 21 assists as the offense connected on 54 kills while hitting .222.
 
Graves led the Panthers with four blocks defensively, while Madi Malone led Milwaukee with 21 digs, followed by a 17-dig effort by Kara Erdmann. As a team, the Panthers held Weber State to just a .133 hitting percentage.
 
In the first set, neither side took more than a three-point lead, including a 24-21 lead by the Panthers late. Weber State scored the next four points to take a one-point advantage, and finished off the period, 27-25.
 
The second set was a stretch of runs that saw Milwaukee score four-straight points to take an 18-11 lead. Weber State refused to go down and got back within four at 21-17. Schmitz picked up a kill followed by three from Malone as the Panthers held on for the five-point win to tie the match at one set apiece.
 
"We showed a lot of resilience today," commented head coach Susie Johnson postgame. "We did a good job of getting more kills today and getting the ball to our hitters."
 
The Wildcats opened the third set with an early 7-3 lead before the Panthers took advantage of a pair of errors to level the set at eight. Down by one at 20-19, the Panthers scored six of the final seven points capped off by a kill from Graves to win the third set, 25-21.
 
Milwaukee used a six-point rally in the fourth set to take an early 10-7 lead with a pair of aces from Schmitz, along with a kill from Alexis Lewis. Weber State got back within one at 13-12, but the Panthers responded with 11 unanswered points behind the service of Malone, as Milwaukee had seven kills along the way en route to the 25-13 set victory.
 
Lewis and Malone each had eight kills apiece, while Rachel Scott had four. Milica Tomic had 14 assists with Erdmann adding six helpers on offense.
 
"I felt we had incredible chemistry today as a unit," Johnson added. "We performed well in lots of areas … serving, passing, and covering the ball, it was a great all-around effort."
 
Weber State was led by Jayda Tupea with 16 kills while Baylee Bodily had 13 kills. Kate Payne had 36 assists, while Ashley Gneiting had a team-best three aces. Four players reached double figures in digs with Payne recording a team-best 16.
 
Milwaukee will return home to the state of Wisconsin for the first time since its season opener. The Panthers will visit the UW Field House to take on the Wisconsin Badgers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening.