Volleyball defeats KCU in home finale

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (October 26, 2021) – The Milligan University volleyball team closed out its 2021 home schedule with a four-set victory over Kentucky Christian in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.

Tuesday night also served as the Buffs' annual Dig Pink game and senior Carley Gregory was honored pregame for notching her 1,000th career kill last week against Montreat.

Milligan took another step closer to its 13th-straigth winning season in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play as the Buffs rise to 12-16 on the year and 10-8 in league play. Kentucky Christian falls to 6-18, 4-12 AAC.

Milligan won the four set match 25-8, 25-11, 20-25, 30-28.

The Buffs cruised to first and second set wins as Ella Maiden smacked seven of the Buffs' 13 kills in the first set and Milligan took advantage of 11 KCU errors in the second set to cruise to a set victory.

KCU did not go quietly as the Knights battled back to take the third set.

Milligan survived a pair of set points in the fourth set after trailing 24-22, but an attack error by the Knights and a block by Abigail Byington and Gregory evened the set at 24. The Knights fended off three Milligan set points as the set was tied at 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28. Finally, Maiden and Gregory posted back-to-back kills to clinch the match with a 30-28 set four win.

Maiden led the way offensively with 13 kills and seven total blocks. Gregory had 10 kills and three blocks. Elise Gregory added nine kills.

At the service line, Milligan notched nine aces, five of which came from Ashelyn Vandergriff.

Layla Grant had 16 digs. Paxton Adkins and Kolbie Greene had 13 digs apiece. Green had a team-high 18 assists while Taylor Pavich distributed 13.

The Buffs head to Georgia for a Friday-night match at Reinhardt and a Saturday matchup at Point. Milligan concludes its regular season next Tuesday at Tennessee Wesleyan.