Milwaukee Athletics

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – In yet another closely contested matchup between Milwaukee and Indiana State, it was the Panthers to come out on top in a four-set decision. The Panthers dropped the first set, 25-19, but bounced back with 28-26, 28-26, and 25-23 wins to take the match.
 
The Panthers hit .281 on the match and .351 over its three winning sets, connecting on 46 kills against just 12 errors.
 
Josie Noble led the Panthers with 16 kills and a .429 hitting percentage and added four blocks defensively. Ella Schuetz hit .382 with 14 kills, while Annie Eschenbach was also in double figures with 10 kills and added three blocks.
 
It was another balanced performance for Milwaukee's setters, as Milica Tomic ended the match with 24 assists and Emmy Duffy added 20. The Panthers also had four aces with Noble, Schuetz, Tomic, and Liv Doerre all contributing from behind the service line.
 
Kati Goba had a team-high 17 digs, while Ella Parker was second on the team with eight digs to go along with nine kills. Bella Lipski had a team-best five blocks, while Julia Kellner added a pair.
 
After dropping the opening set due to a sluggish start, the Panthers and Sycamores were in back-and-forth second set that featured 17 ties and seven lead changes. Indiana State led 24-23 late in the second, but the Panthers overcame the deficit and scored four of the final five points to win, 28-26.
 
The Panthers led for the majority of the third set until Indiana State went on a 7-2 run to set up its own set point at 24-23. Milwaukee once again showed its resilience after trailing 26-25, recording three straight points to earn another 28-26 set victory.
 
"We had so much fight and resilience," commented head coach Susie Johnson "We continued to push back every time Indiana State made a run or put pressure on us, and we never let ourselves get out of it. We stayed together, kept competing and came through when it counted. Those are the moments that show what this team is capable of and the kind of fight we want to continue to have."
 
The fight continued into the fourth set. Despite Indiana State never taking the lead, the Sycamores continued to push the Panthers after Milwaukee took the opening point. Milwaukee led by as many as four, but Indiana State tied the set at 23. Consecutive kills by Schuetz and Eschenbach finished off the victory for Milwaukee.
 
Setter Hadley Hardersen posted a double-double to lead Indiana State with 20 assists and 13 kills. Curry Kendall also had 13 kills, while Lily Mueller had an impressive showing defensively with 12 blocks.
 
Milwaukee will be off until next Friday, when the team plays the current AVCA No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers at the UW Field House in Madison. The Badgers play No. 19 Texas A&M on Friday, before taking on No. 9 Texas on Sunday, and host Marquette on Thursday before welcoming the Panthers to Madison.