Sept. 9, 2011

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Rachel Neuberger had 16 kills to lead three players in double figures as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claimed 23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-23 win over Southern Mississippi Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (7-2) have now won their first two matches in the Milwaukee Invitational and will host Marquette for the tournament title Saturday at 7 p.m.

Elizabeth Egerer added 13 kills and Kerri Schuh 12 for Milwaukee, which rebounded after losing the first set. The Panthers controlled sets two and three and then pulled out a tight fourth frame to capture their sixth win in their last seven outings.

Ashley Mell had 19 kills and Lauren Sears 11 for the Golden Eagles.

Milwaukee's defense led the way, limiting the Eagles (3-5) to a .088 hitting clip. UWM had 81 digs and collected 14.5 blocks, with Mackenzie Millis tallying nine blocks and Schuh eight. Morgan Potter had 19 digs and was one of three Panthers in double figures in the category.

"I was really happy with our defense and that was really what picked up in the match tonight," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "I am really excited about that and now we'll just work on getting better at terminating the ball off of the dig.

"We found a way to win, because it was at times very difficult. We were able to figure out the finish."

UWM struggled in the first set, falling behind 18-13 and 23-17. Milwaukee did fight off five set-point chances behind the strong serving of Millis to close within 24-23, but a kill Amelia Hendrickson gave the Eagles the first frame.

Milwaukee again dug itself a hole in the second set, as USM scored nine of the first 13 points. The Panthers battled back to tie the set at 13 and took a 14-13 lead on a kill by Schuh. UWM then broke a 19-all tie with the final six points of the set. Three blocks involving Millis helped spark the burst, with the final point coming thanks to a block by Millis and Egerer.

The third set was a bit easier for Milwaukee. The Panthers bolted to a 12-5 lead and then led 15-7 after an Egerer kill. UWM was never really threatened after that, as a USM error made it 21-12 and a block by Millis and Egerer made it 23-14. The final point of the set came thanks to a kill by Schuh, and Milwaukee had the lead in the match.

Both teams battled through some offensive struggles in the fourth set, as each squad hit well below .100. There were 12 ties and eight lead changes in the frame, with Milwaukee breaking the final tie on a Neuberger kill, giving the Panthers a 21-20 advantage. Another Neuberger kill made it 23-21 and a kill by Egerer pushed Milwaukee to match-point at 24-22. After one more USM point, the Panthers finished the match on a triple block that involved Schuh, Millis and Egerer.