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Post by skrapheap on Jun 19, 2012 7:52:06 GMT -6
www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/061912aaa.html
Another challenging non-league schedule before getting back into league play. The home and home with Marquette is interesting; i don't recall the volleyball team scheduling home and homes in non-league play, so it doesn't happen often.
MU's had a very good squad in recent years, so it adds to the challenge. Having a challenging non-league schedule seems to work okay for the volleyball program.
The Panthers return four of six starters from last year's undefeated league champions. The incoming freshmen sounded pretty good on paper, so it will be interesting to see how the rotation develops as the season goes on.
Edit: new schedule with league portion reconfigured to reflect Butler's exit from the league...
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 9, 2012 7:56:50 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 20, 2012 7:36:00 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 24, 2012 7:24:56 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 24, 2012 16:54:35 GMT -6
Match 1: Milwaukee vs Fairfield
Milwaukee wins the first set 25-17, outhitting Fairfield .600 to .115. The set was even for the first half or so, then Milwaukee opened a lead which Fairfield could never recover from.
Anna Bartz was the libero; i'd gotten the impression that freshman Maisey Mulvey was going to take that role, but this being the preseason, Coach Johnson appears to be mixing things up.
Fairfield wins the second set 25-22, in a mirror image of the first set: the lead went back and forth until Fairfield established a lead they would not give up.
The third set went to Milwaukee, 25-20. Once again the score was even and the lead changed hands until the Panthers put together a run and finished the set.
The Panthers won the fourth set, 25-21, to win the match, 3-1. Overall, the Panthers hit .286 to Fairfield's .200.
A nice win to kick off the season.
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Aug 25, 2012 7:52:41 GMT -6
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Aug 26, 2012 6:47:45 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 27, 2012 7:51:55 GMT -6
You won't hear the "we're a young team" excuse from Coach Johnson, but it is true. This is a squad with two seniors and one junior.
i am excited by the 2-1 start to the season for that reason. Rachel Neuberger is her usual self. Julie Kolinske pitched in well. All the freshman got playing time, with at least two of the four in the starting lineup, and the team took two of three matches. The match they lost was to a big, strong and experienced Duke squad.
This being a young team, there will be ups and downs during the season. But after three matches, it appears that the Volleyball program continues in the "we don't rebuild, we reload" tradition.
Next up is the home opener on Friday.
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 31, 2012 8:05:23 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 31, 2012 16:10:36 GMT -6
www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-volley/recaps/083112aaa.html
The Panthers played excellent volleyball in the third and fourth sets of their match with Bradley. The problem was that they played poorly in the first, third and fifth sets and lost the match. The Panthers are now 2-2, having lost two straight matches after winning the first two.
i think the youth of the squad showed itself. i am expecting ups and downs and this was one of the downs. What really hurt the Panthers in the sets they lost was a tendency to let Bradley string points together at the beginning of the set. It's hard in any sport to come from behind, and the Panthers found they were in holes too deep to dig (pun not intended, but i like it) out of.
Bradley has started their season with four straight match wins, including this one, so they're playing good volleyball. But when the Panthers were on, as in sets three and four, the difference was like night and day.
Chalk this one up as a learning experience, especially for the youngsters. All four of the freshman continue to get time on the court. Nicole Latzig, Maggie Dunbar (15 kills to lead the team) and Maisey Mulvey played extensively in the match; Sammi Herron got some playing time as well.
The Panthers were without sophomore defensive/serving specialist Taylor Golabowski. It was hard to see from my seat, but it looked like she was wearing a cast, or at least really heavy tape, on one hand/wrist. If she's out for an extended time, then another young player is going to have to step up in her place.
The nice thing about a tournament is that there's an opportunity to bounce back right away. We'll see how the Panthers tonight react against Western Michigan. WMU was an NCAA tournament team last year; they won earlier today, so tonight's match will feature two 2011 NCAA tournament teams who are off to an 2-2 start to the 2012 season.
i am hoping to see a much bigger home crowd, and that the Panthers give the crowd a lot more to cheer about.
