Buffs take down Tennessee Wesleyan 3-1 in last regular-season match
ATHENS, Tenn. (November 2, 2021) — The Milligan University volleyball team defeated Tennessee Wesleyan University 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-16, 25-20) capping off their 13th-straight season with a winning record in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.
November 2, 2021
ATHENS, Tenn. (November 2, 2021) — The Milligan University volleyball team defeated Tennessee Wesleyan University 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-16, 25-20) capping off their 13th-straight season with a winning record in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.
The Buffs finish with an overall record of 13-18 (11-10 AAC) for the 2021 season while TWU moves to an overall record of 4-26 (2-19 AAC).
The Buffs never trailed in the first set as they reeled off a 6-0 run to start the game. After being down 24-16, the Bulldogs fought their way back into the match with four straight points. Milligan put an end to the comeback effort with a kill by Ella Maiden to down TWU 25-20 to take a 1-0 lead.
Going down the stretch of the second set, the Buffs trailed by four points 20-16. After scoring six of the next eight Milligan tied the match at 22. Two errors by the Buffs and a Bulldog kill finished off the set as TWU knotted the game 1-1.
TWU reeled off a 6-2 run in the beginning of the third to put themselves ahead of the Buffs early in the set. After both teams traded points up until midway, Milligan scored fifteen of the final seventeen points and came away with a comfortable 25-16 win making it a 2-1 match going into the fourth.
In the final set, the Buffs climbed out to a 15-10 lead before TWU scored four straight points to pull within one. Milligan then reeled off a 4-0 run of their own to go ahead 19-14. Four different Buffs recorded kills in the final six points to give Milligan the win 25-20.
Maiden and Carley Gregory finished tied for the team-lead in the kill category recording 12 apiece and accounted for 17 and 12.5 points.
Four Buffs finished with double-digit digs in the contest. Cameron McConnell totaled a team-high 19. Paxton Adkins and Ashelyn Vandergriff recorded 11 while Kolbie Greene added 10 to go along with 13 assists making it her second double-double in as many games.
Milligan outhit TWU 52-41 in kills, 70-56 in digs, and 16-12 in blocks.
The Buffs will play in the opening round of the AAC tournament Nov. 10 at the Meadowview Marriot Resort & Conference Center in Kingsport, Tenn.