Milwaukee City Wire

The Milwaukee volleyball team secured a narrow victory over Northern Kentucky in a five-set match at Regents Hall, marking their sixth consecutive win in Horizon League matches. The Panthers displayed strong performances with Madi Malone leading the offense with 25 kills, contributing to the team's season-high of 77 kills. Natalie Schmitz and Rachel Scott also had notable offensive contributions.

Josie Johnson achieved a career-high with 33 assists and tied her season-best with 11 digs, marking her third double-double this season. Kara Erdmann set a personal record with 38 digs, placing her third on the single-match digs list for five-set games.

Milwaukee's defense was effective, recording ten blocks during the match. Lakyn Graves contributed significantly with seven blocks. The Panthers overcame early setbacks after losing the first set and trailing in subsequent sets but managed to rally and win the deciding fifth set.

Susie Johnson commented on the team's performance saying, "It was an incredible night for our team," highlighting the collective effort and resilience shown by her players throughout challenging moments.

Northern Kentucky kept pressure on Milwaukee by minimizing errors and achieving leads in aces and blocks. Despite this, Milwaukee's .193 hitting percentage edged out NKU's .177.

Johnson praised Northern Kentucky's performance: "NKU played great … we had to counter their incredible play all night." She noted that despite adversity, her team remained coachable and fought hard for victory.

The Panthers will face Northern Kentucky again at Regents Hall on Saturday afternoon.