Milwaukee Athletics

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Milwaukee volleyball season got underway Friday afternoon with the Panthers dropping a three-set decision to DePaul at the Knapp Center.
 
All three sets were close, with the Blue Demons winning the match, 25-18, 25-16, 25-18, as DePaul pulled away late in each set to come out on top.
 
The Panthers held an 18-17 lead late in the first, but DePaul responded with eight unanswered to win the opening frame. Similarly, Milwaukee was within two at 21-19 in the third, but four straight by the Blue Demons closed out the match.
 
"There were definitely a lot of jitters from many of our players today," said head coach Susie Johnson after the match. "DePaul played really well and did a good job of not allowing us to settle in and find our rhythm."
 
Defensively, the Blue Demons held Milwaukee to a .167 hitting percentage, with the Panthers committing 15 hitting errors, including eight blocks by DePaul.
 
Ella Schuetz led the Panthers with nine kills, while Josie Noble and Kami Stover each finished the match with six apiece. Milwaukee also got 14 assists from Milica Tomic, while Ella Parker had a pair of aces offensively.
 
The Blue Demons had a strong offensive match, finishing the contest with a .312 hitting percentage, 42 kills and 10 service aces. Isabela Tavares-Salomon had a team-high 13 kills, while Martina Diana added 10. Leonor Polezzi dished out 30 assists and chipped in on the defensive side with 11 digs.
 
Kati Goba led the Panthers with a dozen digs, while Bella Lipski and Schuetz were credited with three blocks apiece.
 
"There are a lot of things we can learn from today," added Johnson. "We'll get right back at it tomorrow with an opportunity to grow, make adjustments and continue to get better as a team."
 
Milwaukee will play a pair of matches on Saturday to wrap up the opening weekend of the season. The Panthers will take on South Dakota at 3:00 p.m. before taking on host Drake at 6:00 p.m. The match against the Bulldogs will be available on ESPN+.