Four wins in a row was the wish of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball team when they faced Horizon League rivals Cleveland State and Youngstown State Friday and Saturday at the Klotsche Center.

Their wish was granted as the sweep moved the Panthers up to second in the league standings with a 4-2 mark in league play and 11-7 overall.

A huge difference in hitting percentage helped UWM in its 30-23, 30-26, 30-27 drowning of the Cleveland State Vikings (10-6, 3-2 Horizon). UWM hit 0.248 for the match, with a 0.391 hitting percentage in game one, while the Vikings hit only 0.126.

"We really got good efforts from a lot of players again tonight and the difference lately has been that our entire team is getting involved," said coach Kathy Litzau.

Junior middle blocker Cheryl Hegemann led the way with 14 kills. Coming off the bench, junior middle blocker Monica Ferguson provided a spark for the team with eight kills in 12 attempts, and junior outside hitter Melissa David chipped in with nine kills.

UWM’s second match, Saturday afternoon against the underdog Youngstown State Penguins (7-10, 0-5 Horizon) was a much tougher test. It went down to the wire in five games with UWM prevailing, 30-25, 24-30, 30-22, 28-30, 15-11. UWM has now won 10 straight matches over Youngstown State.

UWM captured the win with two strong bursts in the decisive fifth game. The Panthers scored seven of the first eight points in the game, and after the Penguins rallied to tie the game at 10, UWM finished out with five of the final six points.

Hegemann and junior Sarah Moore helped lead the charge, both chipping in career highs in kills with 28 and 18, respectively. Hegemann’s 28 kills tied the UWM record for kills in a five-game match.

Sophomore Jamie Gabrielsen also had a career high in kills, adding 10, and freshmen libero Becky Peters, coming off her League Defensive Player of the Week honors, had a match-high 24 digs.

"It was nice we got that lead in the fifth game but we sat back and let them back in it,” Litzau said. “If there is anything we should have learned from the match today it is that we can't sit back on the lead.”

UWM’s next home game is Friday against in-state and league rival UW-Green Bay Phoenix at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

This match is the only time this season that UWM will play at the U.S. Cellular Arena, as part of the Panther FAN-tastic Friday.

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