The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball team remains in control of their own destiny after an amazing comeback over Valparaiso on Friday night; 27-30, 24-30, 30-23, 30-24, 15-8.

It was Kelley Olson that came up big for the Panthers, as the senior notched a team high nine blocks, while also adding 10 kills. Fellow senior Jamie Gabrielsen led the team with 18 kills and also contributed 24 digs to the defensive side.

“[Olson] has been really stepping up her game and was a huge contributing factor in our win tonight,” Leanne Felsing said of Olson’s play.

With the win, the Panthers (22-2, 12-1 Horizon) remain atop the Horizon League standings by one match over Cleveland State.

Freshman Natalie Schmitting and Maddie Sueppel continue their strong play as both finished the match with double digits in kills.

Angie Porche and Val Bollenbacher led the charge for the Crusaders, with Porche recording 20 kills and Bollenbacher notching 19.

While the Panthers were in control throughout, they watched game one slip away on a late rally by the Crusaders that would eventually end on a UWM service error.

In game two the Crusaders took the lead on a Porche kill at 8-7 and never trailed again. Blocks by Schulz and Katie Layman extended the Crusaders’ lead to 14-8. The Panthers made things interesting pulling within two at 16-14, but the Crusaders pulled away in the end and finish the game on a block by Porche and Newton.

Game three started out as a point-for-point game, but the Panthers used a seven-point run to gain control at 16-10. A kill by Olson and Leanne Felsing extended the Panther’s lead to 23-14, before the game ended on two-straight errors for the Crusaders.

In game four, the Panthers looked like they might drop the match as the Crusaders came out hot taking a 14-7 lead. But the Panthers used an 8-2 run to claw their way back into the game. UWM would take their first lead of the game at 20-19 on a kill by Olson and grabbed the lead for good at 22-21 on a kill by Schmitting. Once again it was two Valpo errors that would end the game.

The Panthers carried their momentum into game five and eventually finished off the Crusaders 15-8. The Panthers opened the game on an 11-4 run, and closed out the game and the match on an Olson Kill.

“We started out really slow and then we got determined and were able to win the next three,” Felsing said about the difficult match.

UWM will return to action this Friday at 7 p.m. as they will take on in-state rival UW-Green Bay, in Green Bay.

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