Susie Johnson Volleyball
Facilities and Directions
The J. Martin Klotsche Center is the home of Panther volleyball.
The Klotsche Center, originally erected in 1977, has a new look after an extensive renovation and addition project wrapped up in the spring of 2006. Along with work that created the brand-new Pavilion, adjacent to the Klotsche Center, the existing arena now has air conditioning, a new sound system and new concession areas. Fans attending matches at the Klotsche Center can park in the Pavilion parking garage and enter the building without ever going outside.
This latest project is the most recent piece of work done to upgrade the home of Panther athletics. The arena area was also renovated prior to the 1998-99 school year. The $2 million project included the addition of comfort and chairback seating. In 1996, new wood flooring and a new indoor track were added to the Klotsche Center. The floor has been renovated a number of times, most recently five years ago when the new Horizon League logo was added to the playing floor.
The Klotsche Center can hold as many as 5,000 spectators for a sporting event, and the volleyball capacity is approximately 2,500. The largest crowd to ever see a sporting event at the Klotsche Center is 5,015, present when the UWM men's basketball team faced Butler in 2002. The record for a volleyball crowd at the Klotsche Center is 1,121 set when UWM battled Wisconsin in the final match of the Panther Invitational in 2006. The Panthers have also drawn more than 3,000 fans for women's basketball battles with in-state rival UW-Green Bay
The UWM volleyball team has experienced nothing but success at the Klotsche Center in recent seasons. UWM is 113-14 in the building since 1996, while the Panthers haven't lost a league match at the Klotsche Center since 2003. UWM also posted a school-record 33-match home winning streak from 1996-1999 and have recorded three unbeaten campaigns at home over the last 10 seasons.
The Panthers have recorded a number of memorable wins at the Klotsche Center. UWM opened the 1999 season with a win over ninth-ranked Wisconsin, while in 2000 the Panthers claimed a thrilling, five-game win over Cincinnati, which entered the match ranked number one in the region. UWM also claimed the 2001 Horizon League Volleyball Tournament title on its homecourt, sweeping through three-straight matches. This season, UWM will entertain Cincinnati of the Big East and Virginia Tech of the ACC during the non-league portion of its schedule.
The Klotsche Center is used as a practice facility for most of UWM's varsity sports while serving as the homecourt for volleyball and women's basketball. A four-lane indoor track, added in 1996, is home to the UWM men's and women's track and field teams, and the Klotsche Center Natatorium, located on the lower level, is home to the UWM swimming and diving teams.
The Klotsche Center has been home to a number of league championship events, including the 2006 Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship. The arena has also been home to a number of area high school playoff events. In August of 2002, the Klotsche Center played host to a game involving the Yugoslavian National Basketball team and NBA superstar Vlade Divac. The team wound up winning the World Basketball Championships the next month. The arena also played host to an appearance by President George W. Bush in August of 2002.
The Klotsche Center is located at 3409 N. Downer on the UWM Campus.
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The Pavilion
The J. Martin Klotsche Center is the home of Panther volleyball.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's newest on-campus building is the Pavilion, which is the home of UWM Athletics.
The Pavilion officially opened its doors to the public in January of 2006 and the building was officially dedicated by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago on May 2, 2006.
Among the new athletics facilities in the building are offices for coaches and staff, a student-athlete-only weight room, new locker rooms for all teams and team rooms and lounges for men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball.
UWM student-athletes are also benefitting from the brand-new sports medicine center in the Pavilion, which more than triples the previous space available for UWM's athletic trainers. The facility also includes a 2,800-square-foot academic assistance center to help student-athletes in the classroom. The new academic center includes a computer lab along with group and individual study and tutoring rooms. A 618-space indoor parking garage is also part of the facility.
UWM's general student population is also benefitting tremendously from the new facility. A new fitness center has expansive rooms for cardio workouts, as well as a weight room. The state-of-the-art area is the most visible from the outside of the facility, as it features two levels of windows. The new recreation center has two expansive levels and houses four sport courts surrounded by a suspended 1/8 mile track. The facility is utilized by individuals seeking open gym space, run and walk space on the track, and the University's intramural programs.
The building also includes academic facilities for the College of Health Sciences along with accommodations for the new Physical Therapy and expanded Sports Medicine programs.
The $40 million project, which broke ground in June of 2003, came in below budget due to a favorable bidding climate. Half of the funding is coming from UWM parking fees, while the other half is from state funds and student segregated fees. The athletic department has also undertaken a variety of fundraising efforts for even greater enhancements within its space in the facility.
The most distinctive feature of the 135,000-gross-square-foot Pavilion is the extensive use of glass "walls," creating a feeling of openness and allowing expansive views of nearby Downer Woods and the campus.
Architects for the project were Venture Architects of Milwaukee, a joint venture of Kahler Slater Architects and the Zimmerman Design Group. They emphasize that placement and tinting of windows, called "cool daylighting," not only allows a wash of daylight inside while reducing energy needs.
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Getting To Campus
The building also includes academic facilities for the College of Health Sciences along with accommodations for the new Physical Therapy and expanded Sports Medicine programs.
The UWM campus is located north of downtown Milwaukee just blocks from Lake Michigan. It is accessible from I-43 or from Lincoln Memorial Drive.
The scenic lake route from all directions: From I-43 or I-94 near Downtown, take I-794 east to Lakefront exit. Go north along the lake on Lincoln Memorial Dr. to the top of the hill, where Lincoln Memorial Dr. becomes E. Kenwood Blvd. and intersects with N. Lake Dr. Go straight (west) on Kenwood five blocks to campus.
From the south or west:
Take I-43 north to the Capitol Dr. East exit. Go east on Capitol to N. Downer Ave., then south on Downer five blocks to campus.
From the north:
Take I-43 south to the Capitol Dr. East exit. Go east on Capitol to N. Downer Ave., then south on Downer five blocks to campus.
At very busy times, parking on the UWM campus can be limited and all parking regulations are strictly enforced.
For events at the Klotsche Center, fans can park in the Pavilion Parking Garage, which is adjacent to the Pavilion. The entrance to the garage can be reached via either Edgewood or Downer. Pay stations for the garage are located at the doorway entrances into the Pavilion.