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Post by skrapheap on Aug 31, 2012 20:25:12 GMT -6
The Panthers again played two good sets against Western Michigan. This time it was the first two sets.
Western Michigan then took control of the match in the next two sets, wearing down the Panthers with long rallies and frustrating them by repeatedly digging or blocking the Panthers' best shots, hanging on until the Panthers made an error, something the Panthers failed to do to WMU.
The fifth set was back and forth initially. Neither team was able to build a significant lead. After a 9-9 tie, WMU built a two point lead, then a three point lead, and it was over.
This was a frustrating match to watch, as the Panthers were beaten at their own game. The match was there to be won, but they didn't manage to do it. They are now 2-3 on the season.
The Panthers opponents tomorrow do not appear to be of the same caliber as Bradley and WMU, so perhaps they will be able to bounce back and get at least one win in their tournament.
There was a good student turnout, and some of them seemed to get into the match. Most of them, unfortunately (but not surprisingly), left after the second set, after receiving their free t-shirts during the intermission. It would be nice if there were a few new fans made by the excitement of the match.
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Lutzow10
Freshman
MILWAUKEE PROUD - PANTHER STRONG
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Post by Lutzow10 on Sept 1, 2012 1:08:23 GMT -6
I loved it. I had never really been to or watched college volleyball and it was definitely intense. Its also sad that we lost all the fans after the intermission. I thought that with how into the game they were pre-shirt give away they might stay. :/ They definitely gained a few fans. My friends all got into it and plan on going to more games with me in the future. great effort though. all the sets were extremely close.
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Sept 1, 2012 6:49:55 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Sept 1, 2012 19:42:41 GMT -6
After two five set losses on day one of their tournament, the Panthers bounce back with a pair of sweeps on day two, beating Southeast Missouri State and East Carolina.
The SEMO/UWM featured three sets that were closer than they needed to be, but in the end in each set the Panthers closed things out and held on to leads. They hit a respectable .267 for the match.
The East Carolina match was an example of winning ugly. There were a number of service aces on both sides, as both teams struggled with serve reception. East Carolina was hitting a negative percentage most of the way through the first two sets. The Panthers hitting percentage was higher than ECU's , but did not approach their performance in the previous match. ECU outblocked the Panthers, but Panthers overcame that deficit by outdigging ECU. The Panthers put together strings of points at the midpoint in each set to break open a close match, and then had to hang on at the end to finish out each set. ECU actually started the second set strong, getting out to a five-point early lead which the Panthers eventually overcame.
The Panthers finished the tournament with an overall 4-3 record.
Cleveland State and Loyola are off to good starts in their non-conference schedules, although i'm not sure if their schedules are as tough as UWM's. CSU has been a power in the league for several years. Loyola was one of the top teams in the league when the Panthers began their ascent under Kathy Litzau, and may be positioning themselves to be much more competitive than they have been over the past several seasons.
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Post by skrapheap on Sept 5, 2012 15:15:38 GMT -6
Next up, a tournament in Madison, in which the Panthers will play the Badgers:
www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/090412aaa.html
The matches will take place in the UW Fieldhouse.
Two of the three opponents, North Dakota State and Drake, have had rough starts to their seasons (1-5 and 0-6, respectively).
Drake has a young roster (six freshmen), so that match may be interesting to watch...or painful, depending on how many youthful mistakes are made
ND State was the preseason pick to win the Summit League.
The Badgers are 5-1 to open the season. Madison has a strong tradition in volleyball, so the match, in front of what i expect to be a large, loud croud, will be a big test for the Panthers.
Update: All matches will be available on GameTracker (live stats). You can also pay to watch over the internet by following links from the Badger Volleyball schedule page: www.uwbadgers.com/sports/w-volley/sched/wis-w-volley-sched.html and purchasing a package.
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