Milwaukee gets past Loyola in the final quarterfinal match of the Horizon League Volleyball Championship

Nov. 16, 2007

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The University Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers got past the Loyola University Chicago Ramblers 3-2 (29-31, 30-23, 30-24, 26-30, 15-8) in the final quarterfinal match of the 2007 Horizon League Volleyball Championship on Friday at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers will meet the Valparaiso University Crusaders in the second semifinal match at 4:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.

With the win over the Ramblers, the Panthers will advance to the League semifinal round for the 12th-consecutive season.

Milwaukee's Leanne Felsing, who was named the Horizon League Player of the Year on Thursday, had a match-high 23 kills and 39 assists. Felsing also added 14 digs to record her 17th triple double of the season and her 24th of her career. Fellow senior Jamie Gabrielsen also added 21 kills and 17 digs.

Loyola had four players reach double-figures in kills led by junior Sarah Singer's team-best 13 kills. Singer also notched 18 digs to collect her 10th double-double of the year. Defensively for the Ramblers, sophomore Alyse Serritella had a match-high 29 digs.

Loyola won the first game by a count of 31-29. The Ramblers began the frame by opening 7-2 lead. LU held the lead for most of game until the Panthers fought back to tie the score a 16 apiece. From that point, no team led by more than two points for the remainder of the game. Singer led the way for Loyola as she collected five kills and five digs.

The Panthers responded to the game one loss by claiming the next two frames by a count of 30-23 and 30-24. In those two games, UWM out hit Loyola .308-.213 in the second frame and .200-.100 in the third game.

Loyola would then even the match at two games apiece as the Ramblers held the Panthers to a hitting percentage of .048. The fourth installment of the match saw no team lead by more than three points, but down the stretch after the score was tied at 21-21, the Ramblers won the next five points to increase their lead to 26-21. LU would then go on to win the game 30-26.

In the fifth and deciding frame, both teams were traded points and were knotted at 5-5. UWM then won 10 of the last 13 points to avoid the loss to LU.

The first semifinal begins tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. CT. For more information about the 2007 Horizon League Volleyball Championship, check out the volleyball championship central page at www.horizonleague.org.