Volleyball edges Northern Kentucky in a five-set thriller to open weekend action

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – After several career performances, the Milwaukee volleyball team managed to hold off a valiant effort from Northern Kentucky and win a five-set thriller over the Norse at Regents Hall. The win improves the Panthers’ record to 6-0 in Horizon League play.

Madi Malone drove the offense with 25 of Milwaukee’s season-high 77 kills while both Natalie Schmitz with 18 kills and Rachel Scott They had the best nights of their careers on offense with 10 each.

The Panthers also had a season-best 72 assists, including a career-high 33 assists Josie Johnsonwhile Milica Tomic had 23 assists himself. Johnson also matched her season high with 11 digs, earning her third double-double of the season.

Was a leader in excavations Kara Erdmannwho set another career high with 38 digs to take sole possession of third place on the single-match digs list for five-set decisions. Malone added 12 digs while Kati Goba picked up 11 and Tomic had 10. The double-doubles were the ninth for Malone and the sixth for Tomic this season.

Milwaukee’s block came up big when needed with 10 on the night, including seven from Lakyn Tombs. Malone and Bri Geurts everyone had three, while Alexis Lewis added a couple.

After losing the first set 25-22, the Panthers trailed by as many as six points in the second set and were able to claw back the deficit and win a decision 28-26 sets. NKU responded with a 25-22 win in the third set and held off a late Panther surge, but Milwaukee was able to force the fifth set with a 25-20 win in the fourth set.

In the deciding set, Milwaukee trailed 6-2 early and trailed 14-13, but was able to score the final three points of the game to take the set 16-14 and win the game in five games.

“It was an incredible night for our team,” he commented Susie Johnson. “Tonight was an overall team effort with many challenging moments, but we were really able to fight for each other and pull together to get the win.”

Milwaukee outscored its hosts with a batting average of .193 compared to Northern Kentucky’s .177. However, the Norse limited their errors to just 22 compared to the Panthers’ 34 errors. NKU also had an 8-5 advantage in aces and a 14-10 advantage in blocks to keep the game close.

“NKU played great… we had to counteract their incredible play all night,” Johnson added. “We were very coachable as a team, even when there was adversity in the game, but we stuck together and kept fighting.”

In the first set, Milwaukee took four of the first five points, but fell behind 13-12 and was never able to regain the lead as the Norse took the first set 25-22.

Milwaukee trailed 22-17 late in the second before Lewis knocked down a pass from Johnson, setting up six unanswered balls by MKE for a one-point lead. The teams traded points until the score was 26-26 before Malone set the Panthers up for a set win with a kill as NKU made an error to secure the set for the Panthers 28-26.

In the third, Northern Kentucky led by a comfortable 15-5, but Milwaukee fought back, including a late four-point run capped by a block from Lewis and Schmitz, to bring MKE within three at 22-19 Points back. However, the Norse managed just enough to get by with a 25-22 win in the third set.

Milwaukee needed to win the final two sets and fell behind by three, 16-13, midway through the fourth set. A kill from Malone, an ace from Tomic, a block from Graves and Malone and a kill from Geurts gave the Panthers a one-point lead at 17-16. A five-point run off Graves gave Milwaukee a 23-18 lead before Scott scored the final point to bring the game to five.

The Panthers trailed 8-5 before the two teams switched sides of the court. Milwaukee kept it close before Schmitz added her fourth kill of the set to push the score to nine. Northern Kentucky led by two points twice late in the set, but the resilient Panthers were able to tie the score at 14 after a block from Graves. Schmitz and Malone capped the match with back-to-back kills, giving MKE the win.

As a team, the Panthers’ 77 kills and 72 assists were their most since October 1, 2021, with 79 and 72 against Wright State. Milwaukee finished the night with 100 digs, its most since 2019, when the team had 103 on Oct. 13 in Oakland.

Geurts and Lewis finished the night with eight kills each, while Graves added seven of his own. Goba had his team’s best three aces on the night.

Allison Risley with 15 and Joy Banks with 14 led the Norse in kills, while Torie Houston led the Norse in assists with 28. NKU tied a season high with 14 blocks, including a dozen assisted blocks from Allie Siefke. Lucy Cluxton top-scored with 25 digs for Northern Kentucky.

Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky will be back on the court at Regents Hall Saturday afternoon, with first serve scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT.