Panthers Release Difficult 2008 Schedule
June 19, 2008
Printable Release and Schedule MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will play seven matches against NCAA Tournament teams and a total of 11 contests against squads that won at least 19 contests a season ago, according to the schedule released today by head coach Susie Johnson. In fact, two UWM opponents advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Volleyball Championships in 2007. The Panthers will open the season with three-straight matches against NCAA Tournament teams, as Ole Miss, Iowa State and Illinois State will visit the Klotsche Center for the Panther Invitational Aug. 29-30. The preseason slate also includes contests against NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier Michigan State, UCONN of the Big East and Oregon State of the Pac 10. "This would appear to be, by far, the toughest schedule we have had here at UWM," Johnson said. "When you look at the number of NCAA Tournament teams, and the number of teams with high RPIs, you can see the incredible challenges we will face this season. "We've designed this schedule to give our team an opportunity to prove itself against the top teams in the country. The goal is always to play a level of competition that allows you to get better each time you play. This schedule will give us a chance to compete nationally and to see how we stack up with many of those teams." After UWM opens the year with the Panther Invitational, the Panthers will play at the Bradley Tournament Sept. 5-6 and the Michigan State Showcase Sept. 11-12. In addition to contests with the host Spartans and UCONN at the Michigan State event, the Panthers will also square off with Florida A&M, a team that has qualified for the last seven NCAA Tournaments. Then, after a home contest with Northern Illinois, the Panthers will get league play started at Wright State Sept. 19. A non-league contest with Oregon State follows before the Panthers get Horizon League play started in earnest.
After opening on the road, UWM will play four of its next five league contest at home. The highlight of that stretch is a contest with Valparaiso, which knocked Milwaukee out of last season's league tournament at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers then face four of their next five on the road, with a contest against defending league tournament champion Cleveland State set for Oct. 12. UWM will welcome in-state rival Green Bay to the Klotsche Center Oct. 31 with home matches against Cleveland State and Youngstown State wrapping up the Klotsche Center schedule the next weekend. The regular season then concludes with a road trip to Chicago for matches with UIC and Loyola before the Panthers head back to Cleveland for the league tournament. While the challenging non-league slate may gather a lot of attention, Johnson says no one should overlook the league part of the slate as UWM seeks its sixth-straight regular season title. "As difficult as our non-league schedule is, I expect our league schedule will be just as tough," Johnson said. "Cleveland State has nearly everyone back and I would expect UIC and Valparaiso to be very good. Then there's Wright State and Loyola and the list goes on. We will be tested every night in the Horizon League, and hopefully the non-league schedule will get us ready for that." Senior Becky Peters and all-league sophomore Natalie Schmitting highlight the list of returnees for the Panthers, who will also look to work a large group of newcomers into the mix. In fact, 12 of the 16 players on UWM's roster are either freshmen or sophomores. Notes |
