Oct. 2, 2000

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee - UWM (10-3) plays host to a pair of MCC games for the first time this season. Friday night, Butler visits the Klotsche Center for a 7 p.m. match. Saturday afternoon, Wright State faces the Panthers in a 4 p.m. start.

Last Week: The Panthers won two of their three matches, including splitting a pair of MCC contests. UWM beat Illinois State and UIC in three games, while Loyola Chicago beat the Panthers in three games

Panther Background: UWM is looking for a fourth straight regular season Midwestern Collegiate Conference title. The Panthers are also seeking their third straight NCAA Tournament bid. The Panthers were seventh in the first Midwest Region poll, released two weeks ago. Another regional poll is scheduled for release on Wednesday.

The Coach: Kathy Litzau (Notre Dame `90) is in her eighth season at UWM, recording a 130-100 career record. Litzau has been named MCC Coach of the Year three times, and last year became the first volleyball coach in school history to earn AVCA District VI Coach of the Year honors. Litzau is 35-4 over the last three-plus seasons in MCC games.

Litzau On UWM's MCC Weekend Split: "Against Loyola, the whole game fell apart once our passing fell apart. Our serve receive was very erratic. We had a hard time getting the ball to our setter, so we then had a hard time siding out. But, I'm extremely impressed with the way the team bounced back against UIC."

Litzau On The Season To Date: "I'm real pleased. I think the losses that we've had are to really good teams. Plus we've beaten some real good teams. I said at the beginning of the year this team would get better, and we are getting better as the season has gone along."

Home Court Advantage: After keeping the Panthers on the road much of September, the schedule will keep UWM home much of October. In total, the Panthers played nine matches on the road and just four at home in September. October finds the Panthers playing seven of their nine matches at the Klotsche Center. Home has been a friendly place for UWM in the Litzau era. The Panthers are 61-23 at home under Litzau, including a sparkling 36-1 over the past three-plus seasons.

Boutin Stars: Sophomore Tari Boutin (Burnsville, Minn.) put together a stellar week for the Panthers. She hit .556 in UWM's three matches, committing just two errors. She hit an amazing .769 in the three-game win over Illinois State, the second-best match hitting percentage in UWM history. Boutin is now hitting a team-leading .287 for the season. "She's been very steady," Litzau said. "Her hitting has stood out. We've been trying to get it to her more."

Inside The Numbers: As a team, the Panthers are near the top in most MCC statistical categories. UWM is first in kills per game, service aces, and assists, and second in hitting percentage. Individually, junior Laura Dallenbach (Waterloo, Iowa/West) is third in kills per game and third in digs per game. Sophomore Larissa Cattanach (Fargo, ND/North) is second in blocks per game, and freshman Lindsey Spoden (Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson Senior) ranks third in the league in assists.

Strength Of Schedule: UWM always faces a challenging non-conference schedule in addition to the always difficult MCC slate. This year is no exception. The combined record of the three teams who have beaten the Panthers this year is 28-13. The Panthers have scored wins over teams from the Big East (Boston College), Conference USA (Marquette), MVC (Illinois State), Mountain West (Wyoming) and West Coast (Portland). Plenty of challenges lie ahead, including non-conference battles with Conference USA foes De Paul (12-5) and Cincinnati (12-4).

Bulldog Noteables: Butler enters this weekend's action 10-5 overall, 2-0 in the MCC. The Bulldogs have five of their six starters back from a season ago, but feature a new coach in Sharon Clark. Sophomore Keely Norris is the team's offensive leader, recording 3.65 kills per game. Norris was named the MCC Player of the Week for recording a triple-double against Indiana State, then leading the Bulldogs with 18 kills in an MCC win over Cleveland State.

Raider Write-Ups: Wright State starts the week 6-7 overall, and 1-1 in the MCC. The Raiders feature a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging more than two kills per game. After losing five of seven matches to start the season, Wright State has won four of its last six.

Series Information: The series between UWM and Butler is tied 8-8. The Panthers have won five straight in the series, including three wins a season ago. But, the Bulldogs pushed the Panthers to five games at the Klotsche Center last season. Wright State leads the series with UWM 13-8. The Panthers have won six straight since the Raiders swept the season series in 1996.

Litzau On The Weekend Ahead: "Butler has basically their whole team back from last year, and a new coach. They're playing real well right now, and they're a team that traditionally pushes us. Wright State has some young players that are playing really well. Our conference has reached a point where you just can't look past anybody."

Up Next: The Panthers play just one match next week, traveling to Cleveland State for a Friday night contest. UWM returns to the Klotsche Center Oct. 20 and 21, entertaining UW-Green Bay and Cincinnati.