Oct. 28, 1999

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball team opens its final four-match homestand on Saturday, Oct. 30, when it plays host to UW-Green Bay in a 2 p.m. conference match. The Panthers (19-1, 7-0 in the MCC) look to remain undefeated in conference play when it takes on the Phoenix at the J. Martin Klotsche Center.

The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 3, when they take on the DePaul Blue Demons at 7 p.m. The team rounds up its final home action on Friday, Nov. 5 when it plays host to conference-rival Loyola at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 6 when it faces UIC at 2 p.m. All matches will be played in the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers Continue to Roll

The team is on a nine-match winning streak and are on a 33-match home winning streak, dropping its last home contest in 1996.

The Panthers top the MCC team statistics in virtually every category, and boast the conference’s top player in hitting percentage, aces and assists. The Panthers are also among the top teams in the nation in team hitting percentage (12th, .290), in team kills per game (12th, 17.24 kpg), in team assists per game (8th, 15.84 apg), and in team win-loss ratio (7th, .944). Individually, senior Katie Schneider (S, West Bend, Wis./East) ranks 3rd in the nation in assists, averaging 14.29 assists per game.

A Look at UW-Green Bay Phoenix (4-20, 0-7)

The Phoenix volleyball team split matches on a two-game road trip over the weekend, falling to MCC foe Cleveland State, 3-1, and coming from behind to defeat Oakland, 3-2, in a two-hour match. The Phoenix lost two starters to injury, Meg Olson (sprained ankle) and Krista Olearnick (sprained knee), in the first game of the Oakland match and fell behind, 2-0. Sophomore Angie Sobocinski and freshman Brenda Krauss led the Phoenix back to victory as the team hit a blistering .322 in the final three games of the match. Krauss had a breakout weekend, posting a career-high 15 kills against Cleveland State and then shattering the mark with 23 kills in the win at Oakland. Junior setter Natalie Noonan notched 110 assists in two matches on the weekend.

The teams have met two times already this season, with the Panthers sweeping both matches, 3-0. In the first non-conference match-up at the Wisconsin Challenge, the Panthers took an hour to sweep UW-Green Bay in three straight games, downing the Phoenix 15-3, 15-5, 15-3. In the second match-up of the season and their first conference contest on Sept. 12, the Panthers downed the Phoenix, 15-6, 15-0, 15-12. The Panthers were led by senior Sue Raschka, who was named the MCC Volleyball Player of the Week that week, with 10 kills and a solid .444 hitting percentage.

The Panthers lead the series with the Phoenix, 18-8. The last time the Phoenix beat the Panthers was in 1994, when they defeated UWM in both meetings.

UWM No. 1 in District 6 for Second Ranking Period

The Panthers were ranked No. 1 in District 6 for the second consecutive ranking period, released Oct. 20. District rankings are done only four times during the season, and are released on Oct. 6 and 20 and Nov. 3 and 17. The most current rankings fall as follows: 1. Wisconsin – Milwaukee, 2. Cincinnati, 3. Houston, 4. Southeast Missouri, 5. Loyola Chicago, 6. Saint Louis, 7. Louisville, 7. Austin Peay, 9. DePaul, and 10. Eastern Illinois.

This season marks the first time the Panthers have reached the top spot in the district rankings.

Panthers finished last season ranked No. 6 in the district, No. 4 in 1997, and were not ranked at the end of 1996 or ‘95.

District 6 includes the MCC, Conference USA, Ohio Valley, and the SWAC conference schools.