MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee's defense shined as the Panthers blanked Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday afternoon, sweeping the Mastodons 26-24, 25-22, and 25-16.
 
Up front, the Panthers tallied 11 blocks to Purdue Fort Wayne's eight, while Milwaukee's backline secured 66 digs compared to just 49 for the visitors.
 
Annie Eschenbach led the blocking effort with six, while Bella Lipski and Josie Noble each added four. Julia Kellner chipped in with three blocks. Kara Erdmann recorded a match-high 24 digs, while Josie Johnson and Milica Tomic each had nine and Ella Schuetz added eight.
 
Milwaukee's strong defensive fueled its offense as Eschenbach finished with a team-high 15 kills. Noble added 12 kills without an error and hit a staggering .800 for the match. Natalie Schmitz added 10 kills, while Lipski chipped in with six.
 
Johnson led the Panthers with 21 assists, while Tomic dished out 16. Kati Goba was once again effective from the service line, delivering three aces.
 
"What an all-around team effort," said head coach Susie Johnson after the match. "Purdue Fort Wayne pushed us throughout, but we were able to respond every time … that' where we've seen the most growth lately with our young team."
 
Eschenbach and Noble powered Milwaukee in the opening set, combining for 14 of the team's 18 kills. Erdmann had half of her digs in the frame, helping limit Purdue Fort Wayne to a .192 hitting percentage. The Panthers held a late 22-19 lead before the Mastodons scored five of the next six to earn set point. Eschenbach and Noble answered with kills before a solo block by Noble clinched the 26-24 victory.
 
The second set was tied at 11 before Milwaukee rattled off five unanswered points to build some separation. Purdue Fort Wayne rallied to even the score at 21, but kills from Schmitz, Eschenbach, and Noble sealed the 25-22 win.
 
Milwaukee led 14-13 midway through the third set and used an 8-1 run to pull away, highlighted by a pair of Eschenbach-Noble combo blocks. The Panthers also got kills from Noble, Schmitz, Johnson, and Kellner to push ahead 22-14. Lipski delivered the knockout punch with a kill off a pass from Goba as the Black & Gold took the set by nine.
 
"Our team showed a very high amount of effort today, and I'm proud of them for that," Johnson added.
 
The Mastodons were led by Riley Rosneck with 12 kills, while Haiden Means tallied 22 assists. Mya Plemons posted five blocks, and both Becky Barrett and Means shared the team lead with 11 digs.
 
Milwaukee will look to extend its three-match winning streak next weekend when the Panthers host the Robert Morris Colonials. The first of two meetings is set for Friday at 6:00 p.m.