Volleyball notches first win of 2022 at Mountain Madness

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (August 27, 2022) – The Milligan University volleyball team downed Rio Grande in four sets to collect its first win of the season as the Buffs went 1-1 on the final day of Milligan Mountain Madness. Milligan earned a 3-1 win over Rio Grande and fell to Cumberlands in five sets.

Game 1 – Milligan 3, Rio Grande 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22)

The Buffs' first win of the season came in a competitive four set match against the visiting Red Storm of Rio Grande.

Milligan took advantage of 13 Red Storm errors in the opening set to earn a 25-21 edge. The second set saw the Buffs and Rio Grande tied at 22 but the visitors collected the next three points to even the match at one set apiece with a 25-22 tally.

With Kolbie Greene at the service line, Milligan opened the third set with a 6-0 run that included three aces. The Buffs led by as many as nine points (17-8) before a Rio Grande surge trimmed the margin to a single point late in the set, but kills by Greene, Ella Maiden and Riley Brinn helped close the set out for Milligan, 25-22.

In the fourth set featured 14 ties, the latest of which came at 18. The next three Milligan points all came via Maiden kills and the Buffs took the lead for good and held on for a 25-22 win to secure the match in four sets.

Maiden finished with 13 kills and three total blocks. Shelby Miller notched eight kills. Greyson Stevens had four kills and five total blocks. Greene totaled 30 assists, nine digs and led the team with 16.5 points behind nine aces, six kills, and three block assists.

Game 2 – Cumberlands 3, Milligan 2 (21-25, 25-23, 14-25, 25-20, 15-8)

Five service aces by Milligan and five service errors by Cumberlands helped the Buffs to a 25-21 win in set one over the Patriots.

In the next set, the Buffs led by as many as six points early and even held a 22-19 advantage late in the frame, but Cumberlands rallied back to even the match at one game apiece with a 25-23 set two victory.

Milligan raced out to a 9-0 lead to begin the third set with Miller providing four kills while Greene worked the service line. The Buffs led 17-6 with nine kills before committing their first attacking error in the set. Milligan hit a blistering .375 with 15 kills on their way to a 25-14 set win.

Cumberlands led wire-to-wire in the fourth set as the Patriots led by as many as 10 (18-8). The Buffs closed the margin to three (23-20) but Cumberlands forced a fifth set with a 25-20 win in the fourth.

Milligan led 4-1 in the fifth set but Cumberlands scored seven of the next points to lead 8-5 as the teams switched sides of the floor.

Miller finished with 17 kills and five aces. Maiden notched 10 kills and four total blocks. Pavich totaled 11 digs. Greene recorded 37 assists, 20 digs, five kills and four total blocks.

Greene was named to the Mountain Madness All-Tournament Team.

Milligan heads to Freed Hardeman's tournament next weekend before opening conference play at Bluefield on Sept. 8.